The process of starting your own business can feel a lot like a roller coaster ride.
Full of excitement, you step onto the ride. The feeling of anticipation grows as you buckle up and get ready to go. Your adrenaline is pumping and your stomach ties in knots. As you head slowly up the hill towards the first big drop, you find yourself a little unsure of why you decided to jump on the ride in the first place.
Like this carnival ride, the first step in starting your own business is uphill. You have a great plan and you’re passionate about the idea, yet wagering your life savings on it feels a little insane. Suddenly the people with their feet on the ground – the ones with a 9-to-5 job and benefits – seem like the levelheaded ones.
Remember your why.
If you’ve decided to start the journey of entrepreneurship, it means that you have an idea you believe in strongly. However, when you’re working late hours and pulling triple shifts as your company’s only employee, it’s important to remind yourself why you started.
Post your new company’s purpose where you can see it often. Keeping this mantra top-of-mind will motivate you during the low points when you’re tired and your social media channels seem to be flooded with pictures of the fun that everyone else is having. Let’s be honest, their lives aren’t as interesting as they appear to be on Instagram anyway.
Celebrate the little things.
Build momentum in you business by celebrating the small, initial victories. Establish weekly, monthly and quarterly goals that will push your company forward. When you reach one, reward yourself with a long weekend, a night out or a massage – something relaxing and rejuvenating.
Find similar crazies.
Find an organization of like-minded individuals and build connections. There is something powerful about realizing that someone else is on the same roller coaster you’re on, or better yet, that they’ve been on it before and have succeeded!
Creating a business advisory group with these people to share ideas, struggles and solutions will give you invaluable advice on how to successfully navigate the tricky turns ahead.
The ups and downs of the startup rollercoaster aren’t ever easy. If it were, more people would accept the challenge. Using these strategies to weather the bumpy ride in your new business will help you conquer the uphill climb and ride that momentum to your success.
This article originally appeared on SmallBizDaily.
