One of my clients recently described his experience with his business practice. He said that everyday felt like he was pushing a boulder uphill. Everyday took a great deal of energy to keep his business going and he was having a hard time staying motivated. These are challenging times for businesses and I would like to address this important challenge in this month's issue of Champions' E-zine to all of my readers that are going through some hard times with their business practice or know of others who are facing this issue.

7 tips on how to stay motivated when you feel like giving up:

Be creative – If you have been marketing, recruiting, selling or prospecting in a way that once served you very well, but no longer does, try a different way. Engage in possibility thinking. Try a different approach to prospecting, asking for referrals and closing the sale. Brainstorm with others for different methods. If the old way is no longer working – just stop – and try something new. Keep at it and track your results. Make course corrections as necessary.

Commit – Decide to keep on going. Decide to never give up. If revenues are down and expenses are up, keep going anyway. Find a way to bring expenses down and a way of getting yourself in front of more people. Keep trying and stay in motion. Don't forget why you came into this extraordinary business. Don't forget all of the people that you have helped in the past and will help in the future with their financial needs. Commit – or recommit. Now would be a good time to create or revisit your personal mission statement.

Avoid negative people – If you are having a difficult time during this soft economy and you are trying to get yourself and your business back on track, you don't need to spend time with negative people. Negative people mean well, but when they talk to you, they are coming from a pessimistic place about finances, money and their business. These are the people who constantly point out what is wrong and complain and blame others for their circumstances. This will have a very negative impact on you if you hear this all of the time. You need to be with people who are thinking in terms of solutions and opportunities and who really think that it will all work out. Surround yourself with nutritious people.

Turn off the TV – You don't need to be bombarded with negativity and hype when you are trying to mentally concentrate on improving yourself and your business. TV will pull your focus, even if the TV is on in the background, it will impact you. This is true, even if you are just watching the news and the weather. Keep your viewing of TV to a minimum, or better yet, just turn it off.

Be proactive – Set key priorities everyday and set minimum goals everyday. Stay in control of what needs to be done and stay on top of your daily tasks. I always tell my clients to design an ideal work week and stick to it. Spend 10 minutes at the beginning of everyday to go over all of the tasks that need to be done and to keep your goals in front of you at all times. By doing this you are taking conscious control of your life and your business. You are setting goals instead of waiting for opportunities. You are being proactive which puts you in control so you are consciously engineering the events of your day. Always be proactive rather then reactive.

Expect it – Stay positive. Your business goals will be achieved if you expect them to happen, not just want them to happen, but really expect them to happen. Always look for signs that you are on track. When things are going badly, we often dwell on what didn't happen during a sale or why a sale didn't close. While I am a big believer in reality checks. I believe that we need to constantly improve ourselves, our presentations and the way we do business. We also need to recognize what we do right. What you focus on will multiply. Always look for the things that you did right during a sales interview or a meeting with a client.

Balance – Get your needs met no matter what. You need to do those things that give you enjoyment. You need to balance your work and personal life especially in hard times. You need to take care of your health and spend time with family and friends. Carve out time to do the things that you enjoy doing and get satisfaction from. No matter what is going on with your business you need to have joy in your life everyday.
Remember that your success depends on your mindset, not on market conditions.

Good luck to you on your journey to success.