Introducing Guest Blogger Roberta Lachman Jacobs

Hi,
I'm Roberta Lachman Jacobs, Wicati's guest blogger du jour. I'm the founder of thinkBIG (http://www.thinkthinkbig.com/), a consulting and training company dedicated to helping women acquire the skills, strategies and confidence to succeed in business.

Many of my clients have small businesses and, while working on one's own can be an empowering and exhilerating pursuit, in this rough economy, staying motivated can present quite a challenge. So how do you maintain your enthusiasm when forces beyond your control make it harder to succeed?

*Keep your eyes on the destination. Having a strong vision of where you want your business to go is a great motivator. Stay connected to both your short and long-term goals and objectively measure your progress towards reaching them. Additionally, provide yourself with concrete reminders of all that you've achieved.

*Don't be an island. First, have a cadre of trusted advisors who can provide a reality check. In difficult financial times, it can be hard to figure out if it's something you're doing (or not doing) or just an unavoidable byproduct of a lousy economy. Let smart, trustworthy people give you some perspective. Second, reach out to your champions. Be clear about who you can count on to cheer you on and get in touch with them if you feel a funk coming on. Third, collaborate when possible. It's a great way to benefit from the energy of others.

*Reward yourself intermittently. Don't wait to achieve a goal to celebrate. Schedule rewards along the way, particularly those that recognize your efforts and follow-through on the toughest tasks.

*Have fun. As much as trying times require us to buckle down and take things seriously, all work and no play will make you not only dull, but pretty stressed-out. So give yourself permission to have fun and find a way to enjoy what you're doing, in the moment, as much as possible.

*Plan to become unmotivated. It happens to everyone, and if you simply accept that it's a normal part of the journey, you can save yourself from the self-critical talk that can lead to weeks of eating bon bons in your bathrobe. Over my decades in business, I have discovered the one response to getting off track that works every single time: just get back on.

I will be speaking at Wicati tonight, from 6:30pm to 9pm, in more detail about how to maintain discipline and motivation when you work alone. I hope to see you all there!
RSVP to eve@wicati.com

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