Getting Back in the Saddle
5 Ways to Remain Self-Motivated After a Setback
How many times have we all ‘fallen off of the horse’ along Life’s wonderful journey?
Pretty much a given that most of us have experienced that toss several times. The big question is, what do we do about it?
I had the pleasure today to receive a phone call from an old friend who I spent time ‘mentoring years ago.
Phil Sanko of Limelight Marketing Co, Denver Colorado called to ask ‘how to get back to simple’ as he and new associate, Derek Baker of Alvissoft, start their new expanded project.
The call could NOT have come at a better time. I realized I had fallen off my horse recently and while sharing my thoughts and guidance I realized I need to remount.
The self-motivation button was pushed and the past few hours have been exciting since I got ‘Back in the Saddle’ and trotting back off on the wonderful journey of successful entrepreneurialism.
I did it! I figured out how to be self-motivated. It was no small feat, but now I am done…right?
Not so fast. Just because I have become remotivated from within doesn’t mean the chase is over, and I have won the game.
Just as life has its ebbs and flows, people have their own ups and downs. You may have a setback (or two or three), and in that case, you have no idea how your mindset could change.
That may sound daunting, but it’s important to be realistic. If you’ve gotten this far as a self-motivated individual, you’ve likely had to be realistic with yourself in the past. It’s not game over – you’ve just started a new level, a new phase of life that you’ll have to conquer.
Check out these 5 ways to keep up your self-motivation after facing a setback.
Redefine Your Approach
If you did the same things for your entire life and never made changes to your approaches, you probably wouldn’t make much progress. When you feel like you hit a roadblock, view it as a chance to figure out a new way around it.
Spend Time with People Who Make You Feel Good
Not everyone makes you feel great. Whether it’s a personality conflict or someone who brings you down, if you feel like you’re leaving a social situation with more negative feelings than positive ones, it might be a good idea to check out of it altogether. Those people definitely won’t lift you up and help you get back on your feet.
TALK to those of Like-Mind and with whom you enjoyed success before
The phone call today was a perfect example of this, for both Phil and me
Give Yourself Some TLC
The first thing you may do when you experience a setback is to get angry with yourself. You may turn from self-motivated mode to self-deprecation mode in a matter of moments. Don’t do that! Instead, remind yourself of all the great things you’ve done – all of your accomplishments and wonderful qualities. Give yourself a designated period of self-care, because as soon as you beat yourself up about something, it’ll be much harder to get those inspiration levels back up later.
Reward Yourself at Least Once Daily
While you’re indulging in self-care, be sure to do at least one positive, uplifting thing daily. That doesn’t mean finishing a pint of ice cream or staying in bed all day. It means you should do something productive that makes you happy. Try taking a walk outside or cooking a healthy, delicious meal. Maybe you’d like to try out a new hobby or start going to the gym.
I rarely drink beer but enjoyed a cold Blue Moon after our call
Let the Past be the Past
It’s called the past for a reason. You could spend hours thinking about what happened before your setback and how you could have changed it. Hindsight is 20/20, so the only thing that will happen here is it will make you feel worse. Be confident in your decisions, and don’t look back.
I have promised myself, and others publically, that the You Can Build It Call-In Talk Show will renew VERY soon
So interesting I was called for advice and that call impacted my own position and allowed ME to Get Back In The Saddle Again
Share some of your experiences in the comments below
Great article Chuck! My team and I over at http://www.alvissoft.com appreciate the mention and your wisdom is something that more people need to tune into.
Thank you for your input, Derek, and I appreciated the opportunity of meeting you. Looking forward to working together in the future, sharing success in business with others
Great article, my Mentor! I, too, had fallen out of the saddle not too long ago and told myself “never again” after the pain of burnout. You give me hope, young man! In late April, I surrendered to my passion and, once again, got back in the saddle. This time, focusing on a tiny step at a time while staying present-minded. Business is beginning to feel good again, Yippee Ki-Yay!
So happy to hear and I am looking forward to our spending some quality time sharing the goodness.