4 Tips for Staying Motivated When There Is No Road to Follow

4 Tips for Staying Motivated When There Is No Road to Follow

By Donna Weber

Experts often have unique views and do things different from everyone else. If you count yourself as one of these unique people, read on.

The expert path is not always an easy one. We’ve all been advised to take the road less traveled, but how do you stay motivated when there is no road at all?

You may have had many opportunities to become discouraged and give up. Perhaps you are doing things different from everyone else in your field. You get great results but no one seems interested in your theories or techniques.

Maybe you have an idea in a completely unrelated field. You don’t have any credentials or much experience. No one wants to listen to you.

If your idea is off the beaten path, what do you do? How do you stay motivated?

Here are 4 easy tips:

1. Realize that not everyone is open to a new point of view

Many of the people who are raining on your parade spent years learning their craft or profession and many more years perfecting their skills. They have a big investment in their career and their way of doing things. They are not willing to throw all that away just because you have a new idea.

Instead of trying to change closed minds, you will be better served by finding your own followers. If you get better results, people will want to find you. Make yourself visible to the people who need your services or products.

2. Acknowledge that your idea is good

If you have a really big idea, it may be hard to accept. You may be thinking, “Who am I to have this really big idea?” or “My idea isn’t that good.” When no one wants to listen to you or validate your ideas, you can begin to feel insecure.

Make sure that your idea really is that good. Test it out. Offer it for free and get some testimonials. Now, you have validation and the start of a marketing campaign. And yes, your idea is that good.

3. Accept yourself as a creative person

Sometimes you have an idea that doesn’t work and you want to give up. You may be too invested in a single idea.

Accept yourself as creative. Not everyone approaches the world the way you do. Some people like to do the same things the same way every day. Other people, like you, want to do things in a new way. You are seeking to improve your field or maybe even the world.

Creative people have lots of ideas. If one idea doesn’t work, you will have another. Don’t get caught up in one idea. Be open to creative thinking.

One way to keep the creative juices flowing is to schedule some quiet time every week. Get away from the phone, the computer and all the electronic devices. Allow yourself time to think without a set agenda. You will find yourself looking forward to this time.

4. Get credentials

In some fields there is no way around it – you must get credentials. You need to fully understand the field and the current way of doing things before you suggest a better way.

You may even need to be certified or licensed. If this is the case, don’t waste time complaining, just get started.

Finally…

The people who take the road less traveled are often the ones who change the world. Could this be you?I

(Image: graywolfx47 @ Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/graywolfx47/6376480501/)