Motivation

 

How do you motivate your self to keep moving forward? Where do you find your motivation? There are days when I ask myself these questions more than a few times. When I struggle with something, I like to check with friends to see how they handle a slump in their mood.

Sandy

Sandy lives in Louisiana and owns The Purple Sage.  We met in an Instagram pod first, and then physically in Aruba on a business trip. (Yes, there are business trips to Aruba, and going on them is one way to stay motivated!) She said “I think it was a Dunkin Donut commercial where the guy was coming and going and coming and going…and he repeated “Time to make the donuts”. So I tell myself “time to make soap”.” I remember that jingle and it does put a smile on my face.

Cae

“I push myself to continually be learning and creating new things.  I have a need to be better than I was and know more than knew the day before.” is advice from Cae.  If I close my eyes I can picture Cae saying this to me. She is soft-spoken and thoughtful.  We met at a soap making class on NYC and quickly became friends.

Marilyn

Marilyn lived on Long Island at one time, but has moved to North Carolina. We met at a soap class and hit it off so well that we roomed together at a soap conference.  Marilyn owns Ritual Waters and had a tough year. I was really curious to see what she’d say.  “Things have been hard over the past year.  I keep putting one foot in front of the other.  It has taken me a while to keep moving as I retired in August 2019 and I feel that I sort of stalled. As soon as I got used to being retired I had a fall in Oct 2020. I kept up with a coaching program and it should be completed within the next month. This has been important to me, as I want to empower others with their creativity as I inspired others to be soap makers. I am moving forward with helping people create rituals” I like what she says about putting one foot in front of the other.  Maybe it’s as simple as that.

Roberta

Just like her shop Scrubz, Roberta is always so full of energy, it’s sometimes hard to keep up with her.  I can’t imagine her having a motivation problem, but I know at times everyone does.  “I remember the alternative and remember that living in and for today is enough. If I reframe a bad day, it usually turns into a not so bad day. If I enjoy a good day fully, it makes it sweeter. Or I I have a project that is making me procrastinate, I will break it down in small pieces and enjoy the success of the moment.”

Christine

Christine is a copywriter, and owns Ba6 Marketing. “Meet with my like-minded friends and masterminded (so I don’t feel alone) and more heads are better than one…so hearing others and how they are inspired helps me feel inspired.” Sort of like what I’m doing now.

Marla

Marla is always full of wisdom. As a coach and the owner of Back Porch Soap, she helps other entrepreneurs find their passion. “This is an interesting question and I appreciate it because I’ve never really considered what motivates me. I think 20 years ago when I was newly divorced, having money to pay bills was my primary motivator. I was a single mom with a young daughter and there wasn’t any other choice. Now what motivates me is my own journey of self-discovery. My business is constantly evolving as I peel back the layers of who I am and why I’m here on this planet at this time. It’s mind-blowing really. I think just showing up every day and seeing what the day brings is enough motivation to keep me coming back for more.”

Maria

Maria is the youngest of my friends here, she had school age children, owns Digho, and offers another perspective on motivation. She’s an advocate of being organized. “I always have a list of things that have to get done… it makes me feel productive and when I cross things off I feel good to keep going.  The list has big and small tasks that help me get through my day.”

My Take

I like the idea of putting one foot  in front of the other.  If it’s not the right direction, stop and move in another. Doing anything when you’re stuck is better than staying stuck. Keep a list of things to do and cross them off so you feel productive. Meet with friends and share ideas. Show up everyday with an eagerness to learn, do what needs to be done and count your blessings.

Where do you find your motivation?

 

Yours in Gratitude,

Angela