To Motivate Yourself to Success, Find Your 'Why' Anyone can learn to build a business. But you have to figure out the reason you want to succeed.
By Katherine Keller Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
In the beginning, my lack of success had nothing to do with a lack of knowledge. I read, Googled, researched, asked questions, studied, read more and watched more instructional YouTube videos than I can count. I had knowledge.
There wasn't a lack of understanding on how to build a social media following, design my own website or use great SEO techniques. Information is everywhere. We no longer have the excuse of not being able to be successful because the logistical information on how to build a business is not available to us. All of the information you need to become wealthy is available now.
Related: What's Your Motivation? Find Out Now.
What I was missing was a really good "why." Don't get me wrong, I had thought long and hard about what my goals were. My first goal was to make $10,000 a month. That was a big goal for me and I knew it would take a lot to get there. Just like all the books said, I wrote down my goal and why I wanted to achieve that goal. I felt that $10,000 a month was enough money to pay all my bills and set aside funds for the family to do fun activities (such as traveling), with enough left over for me to invest in my future and the kids' education.
Pretty good reasons, right? I fervently believed in this goal and my reasons. But it was not enough. I needed something more to push me forward, get me out of bed at 5 a.m. each morning, or propel me to work through the night and not go to bed at all.
I had to become a child again. The average 4-year-old girl asks 390 questions per day. The majority of them are, "Why?" So I asked myself, "Why." Why was it important to me to pay my bills, create fun moments with the kids and invest in our future? I determined it was because I wanted my kids to grow up in a safe and fun environment. I wanted them to know that there was going to be a house to come home to and a car for us to drive. There have been times in our life where we did not have either of those.
Related: 6 Practices to Boost Your Chances of Success in Life and Business
Again, I asked the question, "But why is it important for me to provide that safe environment for the kids?" That is when I realized that, up until that point, I had felt like a failure of a mother. I had not been the best that I could be. I believed that providing my kids with a safe and fun environment would make me feel like I was a successful parent.
Once again, I asked myself another question, "Why was it so important for me to be a successful parent?" And that is when I began to cry. My son was 10 and I knew the clock was ticking. In eight years he was going to be out of the house and on his own. Never again would I have the opportunity to give him the childhood that I wanted to give him. There was a countdown going on, a limited-time opportunity. It was now or never.
When it is 5 a.m. and I need to get out of bed to finish a project, which do you believe is more compelling:
1. "I need to get up because I want to make $10,000 a month to pay my bills, travel, and invest for the future."
2. "I need to get up because the clock is ticking and I have eight years to do everything I possibly can to provide my kids with the childhood I've always wanted them to have."
If you are not feeling motivated, if your business is not moving forward, or if you find yourself feeling "stuck," it is most likely because your "why" is not strong enough to pull you through the rough spots and make you push yourself to do things when you don't want to do them. Anyone can easily find out how to build a business. Only you can find out your true "why."
Related: It's Up to Us to Make Our Own Fate
