Maintaining Your Motivation

I recently spoke to a group of sales professionals at the end of their training conference. The attendees had participated in many learning sessions over a two day period ? most of which were product related. I was scheduled to speak after dinner and I was somewhat concerned how attentive they would be by this time.

Fortunately, in the days preceding, the company had structured the entire program to create energy, excitement and to foster a sense of team enthusiasm. They had a theme and encouraged their vendors to incorporate the theme into each of their individual presentations. They awarded prizes for the team with the most energy and highest level of participation, and by the time dinner was served, the group was pumped. They were excited. And they were highly motivated and charged up. When I left that evening, I knew that these individuals would bring a renewed energy and drive to their work place. I was also confident that the company would see a definite increase in their sales in the weeks to follow.

It reminded me how motivational a conference, training workshop or corporate gathering can be. It reinforced the importance of participating in sessions like these on a regular basis, if for no other reason, but to ignite our own personal motivation.

Running a business is tiring, stressful and challenging. Small business owners are required to wear many hats, often at the same time, while executives of large organizations often have more problems and politics to manage on a daily basis. It is not uncommon for the business to drain our energy and motivation, regardless of how much we enjoy the business. If you do not take time to recharge your batteries and refresh your perspective it is easy to find yourself frustrated with your business.

That is why it is imperative to have a personal motivation plan in place. This means taking advantage of opportunities that will help you maintain your motivation. Here are few suggestions to help get you started.

Attend a personal development workshop. Identify an area in your business or personal live that you would like to improve. At the beginning of each year, I determine what types of programs I want to attend and begin looking for them. I find that these sessions give me a short break from the daily grind of my business and help me see things from a different perspective. Training programs, night courses, or weekend seminars that focus on a specific topic can give you a much needed boost in your energy.

Join a Master Mind group. Meeting with other like-minded people can help you see your business from a different perspective. An effective group will have between six and eight members from a variety of industries and will usually meet several times a year. If you have the right chemistry between members, these meetings will not only help you improve your business, they will also motivate you to try new approaches and market your business differently.

Exercise. I am an avid runner and have completed two marathons and several half marathons. I occasionally find myself in a position when I cannot run for a period of time due to illness, injury, or the demands of work. Without fail, I notice a decrease in my personal motivation during these times. Regular exercise helps your body work more effectively and efficiently. Although I usually catch myself thinking about work related issues during my runs, I often notice that I develop more creative solutions when I am exercising.

Read or listen to motivational material. Instead of reading the daily newspaper with breakfast or coffee in the morning, try reading inspirational material instead. A well-written book that offers sound advice is more motivating than reading about the latest market declines. Listening to motivational tapes or CD's in your car for one hour everyday can actually give you the equivalent of a university degree in a few years time.

Take time off. It is not a badge of honor to state, "I'm too busy to take time off." In today's fast-paced business world, it is critical to take time off for vacation and rest and relaxation. Even a long weekend away from your business can be restful. A true vacation also means completely avoiding email and voicemail. Yes, you will have hundreds of messages to deal with when you return, but you will have a renewed focus and energy to do this.

Lastly, associate with positive people. I have made it a point in the latter part of my career to distance myself from negative individuals. They drain your energy, will not support your goals and desires, and do little to motivate you. On the other hand, positive and optimistic people will uplift your spirits and help you through challenging times.

© 2004 Kelley Robertson All rights reserved.

About The Author

Kelley Robertson, President of the Robertson Training Group, works with businesses to help them increase their sales and motivate their employees. He is also the author of "Stop, Ask & Listen ? Proven sales techniques to turn browsers into buyers." For information on his programs, visit his website at www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com. Receive a FREE copy of "100 Ways to Increase Your Sales" by subscribing to his 59-Second Tip, a free weekly e-zine. Kelley@robertsontraininggroup.com

---

Stick With the Winners

Here is an interesting quotation from Stephen Walsh."We're building up... Read More

Teaching kids -- UGH!! (...and what I learned from it)

I have a confession to make: I don't like working... Read More

3 Clever Ways To Stop Procrastinating

Stopping procrastination can be challenging, especially since you can't put... Read More

How to Use Discouragement to Motivate Yourself

Ever feel like giving up? Do you ever feel so... Read More

Mindfulness and Birthdays: Surprising Moments

The first week of May is a big birthday time... Read More

Speed Reading Technique

Four Brilliant Tips to Speed Read Faster than EverMany people,... Read More

Step Out

Living your successful life requires you to step out. I... Read More

Training Your Mind to Help You

Our friend, singer and songwriter Chuck Pyle, likes to say,... Read More

Persistence

One of the keys to being successful in anything you... Read More

Five Ways to Expand Your Comfort Zone

Expanding your comfort zone isn't quite the same as building... Read More

Why are You Living?

It was 4,O'Clock in the morning, my regular time to... Read More

A Quick Observation of the Low Class

We can all learn a valuable lesson about the types... Read More

How Breaking Routine And Unexpected Acts of Kindness Can Energize Your Day!

Sometimes life becomes so routine, we don't have to think... Read More

Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Recently a person attended one of my goal setting seminars... Read More

How to Beat Procrastination and Self Doubt

Fear of failure (or success) and a lack of energy... Read More

What Would You Do If You Knew You Could Not Fail?

The next time you find yourself relaxing on the couch,... Read More

Overcoming Procrastination

What are the reasons that YOU procrastinate?Are you a perfectionist?Do... Read More

Do I have What It takes?

What am I made of? Do I have what it... Read More

Top 10 Tips For The Best Year of Your Life!

We typically think of New Year's as the time to... Read More

Learn to Do What Winners Do But Others Will Not

If you want to be a winner you have to... Read More

Motivation: Tearing Down Your Own Limitations

Q.: I've always been sort of cynical about all this... Read More

Practical Ways To Motivate Yourself To Learn A Skill

One way to motivate yourself to work hard at anything... Read More

Is Your Passion Fizzling Out?

Starting a business or project is one thing, keeping it... Read More

How To Overcome Procrastination Quickly And Easily

Maybe it is time to discover a new way to... Read More

Grit or Grace?

The grit of life is hard to swallow. You make... Read More

Motivation: The Power of Action, Part 2

The Three D's of Action are Decide, Do and Distinguish.... Read More

Read All the Books

All of the books that we will ever need to... Read More

Stop Procrastination--Just Do It!

In this article I'll talk about the reason that stops... Read More

A Special Q & A - All About Passionately Soaring in Life

1. How do I discover my passion?This is one of... Read More

Finding Yourself: Finding Passion Series - 1 of 3

We have been told that the things we don't like... Read More

Living Outside the Lines of Normal and Reasonable

Elizabeth Tull is a Professional Excellence Coach who lives with... Read More

Anchors Away!

If we want to fill our heads with the doom... Read More

Gremlins! Time to Take Control

It is a wonder we can function at all. Each... Read More