We live pretty close to the base of Mt Rainier. Recently, we went on a walk within the National Park boundary. It was about 4pm, so we didn't have any big ambitions..just take a walk in the woods. We ended up walking about 6.5 miles total. The path for the most part was level. Then Hubby felt we should take a detour. There was a previously unexplored (by us) trail that led to an abandoned mine entrance. It was only 1/4 mile. No biggie.
Our group happily plunged into the forest on the narrow trail. Then the trail went straight....up. And up and up. I have no idea how many vertical feet the trail went in just a 1/4 mile. But it was pretty intense. I was not ready for it. And honestly, I'm not in shape at all. (It's called Ebay Butt, if you're interested) The first really steep leg of a switchback got me good. I had to sit down. I wasn't sure I could go on. Then Hubby retraced his steps a bit, along with Little Man. LM is 4. He SKIPPED up the mountain. LM said, "Come on Mama, let's go!!". So I did. It's always nice to have a hiking buddy. Or cheerleader. Or someone to make you feel lame and so you carry on out of shame. Whatever works.
So I was thinking later (after my heart stopped pounding out of my ears) how working from home can be like my day of hiking.
You're on a roll. Steadily working. In my case, ReSelling online. Acquiring inventory, cleaning, photographing, listing, shipping. You're going ahead at a pretty good clip.
Then you're detoured. You try to keep going and it seems impossible. Everything slows down. You just can't find the motivation to carry on. Sales taper off, inventory piles up and overwhelms you, summer beckons.
What can you do?
You need a 4 year old to say "Come on Mama...let's GO!!"
In a manner of speaking.
Join a group. There's a free group that I'm part of, called Ebay Underground. It's a great place for cheerleading and inspiration. The board is full of experienced and new ReSellers who share their questions, successes, finds, Whoo-hoo sales and more. You can list your goals and find some encouragement. Find information on new things to look for and sell. Come check us out!
Find a listing buddy. Do you know another ReSeller? My MIL has an Etsy shop, 3MontanaGirls. In an email recently, she discussed her lack of motivation to list. We decided to share our goals on a daily basis and then at the end of each day, report in. She was a bit hesitant at first, so I encouraged her to just set small goals. Goals are great because even if you don't reach them, whatever you do is more than if you hadn't set the goal at all.
Take a break. Honestly, sometimes your brain/body is telling you that you need a break. Take it. Enjoy it. Just don't make it too long. :)
So what do you do when you hit an uphill patch? How do you get motivated again?
