This archive report was first published on 30 October 2019.
Staying Motivated: Lessons from Successful Entrepreneurs ¶
Thomas Edison once said, 'Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.' This quote resonates with entrepreneurs who have faced numerous challenges on their journey to success.
Take Chris Kirubi's failed paint company, Tabitha Karanja's tax battles, or Steve Jobs getting fired from his own company. What these entrepreneurs have in common is motivation; that inner sense to keep going, even when things seem impossible.
On October 30, 2019, The Standard published an article highlighting the importance of staying motivated. According to the article, researchers at New York University found that sharing goals with others can actually decrease motivation. This is because friends may point out small improvements, making it harder to achieve our goals.
So, how can we stay motivated? One technique is to keep our projects to ourselves until they're complete. This allows us to focus on the task at hand without distractions or negative feedback.
Another strategy is to stop waiting for the perfect moment to start. Tim Urban's 2016 TED Talk, 'Inside the mind of a master procrastinator,' discusses how procrastinators often interrupt productivity due to an 'Instant Gratification Monkey.' Urban suggests that we should focus on being better than perfect to beat procrastination.
The Ulysses Pact is another technique for staying motivated. This involves making a choice in the present that binds us to perform an action in the future. For example, if you want to write one blog post a day, you could tell a friend or accountability partner that you'll send them Sh500 if you miss a post.
Strategic reading can also help us stay motivated. Reading books like 'What Got You Here Won't Get You There' and 'Lincoln on Leadership' can provide valuable insights on personal development and leadership.
Finally, the Seinfeld Strategy involves getting a big wall calendar and putting a big red X over each day you complete a task. This creates a chain of motivation that can help you stay on track.
