Motivation comes and goes. You always want to take advantage of it when it's with you.
I remember when I started my store and how motivated I was. I would teach all day, do paperwork, have a conference, and hurry home to work on some new product. I loved it, and I was so motivated!
I kind of enjoy starting things. Continuing to work on them can be a whole other story. So the motivation fades. Yep, it happens as I'm sure you have all figured out by now.
So what do we do about it?
Here are some tips to help you when you are no longer motivated:
1) Work on something that excites you! Sometimes what we are working on just isn't "floating our boat". Put it aside and switch gears. If you need something creative, start a new product. If you need something that is repetitive, create some pins or update product images. Again remember to come back and finish what you weren't so excited to work on. You don't want to find 20 unfinished products on your computer a year later.
2) Do some thinking! Think about why you aren't motivated. Think about what motivates you in the first place. Think about why you create products. Get your thoughts down in a journal. Do some brainstorming to discover some ways you can be motivated again.
3) Go have some fun! Maybe you are teaching all day and TPT-ing all night. This causes burn out which is not healthy. Find something fun to do that you would enjoy. Don't think about your store while you are having fun.
4) Get some advice! Find some way to get some business or self-help advice. You can do this through listening to some podcasts, reading a business book, or reading some motivational quotes.
5) Set a timer and do the next step! When our motivation is hiding, sometimes it's because fear starts creeping in. Maybe you are procrastinating starting a new product because you don't know what you want it to end up like. Maybe you are afraid of the technology. Don't let your fears get in your way. Decide the ONE step you need to take, set a timer, and do it. Then you can work on the next step. Then the next one after that. You don't have to think about the next 20 steps at one time.
6) Find some accountability! Accountability is another way to stay motivated. You can find a friend who you check in with each week, join or start a mastermind group (a small group of sellers who meet a couple of times a month to talk about their stores), or join an accountability group like my One Step Accountability Group. We do weekly challenges to help us stay motivated and working on our stores. You can learn more or join through this link: One Step Accountability Group.
7) Switch your work area! Using a different location to work can revitalize your motivation. You might try a different room in your house, the library, or a local coffee shop for a different work space.
8) Take a break! Sometimes we just need time off from working on our TPT store. The break could be a few hours to a couple of weeks. If you aren't feeling it, you probably aren't going to do your best work. However, you don't want to be gone too long. If you want to continue with your business, you will need to come back to working on it.
You'll go through different seasons in life. Sometimes you'll have more motivation than at other times depending on your unique situation.
My motivation has come and gone over the years that I've been selling. One thing I know is that I keep working to find it, and I haven't stopped building my business.
