There are many challenges faced by top startups in India in the transition – from an employee to a corporate leader or entrepreneur of own business. In addition, they no longer have a team over them to set targets, deadlines, and incentives. Only self-motivation keeps you sailing through the tides. That is my personal experience.
As a beginner, I was exposed to a host of challenges as the definition of responsibility changed. The experience was new and I was consumed with a lot of work. However, maintaining self-discipline was my aim. Had I not been able to do it, my personal development, as well as family life, would have been haywire by now.
So, how did I manage to focus on my business while being motivated to becoming a business leader and a better person? It’s simple – I gave myself some time, I was dedicated to my role as an entrepreneur, and I practiced.
The true qualities of an entrepreneur are focus and perseverance. There are obstacles; there would be many hiccups and de-motivating factors. But, the key is to stick through thick and thin.
There’s nothing as sheer luck or genius. There are no secrets to doing good business.
The answer lies in self motivation.
Psychology Today defines motivation as a “desire to do something.”
The Oxford Dictionary describes motivation as ‘the reason or reasons for acting or behaving in a particular way.’ Whereas, self motivation is an internal feeling arising out of the desire to fulfill or satisfy specific needs.
According to the words of Tony Robbins, “The one common denominator of all successful people is the hunger to push through their fears.” That is how self motivation helps. When there’s enough hunger, you would be eager to learn ways to motivate and meet those goals. That’s what I did!
The Psychology of Self Motivation
But, why do people lack motivation? It is because of the psychological barriers.
Firstly, you must know what you want.
Are you trying to find out how to become a successful startup? Don’t you know how to begin this journey? Why do you want to do this business? Why do you want to succeed?
If you find answers, you can start reflecting on them and find meanings.
I learned that there’s a fine balance between success and failure. Neither is possible without the other. If you can accept this reality, success shall be yours in no time.
Self Motivation & Emotional Intelligence – The Interlink
There’s a strong connection between emotional intelligence and self motivation. When you learn how self motivation helps you to take control of various aspects of life, you would be amazed!
Motivation is an important personal skill integral to emotional intelligence. Daniel Goleman, the author of eminent books on Emotional Intelligence, pointed out four important elements of motivation:
- Personal drive/desire to achieve, improve or meet standards
- Commitment to personal and/or organizational goals
- The initiative, or readiness to act on new opportunities
- Optimism, the ability to continue, reach your goals, and face setbacks. Be resilient
Why is Motivation Important in a Business?
Because it gives you direction!
The qualities of an entrepreneur lie in the positivity and values of an individual. To me, self motivation was always important as it helped me understand how to do things. I have taken proactive measures to instill these qualities in my team too. The team that works hard to give life to the startup realizes the importance of mentorship.
Even if you have the blueprint ready and sketches chalked out, you may not be able to yield results. Why so?
That’s because you are not focused.
Two types of motivators play here – Intrinsic (as in what you want to do) and Extrinsic (as in what you “have” to do).
So, when the choice is between what you “want” to do and what you “have” to do, you must be wise enough to follow the right path.
Different people stay motivated by different things at any given time in their life. The same role may have more extrinsic motivators at one point of time and then intrinsic motivators at the others. Then, there may be times when the two combine. They try to find out how many hours to work in a startup and give their best.
However, the bottom line is that I work better when I am passionate about what I am doing. I enjoy doing it.
It makes me happier about my work and in general too.
Research also shows that this is specifically important when a person is under stress or pressure. It becomes easier to cope up with stress and strenuous hours of work when we enjoy the work, as I do. Hence, intrinsic motivators are important for self-motivation.
How Does Self Motivation Work?
In my words, I would tell you the 7 ways in which self motivation has worked for me:
- I know what you want: Motivation is a diverse and varied subject; quite complicated too. But it answers the “whys.” Entrepreneurs in India want to know why they are here; what is the purpose of being in this vast marketplace? While there are thousands of researched answers to the question, the fact is that the purpose of entrepreneurship is the fundamental principle of business. So, choose your business goals, define the purpose of your business, chart an action plan, answer the “whys”, and unlock the door of constant self motivation.
- I know what to do Each Day: Though motivation begins broad, it gets infinitesimally elaborate over time. When you know the purpose of your business, you would know what you are supposed to do daily. That’s the definition of a true entrepreneur. For me, each day begins with a defined set of tasks, objectives and goals. Identifying the obstacles, knowing that they exist, and making efforts to chip them away creates a strong sense of self motivation each day.
- I Prepare Mentally for Each Day: Top startups in India cannot depend merely on knowledge; there must be a psychological trigger – its preparation. How you prepare depends on your taste. For me, I prefer music as it quickly snaps my mind into a supremely powerful state. I also like to view motivational materials on YouTube. While techniques may vary, the principle remains – mental preparation is the key to dominate during a hard day at work.
- Self-discipline is not Alone; Plus Willpower: Self-discipline is the key to motivation for doing good business, but not alone. If you do not have the willpower, it does not work. Willpower works like a muscle, which may be fatigued due to overuse. Moreover, self-discipline is limited. It might fail you. However, deep motivation helps you sustain. I’ve used self-discipline as a tool to enhance my efforts, but I never relied completely on it.
- I Create My Own Rules and Follow: I’ve always been a self-motivated person and the creator of my own business rules. Of course, I have a team that looks up to me and I try to motivate them too. I’ve risen over external pressures to create my own guidebook as an entrepreneur, which is immensely motivating. In fact, it motivates my team too. Invariably, my standards are high, but not very hard to maintain.
- I Develop Unrealistic Goals: Sometimes, yes, I do. Self-motivated entrepreneurs always push forward using the superpower of their goals. Setting goals is a mental game. The act of creating goals, help drive accomplishment. Meanwhile, others may be laughing at big goals; some even scoffing, but I am achieving them. Elon Musk is one of the eminent entrepreneurs who set insane goals. Business Insider wrote, “Elon Musk sets nearly impossible goals for SpaceX employees.” But, it also said that “Space X has a seemingly impossible objective-the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.”
- Never Lose Sight of Your Goal: I have not, and so should you! When you set a goal, remember never to lose sight or focus. Your business goals should be in your mind at all times. In fact, it should be at the forefront of the mind so that you never lose motivation.
Conclusion
What makes entrepreneurs successful? Self-motivation is the key underlying forces, which distinguishes between successful entrepreneurs and the ones who stagger from one dying startup company to another.
Understand that self motivation despises several inconsequential elements like luck. It also dismisses self-discipline to a certain extent. However, it sets eyes on the power of your business goals and never allows you to lose sight or miss a single opportunity.
Entrepreneurship is a vast world. It is a world of motivation for entrepreneurs who are in the pursuit to win. They draw motivation from events, progress, actions, and course, which facilitates in bringing a brimming idea to life. The actual difference between a successful entrepreneur and the rest is in their innate ability to stay motivated throughout tough times and otherwise. There are many tips for budding entrepreneurs to succeed. They must trust themselves and stay motivated to succeed in each stage of business, and life.
