It’s exciting to begin a brand new business. You jump in with both feet and you’re off and running. But eventually you hit an unexpected bump (or two or three). You find yourself stalled. Or just plain overwhelmed.
The next thing you know, you’re frustrated or confused and all momentum comes to a halt.
Momentum is essential to create a successful, sustainable business. And yet, one of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face is sustaining momentum.
Here are 9 quick (but important!) tips to help build and sustain momentum in your business:
1. Know your big why
Too many entrepreneurs either don’t know why (I mean really know why) they’re in business for themselves or they forget the minute trouble hits. Don’t let that be you.
Know your “Big Why” for being an entrepreneur. Know why this matters to you so much. Know why you want to keep going – even when times are tough – so that you can.
Post your personal “Big Why” where you’ll see it often. And tap into it when you need a boost.
2. Honor your priorities
We all know the importance of priorities. And we all have them, whether we acknowledge them or not.
But here’s the thing: priorities are not a set-and-forget type of thing for a business owner.
If you want to stay focused and build momentum, you’ve absolutely got to go beyond simply identifying your top priorities. You must also honor them every single day. For example, follow your own agenda instead of being led astray by what others are doing (or what you think they’re doing!)
3. Create goals that work
Here’s another common cause of overwhelm and frustration when building a business, especially as a solopreneur: creating business goals that are not yours. It’s easy to look at what others are doing and think you ‘should’ have the same goals. It’s easy to take on goals that others say will lead to success.
Do yourself a favor. Create goals that are in alignment with your core values and your personal vision for success. Do you really need to create a 7-figure business to be successful? That might be a commonly touted goal these days, but is it a goal that’s in alignment with your values and your personal vision of success? If so, go for it. If not, create a goal that you can feel good about working towards.
Creating goals that work for you will build momentum for growing your business your way.
4. Take doable action
You know you must take action to see results. But are you?
If you want to sustain momentum so you can reach your goals, find your “doable” action steps. That means you don’t bite off more than you can chew. You don’t expect yourself to take giant steps that end up causing you to procrastinate instead of moving forward.
Identify the smallest step you can take (that’s a doable step). And take it. Keep going from there, one doable step at a time.
Small steps do add up and build momentum.
5. Be consistent
If you are constantly starting projects and then changing direction, you won’t build momentum. You’ll be running around in circles and you’ll soon be exhausted, with nothing to show for your effort.
Take a look around, notice if you’re prone to chasing ‘shiny objects’ or otherwise getting distracted. If that sounds familiar, get some support (see #9 below) to stay the course and minimize those distractions.
If you start things and then don’t finish, you won’t see results. You must be consistent to build momentum. Take consistent action and watch your business steadily grow.
6. Expect obstacles
Some of what you implement in your business won’t be successful. Some things just won’t work out. There will be bumps in the road. There will be false leads. It’s part of the journey, of finding your way.
Don’t let obstacles and unexpected complications stop you in your tracks and bring your momentum to a screeching halt.
When something doesn’t work, evaluate it, and correct your course. Sometimes it means making adjustments or refining things. Sometimes that means letting go of the project or goal.
If you expect obstacles, you can see them as an opportunity to refocus and create something even better for your business. That’s how you maintain momentum instead of letting every bump in the road derail you.
7. Celebrate along the way
Don’t wait to celebrate until the goal is met or the “to-do” list is complete. Reward yourself for staying the course. Acknowledge the small wins along the way to the bigger goal.
Don’t underestimate the power of celebration to keep your momentum going. Give it a try and find out for yourself.
Take time to celebrate your successes – no matter how small – and give your momentum a big boost!
8. Cultivate self-care
There’s a hard truth to being an entrepreneur: the “to-do” list never ends and you’ll always have more goals than you can achieve.
Don’t expect your energy to continue on effortlessly and endlessly. It won’t happen. You’re human, you need to recharge your batteries. And if you don’t do it, who will?
You can’t maintain momentum if you’re tired and out of energy. Cultivate a self-care routine that energizes and nourishes you. Taking great care of yourself is one of the secrets to sustainable momentum.
9. Appreciate support
There isn’t a successful entrepreneur out there who’s done it all by themselves. We all need support. Appreciate that fact instead of regarding it as a weakness. It’ll change your life!
Create a team that helps you manage your business. Hire a coach to guide you as you grow your business. Allow your family and friends to be a personal support system in your life.
You deserve support. Allow yourself to be supported and appreciate the support system you put into place. Then watch out because you’ll be unstoppable!
The Bottom Line:
Momentum is essential if you want to create the successful business you dream of.
Integrate these tips into your daily routine and your business systems so that you can build and sustain the momentum needed to create the success you deserve!