It’s about this time, every year, when business professionals start coming off the “new year, new me” high and quickly begin losing motivation and focus. Thoughts of doing great things in 2018, and making it the best year yet, have long gone away and doubt has begun to set back in. Months will pass, and many will realize that they again have become bored with their daily routines. They will spend their days thinking about what a better life would look like, both professionally and personally.
Growth is what many business professionals lack and being comfortable has become the norm. Here are 3 ways to raise the bar in 2018 by staying educated, motivated, and inspired.
Never Stop Learning
Raising the bar this year will mean doing things differently than the previous year, and the year before that, and so on. One key element to raising the bar is staying educated. Trends change, buyers change, and your business changes every day. Developing new skills not only keeps you current in your professional career, but it also allows you to exercise parts of your mind that otherwise are hardly used. One of the most important things you can do to set yourself apart from everyone else is to learn as much as possible, as often as possible.
Udemy is a great resource for continuing education and learning new skills. Many courses are free and others vary in price.
Find Your Motivation
If you want to raise the bar this year, you’ve got to focus on the things that motivate you every day. The easiest way to do this is to make a list of your motivations. Keep that list in sight! Place the list in your work area, or any area where you will see it frequently. You want to be sure you are constantly spending time and making an effort to expand on the things that motivate you. If it’s dance, then bust more moves. If it’s farming, strap on those boots and get to work. Whatever it may be, grow it this year and you’ll see that you’re spending more time in a quality state of mind.
If you’re a business owner, start speaking at local events. Giving others insight into what compelled you to start your business, and what dreams you’ve had for your life, will help remind you why you’re here and why you do what you do.
Stay Inspired
At Troy Hopkins, our team is constantly given opportunities to read new books, exercise during the day, and give back to the community. We find that having a flexible and fun workplace for our employees inspires them to be the best versions of themselves every day.
If you’re part of a team, create a weekly, or monthly, roundtable to host an hour of inspiration for you and your teammates. Talk about the things that inspire you, what activities you find fulfilling outside of work, and what solutions you have to challenges as they arise. Being part of a team can be very powerful. Be a leader. Shift the environment. Get people talking about what gives them life and purpose.
For more ways to stay educated, motivated, and inspired, check out the latest books by Troy Hopkins.