Finding your motivation – and keeping it

Last week I received a message from somebody who wanted to know about my motivation for continuing to do what I do, and as I read this, I realised that motivation is actually a question I am often asked about. Sometimes people want to know how to maintain it, whereas others are unsure about finding it in the first place.

I have always urged people to follow their passions as much as possible. Whether you are starting a business, looking for a job or maybe considering a sabbatical, doing something which genuinely excites you, and that you believe in, is always going to make your working life better. Paying the bills is a huge reason why people do what they do, but at some point you need to be in an environment where you will look forward to Monday mornings.

My first investment on Dragons’ Den was Sammy French and her dog treadmills. One of the main reasons I backed the business was that her desire to make a success of this business was second to none. I could tell she absolutely believed in her product, which meant that her customers would believe in it too. I never for one moment questioned her motivation because it was clear as day.

Whenever I meet any entrepreneurs, I am extremely interested in what I call ‘The Power of Why’. This is basically my way of finding out what drives them, as it directly links to the level of dedication they will show to their business. The greater their reason is, the more confident I am that they can overcome any challenges. If you’re struggling to find what your motivation is, I’d urge you to go back to basics. Get a pen and paper and actually write down what your ‘why’ is. What is your core driver?

In terms of keeping yourself motivated, this boils down to setting yourself challenges. I have stated before that you should be evaluating your career at least twice a year, and this is where you set yourself new goals. Don’t simply go through life without a target, this is how you end up feeling at a loss. Always aim for something, as this will constantly keep you on your toes and raring to go. It may be that you want to be promoted by this time next year, or want your business to achieve a specific number of sales – whatever it is, set this out as a goal well in advance.

As I touched on before, a key driver for many people is financial stability, and back when I was running my first business, I used to keep myself motivated by working backwards. What this means is that I would commit myself to a certain expenditure and then work my socks off to ensure this happened.

For example there was a period of time when my biggest motivation was a house that I’d bought. Given that I had only been running the business for a few years, I had taken a huge risk committing myself to that particular house. However the day I signed the contract, I became a man on a mission. I loved that house and there was no way I was going to let it be taken away from me - so everything I did was to ensure the mortgage could be paid and that didn’t happen. That was my target, and by having it in front of me every day, there was no way my motivation levels would ever slip.

Even now, having been in business for over 30 years, I insist on setting myself challenges all the time. Every time I have reached a target, I set myself another one. People often ask me why I don’t just walk away from everything, but this mindset means there is always something I want to accomplish, and almost every entrepreneur will tell you the same thing.

The key message from all of this is to constantly give yourself a reason for doing what you do. It can be fun to take each day as it comes and live off the cuff, and if this works for you then I certainly wouldn’t tell you to change it. But planning ahead and working towards a set goal can ensure that each day is a productive one for you on a personal level.