As I’ve put in more and more time into my immigration tech idea, I’ve been thinking more about motivation, focus, and passion. What seems clear to me, especially after spending a few years on a few different companies, is how important your excitement level (or lack thereof) is regarding whatever it is you’re working on (new business, project, etc.).
What do I mean by this?
I mean that it is almost a night-and-day comparison in terms of motivation, excitement, happiness, etc. when you’re working with good people on good projects for good companies, compared to when your heart isn’t into the project or business you’re working on.
Now that isn’t to say that you can’t still feel “off” even if you meet those criteria, it just means you should keep close tabs on yourself when you are feeling off to see what the cause is.
Maybe you’re working for an awesome company with awesome people, but the project they have you on sucks. Or the project is awesome, but the people suck. Or maybe the whole company really does suck.
As a solopreneur, this can be even harder because in many cases, you are the “company”. Evaluating whether you’re working on the right one could be a book in and of itself, but it’s still important to keep an eye on how it’s going, the things/work you’re focusing on, and the people/clients you’re dealing with.
The more you observe and make calculated adjustments, the better off you’ll be in the long term.
Sometimes, the best way to make a proper evaluation is to take some time away for a few days. This may seem counterintuitive, especially for solopreneurs who tend to have lots of things on the go and ideas moving around upstairs.
But the big reason stepping away from anything helps is it puts everything in perspective, and allows you to get back on track with what’s most important.
Despite how busy anyone might get, most of us are really moving towards 1 or 2 major goals:
– build a new business
– grow some type of following
– increase revenue
Your main goal may be on that list or something slightly different. But when you’re in the middle of it for weeks or months on end, it’s easy to lose sight.
Why am I saying this?
Because the idea of sticking to your “one thing” or “north star” – or at least keeping that thing top of mind – is super important. It’s important for many reasons, but probably the biggest reason is because it will guide all your other actions.
It will also help you determine, as we discussed above, whether you’re even doing the right thing or focused on the right goals to begin with.
For example, are you focused on becoming a life coach? If that’s your main goal, the majority of things you do during the time you work should be spent trying to accomplish that.
Likely things like sales, marketing, etc. to get more clients. Or maybe training to become a better one, or networking, or other things that will get you there.
What’s most important is if you’re focusing on what will get you there, you’re also avoiding the things that aren’t leading you there.
But it’s easy to lose sight of what’s getting you to your goal and what isn’t – which is where stepping back can really help.
The conclusion?
It’s good to step back every so often to keep tabs on what you’re doing and whether it’s leading you to where you want to go. And if you want to get more insight and hear stories from successful solopreneurs who talk about how they navigated their journeys, make sure to sign up for the SG email list here!
