What Motivates You To Be Successful?

Do you go through periods where you are excited and enthusiastic about your business and other times when you drag your feet and fight discouragement? I do. I've tried to analyze what makes the difference. Do you know what motivates you to be successful?

I believe there are several things you can do if you lose motivation and need to be put back in the groove of focused production. So, what are they? As I have been going through a bit of a slump lately, I can tell you the methods I am using to regain my momentum.

First, I've set up an unbending production schedule. I decide ahead of time which days I will post to my website, and then demand from myself that I adhere to that schedule.

It's a commitment to taking action. Even though I might not feel like staying on schedule, it has been my promise to myself that I will do so. Often in the process, the motivation returns on its own accord, because I am not giving myself permission to disregard the obligation.

Another helpful activity is to write down in detail your plan of action, your goal, both the larger goal and the smaller sub-goals, and the steps you need to take to get there. Sometimes this personal brainstorm session can result in some strong reminders of why this goal is important to you.

In fact, that's another thing you need to write down: All the reasons why this goal matters to you. Remind yourself of the excellent reason you had for starting in the first place.

Have you ever made a vision board? It's known by several names, but the idea is the same. I made my first one when I attended a "Humans Being More" workshop sponsored by Nikken, the company I was involved with at the time.

We were given lots of magazines, and our homework assignment was to go through them, find pictures that represented our goals, cut them out and paste them on poster-paper.

The idea behind the board is if you can see pictures of the things you want every day when you look at it, you will strengthen your motivation and determination to attain those things.

When you are seeking motivation, the Wealthy Affiliate email messages can be helpful. So many members write blogs about motivation and not giving up, that often you can read exactly the words you need to read to get you back on track.

Another thing I am personally doing is researching new sources of affiliate products that will fit my niche. Sometimes just finding a new supplier with some great products can get you excited about the idea of offering their goods on your website.

Keep an ongoing list of ideas, not just for blog topics, but of tasks you need to take care of regularly on your website. For example, have you checked for broken links lately? Thanks to a suggestion from Trish, I've started using a broken link checker plugin, and it has helped immensely in keeping my links healthy.

Have you done a site map recently? If so, first check for updates -- have you taken care of any that need attention on your website? Remember, too, if you are updating to a newer version of WordPress, back up your site first.

These are all "housekeeping" chores, and keeping a list of them so you don't forget to do them is a good idea.

Do you feel like the well is dry? You can't come up with any more post ideas? Try looking at blogs by other people that are in your niche. Have they written a post about a topic you find interesting? Read their post, and then see if you can figure out a way to improve upon the main subject.

Sometimes it helps to remove yourself completely from your task at hand for a day, or even for a few hours. If you have been struggling over your lack of ideas think of something completely different for a while and then come back to your problem. You might have a clearer head and find a fresh approach.

It's not always easy to blaze your trail through new territory. Take on a challenge -- it is good for you and may very well help you grow. Just remember -- if you were truthful with yourself from the beginning and truly want the goal you have established, never give up.