How to Stay Motivated Throughout a Project as a Solo Business Owner
Valuable tips and strategies that can help you overcome common challenges and make your project journey more manageable and fulfilling.
As a creative small business owner, do you struggle to stay motivated throughout your projects and find that deadlines seem daunting? Planning, setting goals and motivation are the keys to success when it comes to completing projects, so in this article we'll look at how we can stay on track and driven until the very end.
When it comes to working on creative projects, I often experience common pain points many other small business owners face, especially if they’re a one person business. These include feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work that needs to be done, which in turn can make it difficult to find motivation to tackle the project - particularly when it comes to difficult tasks. Additionally, many solo-creatives find it challenging to set realistic deadlines and stick to them, which can result in missed opportunities and burnout.
Common Project Challenges for Creatives
When faced with getting down to work for a new creative project some common challenges are:
Drowning in a sea of tasks.
Feeling like there's never enough time in the day.
Struggling to balance work and personal life.
Feeling like you're constantly playing catch-up.
Staying motivated throughout a project, especially as it nears completion.
Experiencing burnout and exhaustion from trying to juggle too many responsibilities.
If you’ve come up against any or all of these common challenges then you already understand the importance of finding solutions. So in this article, together we'll explore some valuable tips and strategies that can help you overcome these challenges and make your project journey more manageable and fulfilling. We'll look at breaking down your goals into smaller, actionable steps and keeping the motivation to see them through to completion.
Before you start the project: planning tasks and goals.
If you’re looking for an easy to apply, step-by-step process for planning your creative projects then check out this article project planning 101 for solo creative business owners.
This article is ideal when you need a step-by-step routine for breaking down a creative project in to smaller, more manageable chunks.
So now we have the pre-project stuff covered, let’s look at staying on track and maintaining motivation after the project has started.
During the project: hitting goals and staying motivated.
I find that this is probably the most challenging part of any project. The planning stage before starting the project seems comparatively easier because it can be fuelled by the excitement of working on something new and fresh. However, I often struggle to maintain momentum and find that my planned project milestones seem more like laborious mountains looming in front of me. When this happens, I follow a few simple protocols that help me focus on getting things done, check it out below...
Here are six tips for hitting goals and staying motivated throughout a creative project:
Set realistic deadlines: Make sure you give yourself enough time to complete each task, but also set a deadline that will push you to stay on track. This is actually a lot harder than it may seem thanks to The Planning Fallacy. According to Wikipedia this “is a phenomenon in which predictions about how much time will be needed to complete a future task display an optimism bias and underestimate the time needed.” So if you’re feeling defeated due to not hitting project milestones on time then know it’s not because you’re incompetent, but rather you’re an optimistic person 😄
Celebrate small wins: Whenever you complete a task or reach a milestone, take a moment to acknowledge your progress and celebrate your achievement. This doesn’t have to be anything extravagant either, my past ‘rewards’ have included treating myself to a new candle, upgrading my pen and having a big slice of chocolate cake 🤫 after an indoor climbing session. These little treats peppered along the project journey help keep my motivation going.
Find an accountability partner: Having someone else to hold you accountable can be a great motivator, especially if you’re a one person business. Consider finding a friend, mentor, or fellow small business owner to check in with and share your progress with. This is something I personally struggle with as an introvert, I don’t always won’t to bother people with my ‘stuff’, but watch this space as a ‘creative project accountability pod for solo business owners’ may well be something I look into actioning!
Find your flow state: Flow state is a mental state where a person is fully immersed and focused on an activity, and is experiencing a sense of enjoyment in the process of the activity. It’s often referred to as "being in the zone." This all sounds fab but how’dya do it? How do you actually get into a state of flow? My protocols are:
I start by putting on a lofi playlist from Spotify on my speakers in my studio space. I find that lofi music is often uplifting and enhances my mood positively. It’s also free from lyrics which can distract my attention, plus it features a repetitive melody and beat loop which helps entrain my brain to focus. Another playlist to check out is Yoni Charis over on YouTube, he creates and shares Christian lofi music for study which is simply gorgeous!
Next, I spend 10 minutes cleaning my studio or desk. Having a clear and tidy space makes it easier for me to focus.
I reward this small win by treating myself to a cuppa. I find that if I sit down at my clean desk with a soothing herbal tea or motivating black coffee, it helps to set the tone for what should happen next. The science behind developing good habits is all about having triggers, clean space + hot brew is one of mine.
Now it’s time to work! If the task I need to focus on is particularly daunting then I’ll open up Google Timer, set 20 minutes on the clock and tell myself I just need to focus on this for 20 minutes then I’ll take a short break. I usually find the 20 minutes passes way too quickly because I’ve entered a state of flow and want to carry on for another 20 before stopping for a mini break.
Another hack I use is listening to binaural beats through my headphones during the 20 minutes for focused work. This protocol really helps to shut out any distractions, allowing me to stay present and engaged in the task. There’s also been much interest into how binaural beats entrain the brain for focus.
Take breaks: If you’ve been around here for a while you’ve heard me say this soooo 🙄 many times already, but it really is important to take breaks throughout the day to avoid burnout and stay energized. Consider taking a short walk, hydrating, doing some stretches, or simply taking a few deep breaths to recharge - do not underestimate the power of simply pausing to tune into your breath.
Stay inspired: Keep your creative juices flowing with mini side projects. For me these are typically based around my hobbies. As I mentioned above, I like to go indoor climbing, aka bouldering. I will often challenge my thought process on the wall because planning out a climbing ‘project’ requires a different type of creative thinking. I’ve also taken up watercolour painting just for funsies, so my reward treats include sitting down to paint florals after completing a task on a business project. Both of these practices inspire me and reset my motivation.
Remember, staying motivated and focused is key to successfully completing any creative project. By breaking down your goals, setting realistic deadlines, and taking care of yourself along the way, you can stay on track and achieve your vision.
Until next time Planner Friend, let’s keep creating ways to love the project journey!
Chloe x