When entrepreneurs first decide to go into business, their reasons for doing so vary. While those reasons may be great motivation to take the leap from a traditional 9-to-5 to business ownership, they may not provide long-term inspiration to make your business truly thrive.
As you began to consider entrepreneurship, maybe you were thinking …
- “I don’t like my job—I can’t wait to get out of here.”
- “I would love to work from home, so I can be there when my kids get out of school each day.”
- “This job isn’t paying me what I’m worth. I would love to earn more.”
- “I am tired of working long hours and on holidays.”
- “I know I could do more with my life!”
Thoughts like these may drive people to leave their jobs and start their businesses—but they won’t provide enough motivation for you to make the personal and professional transformations that true success requires.
They won’t be inspirational enough to give you the courage to take those significant steps toward massive success (like hiring a coach or investing in a program).
To truly thrive in your business, you must identify the real reason behind what you do: your why.
Here are three types of “whys”; do you resonate with them?
Passionate Whys
If you’ve spent time in the online business world, you’ve undoubtedly heard the word “passion.” So many entrepreneurs are pursuing their passion, building passion-based businesses, living their passion, and so on.
Passion can be a strong motivator for business owners with a true passion for what they do.
Whether you’re passionate about a specific topic, a particular ideal client group, or providing a thorough transformation, harnessing that passion will help you take your business to the next level.
Financial Whys
While many service-based entrepreneurs shy away from money as a motivator, I take a different approach: why wouldn’t you want to make a significant income? After all, money is just another form of energy; you receive it in exchange for the transformation you provide. Money is a necessary tool, and the fact is, the more we have, the easier life is.
Whether you want to retire young so you can visit every place on your bucket list, send your kids to a particular school, or create a retirement account that gives you peace of mind, entrepreneurship can be a great path to get you there.
If you know you’d never earn enough to do those things while putting in time at your day job, entrepreneurship can give you the freedom to maximize your earning power.
Philanthropic Whys
For many entrepreneurs, the ability to use their business to change the world is a vast and powerful motivator … and an effective one.
You’ve likely heard of (or know) business owners who use some of their profits to fund mission trips, build schools in third-world countries, and support charities with causes they’re passionate about. Some business owners use the time freedom they’ve created with their businesses to volunteer.
Your love for a specific cause can be a driving force that empowers you to take your business to the next level.
Your Why
Take some time to consider your biggest dreams. If money were no object, what would you be doing? For example, would you be using your time and energy to change lives? Would you be traveling the world and driving your dream car? Or would you be helping out with a cause you hold dear?
Once you dial in on your why you can use it to cultivate long-term success in your business.
Read my article: The Right Way to Set Goals for Your Business and Mistakes to Avoid
