The Entrepreneur Insiders network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in America’s startup scene contribute answers to timely questions about entrepreneurship and careers. Today’s answer to the question “How do you stay inspired to run a business?” is written by Suneera Madhani, founder and CEO of Fattmerchant.
When you first start your business, you’ll be filled with inspiration and drive to bring your brilliant idea to the masses. But no matter how great your idea is or how much you love what you do, eventually your business will become work. Like any other business, you will have to deal with everything from the grind of customer acquisition down to ordering sticky notes way more often than you’d like. Running a business is a constant hustle, and it often means that many of the mundane, behind-the-scenes necessities become your responsibility in order for it to run smoothly. Your vision, team, and execution are important factors in ensuring that you’re able to stay inspired to run your startup even after the honeymoon phase is over.
By having a strong, clear vision for your business, you will be able to keep the inspiration alive. A strong vision can act as a touchstone throughout your business’s journey. On the days that seem like they’re never going to end, you can then revisit the vision you set when you were at your most inspired. This will allow you to easily and quickly remind yourself why you do what you do, no matter how busy you are or how far you seem to be from the inspiration you started with.
See also: It’s Time to Let Yourself Celebrate Business Wins
Finding a team that is as enthusiastic and inspired by your business as you are is the key to not losing sight of the inspiration you had when you started. Your team members will be in the trenches with you every day, so it’s important they believe in your idea as much as you do. On the days you might be overwhelmed by the roadblocks or bogged down by the monotonous tasks, having the support system of a strong team allows that unique spark in you to be reignited. It’s an empowering feeling knowing you have a close network around you that is just as committed to the success of the business, and it’s a completely different motivation than when you first launch a business solo. My team at Fattmerchant is the reason I wake up everyday excited to get to the office. There is no one else I would rather go into battle with.
Focusing on the execution of your goals will also provide a major source of inspiration as your business continues to grow. By setting defined, numerical goals to reach each month, you’re able to see how far you’ve come from where you started. Measuring the results is a huge motivator as you overcome each new milestone and just keep climbing. At Fattmerchant, these numbers are our life source for inspiration. When we meet or surpass our goals and are able to see the direct impact of our hard work and dedication, it instills in us new excitement to keep growing and achieving more. And if we don’t hit our goals, we are able to evaluate how we can better execute in the months ahead. Either way, we go into the next month more inspired than the last and ready to hustle.
No matter how much fire and inspiration you start with, there will almost always come a time when that “honeymoon phase” has ended because it’s so easy to get caught up in the working grind. Your vision, your team, and your execution will be the tools you need to keep close in order to ensure you’re always able to rekindle the inspiration you had on your very first day.
