What is it that keeps you toiling away to build your business? Is it the fear of what will happen if you don't? Or are you more motivated by the anticipation of what you hope will happen if you do?
Perhaps it's a bit of both.
I respectfully submit that there are really only two sources of motivation, and that one, generally speaking, is far more effective than the other.
In fact, these two motivations neatly coincide with the only two basic emotions in the known universe.
Yep, we're talking about fear and love.
Now, if you're not totally convinced that fear and love are the only two emotions in the universe, I challenge you to come up with another one. I'm willing to bet that whatever you come up with can be categorized as one or the other.
Kind of like yin and yang, up and down, in and out.
Fear is simply moving away from what you don't want. Love is moving toward what you do want.
There are times when fear is really the only motivator that works. I don't know about you, but I sincerely doubt that I'd go to the trouble and expense of paying income taxes if I were not afraid of the IRS. And I don't think I'd bother to take my car (or myself) in for a check up were I totally unconcerned about the consequences of not doing so.
But when it comes to doing what you have to do to create a successful business, fear is a lousy motivator. When you use fear as a motivator, you have to focus on the results you don't want so you can keep running away from them. It's pretty tough getting where you want to go when you're constantly looking over your shoulder. You're bound to trip.
So we're agreed. Love is a better motivator than fear. But how to do it?
Ah, there are so many ways! You can focus on what you want from your business. Think and dream and feel how glorious your life will be when you've achieved the success you're working for.
You can focus on the process - enjoy doing whatever it is you do. Revel in your work. Love the ever-lovin' juices out of it.
But there's a third way to use love as a motivator that's very powerful, and often - all too often - overlooked.
Love your prospect (client, customer, visitor, subscriber - whatever the heck you call the folks who pay your bills)
Now, let's be absolutely clear about one thing, I'm not talking about some dry intellectual exercise. You know, where you try to get inside your prospect's head so you can understand what motivates him.
No. I'm talking the real deal. I mean LOVE your prospect. Seek his highest good. Care, deeply and completely, about adding to his joy or easing his pain.
It's easy. Really it is. Because your prospect is not that different from you. It's not much of a stretch.
And once you start loving him, you'll find your mind opening. The fear will drop away. And ideas will start bouncing around in your head like popcorn popping.
That's the way it works. Love is the great creative force. And once you get out of your little self-absorbed fear fest (Oh my, have I ever been there and done that!) and start caring about your prospect, you release that force.
Then, watch out!
Joan Linwood is a home based entrepreneur and publisher of The Happy Home Business ezine. Her mission is to help other home based entrepreneurs make their businesses more joyful and more profitable.
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