Entrepreneurs are often stretched thin, especially during the early phases of their business, which is why over 70% say they have experienced burnout at some point in their careers. When you have to make ten life-altering decisions before lunch every day, it can be a bit difficult to find your motivation and keep going.
But you don’t have to wait until your body and spirit break. There are ways to stay focused and productive without losing focus on your health and mental well-being. We talked with a few experienced entrepreneurs and found four hacks that will keep that motivation tank full and ready to go.
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” - James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits.
It’s important to understand that motivation is not an infinite power that you can use whenever you feel down. In reality, motivation is a precious, finite resource that can vanish at the smallest sign of trouble.
Your discipline and systems are the ones that will carry you forward when you feel tired, uninspired, or busy. Systems create a consistent, repeatable framework for success, making it a reliable feature of the business, not an unpredictable dependent on personal energy.
Known as smart drugs, cognitive enhancers, or nootropics, these substances have been proven to improve cognitive functions like memory, focus, creativity, motivation, and alertness in healthy individuals.
So, you can take nootropics for increased motivation and enhanced focus, creativity, and energy. Since they are considered supplements, you can find them over the counter in pharmacies or online (just make sure to check the provider’s reliability).
Mental performance boosters are usually a combination of Caffeine, L-theanine, Creatine, Omega-3 Fatty Acids (DHA/EPA), herbal extracts, and B Vitamins (especially B6, B9, B12). The formulation differs for each product, but the end goal is the same: to keep your brain happy and thinking.
We get it, new businesses open almost every day, and you want to stay ahead of your competition. But you’ll only be able to achieve this if you learn how to weave breaks and rest into your busy schedule.
Stepping away allows your mind to recharge, prevents burnout, and often leads to greater clarity and renewed energy upon returning to work. Rest is essential for your brain, and every high-powered CEO or wildly successful entrepreneur will swear by it.
Make sure you understand what rest means to you. It can be anything from taking a nap to taking a walk in nature to spending time with a friend in a coffee shop. It does not mean lying on a couch browsing social media for 10 minutes.
We’ve been hardwired to believe that failure is the end of the road. After all, if we fail, it means we were not designed for that specific activity, right? Wrong.
Failure is just you discovering what doesn’t work and finding ways to improve yourself, your business, and your environment. So don’t stay down when life delivers a lesson. Get up, learn from experience, and move forward.
Entrepreneurship life is tough and draining, but it’s also incredibly fun, challenging, and transformative. Find the motivation hacks that work for you and keep believing in your dream. Future you will thank you.
