5 ways to stay motivated (and get sh*t done)
Hands up if you've ever done this:
You make yourself a cuppa & sit down to do some business development. But first you've got to look for that helpful post you saw on Instagram the other day.
And then you've got to look at the account of the VA who's pretty established & always shares great posts.
But wait: that account looks really slick. Maybe you need to change your colour palette?
Hmm, it looks like she offers Dubsado builds. Maybe you need to learn that tool before you do anything else?
**Queue your 3pm alarm to pick the kids up from school**
Balls.
If you're ready to stop falling down the rabbit hole and actually stay motivated, here are my favourite ways to keep on task. I'm an INFP-T so I love to get distracted, but if this can work for me, it can work for anyone!
Use ClickUp
There are heaps of other tools out there too but this is the one that has made the biggest difference for me. I have recurring business development tasks that I have to physically tick off or I get a snarky email reminding me that they're overdue. I can plan big projects and small ones, and I can also invite others to collaborate too, which makes it an excellent tool to use with clients.
2. Think about the outcome, not the process
Even when something seems mundane, think about how you'll feel afterwards and where it fits in your overall plan. It is soooooo hard to motivate yourself when the task you’re working on is a bit dull, repetitive or one that takes you wildly outside your comfort zone, but there’s a pretty simple fix: Focus on what the end goal is, not the steps you need to take to get there.
Will the you in 3 months time be thankful that you sat down to do that task today instead of procrastinating?
3. Tie your emotions to everything and think of the bigger picture
We often miss out the 'why' when we set goals and make plans, so ask yourself what each goal means to you. How would signing your 1st client that make you feel? How would learning that new platform impact your business? What would it mean to you to be able to leave your 9-5? Goals without meaning don’t really motivate us, so soak them up in all the many reasons you decided to start your VA business in the first place!
4. Get an accountability partner
When we’re in the office we might have someone pop over and ask how a piece of work is going. Or we’ll have a performance review we’re working towards, or an exec who wants to know the status of a meeting.
But when you’re creating a VA business, you’re only accountable to yourself. So that means you need to keep YOURSELF motivated to do all the things, because YOU’RE the one you’re answering to.
One way to spread the load is to get yourself an accountability partner. It can be anyone from a Mentor, another VA, a friend or family member, and all you need to do is share your goals, the dates by which you want to achieve them, and ask that they hold you accountable. I’ve always found I’ve done my best work when I’ve worked with a business coach/mentor, because there’s something profoundly powerful about paying someone to not only to guide you through what you need to do, but actually kick your butt if you haven’t done it!
You can find out how I support VAs here:
5. Get tapping
Ever heard of EFT tapping? I hadn’t, and when my business coach kept telling me to try it I was super resistant! But when I finally gave it a try, I immediately felt a huge release (basically I cried) and now I’ve made EFT part of my daily mindset routine. There are heaps of free videos on YouTube so it doesn’t need to cost anything. Try out a few to see which practitioner and topic resonates most. I like this one by Brad Yates.
