Monday Motivational Series

I know that many people dread returning to their cubes or their traditional job on Monday morning. I know that many new freelancers or new small business owners may dread another long week of attempting to make some money or keep their clients happy. Many people dream of making that leap, but they're afraid they can't and will provide a thousand excuses about why it won't work. I've decided that every Monday I will post something motivational for you. I do a -lot- of reading. I received three great books in the mail over the weekend as a birthday gift from the woman I consider my spiritual mother. I also own a lot of books. I can tell you that when it comes to work or owning a business, motivation is key. If you don't stay motivated, it will slip away from you. Then you will go back to just going through the motions of life. That's really no way to live at all.

For our first Monday Motivational post, I'd like to talk a little bit about what motivation is and why it is important.

Motivation is your drive to keep going. It is your why. Why do you want to keep your job? Well, because you like to eat and have a roof over your head. Food is good. I like food. In a traditional environment, though, it is easily seen that most people are there to make a paycheck and not a difference. Once you're done with your probationary period, you feel the urge to just coast. Employers don't really like training new people...so they let people get by with more than they should. They lose motivation to stay productive.

So, when you work or when you own a business it's important to keep thinking about your why. It's okay if your why changes. My why changes quite a bit. Today my why is to continue to have the most flexible option to be present and available for my three children. Sure, the older two (16 and almost 14) don't need mama as much as they used to (except for Bank of Mom and wanting a ride). The tiny one is able to have a parent that can go to school functions, be part of the PTA, and he doesn't need to go to day care. On any bad day that I have, I remind myself...ultimately those three are my way. My husband is my why, too. Those who know me can attest that I am very much family oriented. I made a commitment when I became pregnant. I made a commitment when I married. I take my commitments as laws of my life. These four people are one of my whys. I want to be able to take care of my family. This allows me to have it all (including all of the issues, but we will talk about dealing with problems on another Monday).

Now, aside from my family...I have other whys. My health is another why. When you're born with a heart problem, it can get worse as you get older. I'm not that old (although my almost 14 year old would tell you I'm old --- I'm only 36). Carrying babies in my body and having a few severe bouts of illness has made the heart problem worse. Am I dying? Well, I guess we all are. I'm most likely not going to drop dead tomorrow. However, I do take three heart meds, aspirin, and a few herbal supplements. My biggest problem is fatigue. I get tired. I get two kinds of tired. We have our usual "working hard" tired...and then there's the "bad" tired. With the second tired, I might sleep for 36 hours straight. That's no good. A traditional job can't sustain my health needs. I can't stay home for two days because I'm too tired to function. Traditional jobs need employees to actually be there. It wouldn't be fair to either of us. Being self employed is good for my health. Although I keep a fairly regular schedule, working from home allows me to rest if I need to rest. If I sleep for 12 hours, it's fine.

Some days my why rests in one word: control. Being self employed gives me a lot of control. I don't have to accept just any project. If I don't like or believe in a project, I don't have to take it. I can pick and choose (and you can't really do that at first).

Find your motivation. Why do you want to break out of your job and become self employed? Why do you want to become a freelance writer? Think about these things. Make a dream board if it helps you. Fortunately, I have a great imagination. I can just stop and shut my eyes and see my children, husband, and the fun things we can go and do because of my flexibility. In fact, this Thursday I am taking the big kid to play paintball in the middle of the day.

Use your motivation when things get tough. Even anger and distaste can be a motivational tool. It can fuel you to success.

This week's experience....find your motivation. Let me know why you want to become a successful freelance writer. Make sure that you comment. I look forward to interacting with you!