Business and entrepreneurship is a roller coaster of emotions. One minute you’ve got your whole future planned out and you’re convinced there is no greater life than that of an entrepreneur. The next minute, your scrolling Seek wondering if anyone would ever employ you again and longing for those days when you got a consistent and certain pay check.

There’s no denying that you have to have a little bit of crazy and a whole lot of self-belief and belief in your business to succeed as an entrepreneur. And that can be hard when you’re putting all your money on the line and your pulling your fifth all-nighter of the week (with the lack of sleep owing to the fact that you are everything in your business—business developer, director, finance manager, office manager, etc., and there is an excess of adrenalin and fear pumping through your veins). 

So, how can you stay motivated during the rollercoaster lows? Here’s some tips that might just keep you off Seek and help you get one-night’s sleep.

 1. Remember where you started

As an entrepreneur, it’s likely you are driven by your goals and vision—which means you may not be great at looking back and reflecting on how far you’ve come. 

When you’re feeling like things have stagnated or it’s all too hard, take a moment to reflect on how far you’ve come. 

2. Keep a file of positive feedback

You’ve got twenty emails from happy clients saying how much they value your work; yet one piece of constructive or negative feedback has you thinking about throwing in the towel. All feedback is good, it helps us grow. But be sure to keep a file of the positive feedback so you can review it when you’re feeling down. So many people see how amazing you are—listen to them and believe in you!

3. Write a list of ten things you’ve done well today

Often, we go to bed thinking about all the things we haven’t done during the day. This can cause stress and interrupt sleep. Go to bed on a positive note by writing a list of ten things you did well today. This can be as simple as ‘I did not speed’, to ‘I met an important deadline’ or ‘I bought someone less fortunate that me coffee or a meal’. Ending the day on a positive note can help relieve stress and have you sleeping through the night, instead of waking up in a panic. This good sleep can also help you wake up motivated and ready to keep working towards your entrepreneurial goals. 

4. Ask yourself: ‘Will the world end’?

It’s a great question and one that I have on a post-it note on my office wall. In my three years in business, I’ve never had a yes answer to this questions. 

With the rise of email, many of us have started to believe that people will move away from us or we’ll be reprimanded if we don’t answer an email as soon as we open it. Ashton Kutcher describes email inboxes as ‘other people’s to do lists’. And it’s true! I’ll add to that by saying we put the expectation on ourselves that we should reply quickly. The reality is, people don’t always expect an immediate reply—most of the time they’re getting the task off their plate. 

So before you miss another family dinner because you think that email needs responding to now, ask yourself ‘will the world end’ if you don’t reply or action the task right now? If not, take a break and catch up with your family over dinner. Come back to your emails when you’ve enjoyed the break – the task will likely be a lot easier and quicker when you’re not so stressed. 

5. Know that it’s likely you won’t lose it all instantly.

It often takes a lot of misfortune and unfortunate decision before you lose your business and home (provided you have set things up right, you’re acting legally and you have the right insurances). Yes, as an entrepreneur, there are risks; but you will know when things are dire, so be sure to inject some perspective into your thoughts when you suddenly think you’ve “ruined it all”.

At the same time, know that you can take a break. A day and a week pass by quickly, let people know you are on leave, and even say they can call if it’s urgent. Most people will then get swept away in their own stuff and it’s likely you won’t lose your business by taking a week off. In fact, most people will support you and help you take the break. You’ll may then come back online refreshed and more productive then ever!

Some other tips are:

·         Know your why and remind yourself of it often

·         Start each day with affirmations—you can look at this spiritually or psychologically, no matter which way, starting the day thinking about your goals will help set you up to make decision related to them throughout the day and make you feel more accomplished and in control.

·         Get organised—remove distractions and some of the mental load by planning your meals, having morning/evening routine and getting as organised as you can.

·         Build a network of trusted advisers—these could be business connections or friends who know that they are there to listen, not to solve your problems. Verbalising your fears, stresses and worries can help you make sense of them, work through them and put them into perspective. Don’t stay silent, talk it out in a safe, non-judgemental space.

·         Know when to outsource—it can be tempting to keep doing it all because you don’t want to spend money on tasks that you can do. However, think of the opportunity cost. Is your time better spent on reconciling your accounts or chasing business? How much time could that Bookkeeper or Social Media Manager free up for you to bring in more work? What’s the opportunity cost of all the tasks you do?