Get Out Of The Rut And Back On the Track

Do you sometimes find yourself just going "through the motions" of your business from day to day? Has the excitement gone out of your daily routine?

What happened? Remember way back when you began doing this? You were excited and enthusiastic about what you were going to do. What went wrong? Where did the excitement and enthusiasm go? More importantly, how do you get it back?

Of course, this may be a signal that it is time for you to make some changes or to "move on." On the other hand, maybe you just need to get back in touch with why you are doing this in the first place.

If you are in your own business, it may not be possible to move on, so you'd better learn ways to bring back the excitement. There is nothing more depressing than to see a small business owner (or employee) who has stopped enjoying their work. These are the people who sit in their stores or offices just waiting for the day when they can retire. They feel "stuck," unable to get out. They have lost their zest for living.

Are you one of these people who are just going through the motions? This is surely a "death rattle." Your life is too important to let it slip by, living a life, as Throeau said, of "quiet desperation."

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How can you put back the zest? For starters, go back to your original business plan or personal journal and re-read the reasons you embarked on this business or career in the first place. What were your goals? You must have been excited back then.

Are these reasons still valid? Do they still ring true for you today? If they do, get back in touch with the "feelings" you had before. Sit quietly and mentally "go back" to that time. Feel the feelings you had then. Get the juice going again. Relive the experiences that led you to this place. Rekindle the flames you once had.

If you have drifted from your original purpose, perhaps you need to re-think why you are doing this now. In the case of your own business, maybe you need to change or modify your original direction. This could be as simple as offering a new product or service, something that gives you passion. Perhaps you could open new markets or venture into exporting to get your juices going again. Do something that puts the joy back in your day. Paint your store! Change your tie! Perhaps all you need to do is delegate some of the tasks you dislike and concentrate on doing what you love.

Complete this simple exercise. On a sheet of paper, answer the following two questions:

1. What I really enjoy about my work/business is that I... (This could be that you have the opportunity to travel to interesting places or meet people or help others, whatever you enjoy most.)

2. The real benefit to my customer from my work is...

I know a building contractor whose attitude toward his work changed when he changed his perception from that of simply a contractor to realizing the real benefit of what he did was he helped people turn their dreams into reality. This had a major impact on his self-esteem.

Sometimes, I run across a store that still has one of the old signs that read: "Through our doors pass some of the finest people in the world. Our customers." Maybe it's corny but I can't help but feel special in a place like that.

If you are going to a job today just because you went there yesterday, you are in a danger zone. You deserve to be enthusiastic, excited and even ecstatic about your livelihood. Sometimes you have to re-create that feeling.

Remember the words of the late Norman Vincent Peale who said that what happens to us is not nearly as important as how we interpret what happens.

Live with passion!

© 2004 Jim Donovan - PO Box 1147, Buckingham, PA 18912 - (215) 794-3826

Jim Donovan is the author of "Handbook to a Happier Life, a motivational speaker and coach. For a no cost bonus product & more, visit http://www.JimDonovan.com

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