7 Ways to Get Inspired as an Entrepreneur

Yes, entrepreneurship is naturally exciting. Most of us get involved because we’re thrilled at the notion of getting to build our own enterprise, and the thought of building wealth keeps us going through a lot of challenges — but some days are harder than others, and inevitably, you’ll hit a wall when all that motivation and passion seems to slip away from you. It may not happen often, and it may not consume you completely, but it will compromise the energy and creativity you pour into your business. Furthermore, if you aren’t careful, it could escalate to become a real problem.

So when you hit these walls, on these bad days and in these tough circumstances, what can you do to get your inspiration back?

7 Sources of Entrepreneur Inspiration

Get inspired with one or more of these seven empowering strategies:

1. Read Real Motivational Stories

You could start by reading some motivational stories of entrepreneurs who have already overcome the challenges you’re facing, or who are going through them currently. Blogs like Revel Up Your Dream exist to provide these entrepreneurial, inspirational stories to other business owners, so take them for all they’re worth. You can take solace in the fact that you aren’t on this journey alone, or remind yourself that success could be just around the corner. You might even learn a new coping strategy or a way to reimagine your business.

2. Hit Some Motivational Quotes

In a similar vein to reading entrepreneurial stories, you can search for motivational quotes to keep you going. Look up quotes and interviews of major leaders in the entrepreneurial community. Most of these will probably register as white noise to you, but if you keep looking, chances are you’ll find at least one quote that really resonates with you on a personal level — enough to re-establish your personal motivation to keep going.

3. Remember Why You Got Started

Take a minute to step back and remember why you got started with entrepreneurship in the first place — it can be easy to lose this in the day-to-day responsibilities of business ownership. Did you want to lead a team? Are you after unlimited income potential? Realign your focus here, and you’ll get to see your business through fresher, younger eyes.

4. Take Some Time Off

This is an obvious method that too many entrepreneurs ignore. It doesn’t matter if the business isn’t in perfect shape. It doesn’t matter if you have a lot to do. You need to prioritize your own mental health and take a break every once in awhile. Take a few days off, or get away on a vacation. When you come back, you’ll find your inspiration is renewed. No matter how passionate you are about something, when you deal with it every day without a break, you’re going to get tired of it.

5. Talk to a Mentor

You can also talk to one of your mentors about what you’re facing, or find a new mentor to help guide you in the entrepreneurial world. These are people who have far more experience than you, and more perspective on the relatively small challenges and obstacles you’re facing. They’ll be able to give you some practical advice, or at least some coping strategies to rekindle your inner fire.

6. Exchange Ideas with Your Peers

You may find yourself revitalized simply by talking about your business and the nature of business development with other entrepreneurs in your area. These are people who share your passion, possibly to an even higher level, and passion is contagious. Surround yourself with these people, and you’ll find yourself naturally more inspired.

7. Get Creative

You can also engage in a creative activity to decompress your mind, break free from some of the stress you’re facing, and simultaneously exercise the parts of your brain responsible for coming up with unique solutions to problems. You could study art in a museum, play some of your favorite music, write poetry, paint or do anything else that keeps your mind active and relieves stress. It’s up to you.

Do Something

All of these strategies may appeal to you, or none of them might. You might try one and immediately feel better, or you might try a few and end up back where you started. There are no guarantees here, but there’s one thing you absolutely cannot do: nothing. If you feel your passion and your motivation slipping away, you have to do something — take an action — or else those stagnant feelings will only grow worse, and you’ll end up burning out. Something is always better than nothing, so if one tactic doesn’t work, you simply have to move on to the next one.

Inspiration Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "7 Ways to Get Inspired as an Entrepreneur" was first published on Small Business Trends