When I feel exhausted, and I don’t want to work anymore my two WHYs are the only things that can build my motivation. They are simple and straightforward, but they mean everything to me.

The reality that businesses success often takes years of hard work can be a difficult pill to swallow. We want to believe that if we do our homework, put in the time, and ‘have passion’ then we will be successful overnight.

The holidays can be wonderful, but they when they don’t go right - it can be tough. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, but if you didn’t, I encourage you to find some little things to be thankful for and celebrate!

Learning is like exercising. It’s difficult to find the motivation, especially when you’re tired and feeling overwhelmed. But when you make it happen, the energy it gives you will be the boost you need to get back to work!

“Fear of what other people might think is the single most paralyzing dynamic in business and in life.” It seems so obvious that we shouldn’t worry about what other people think, but when we are caught up in worrying, it’s hard to see the obvious.

Full disclosure - I had a different post planned for my Monday Mantra this week, but I mismanaged my day yesterday and ran out of time to write the article. I thought about skipping this week, but realized it was a great opportunity to rally from my mistake and celebrate another great mantra:

“Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts.” - Nikki Giovanni

I’m not much for posters with inspirational messages, but I would make an exception for this one: Self-Control is Empathy With your Future Self. Hearing this quote from one of my clients was a big awakening moment for me as I traversed the reality of ‘being my own boss’.