When you’re freelancing or running a small business, finding your drive and staying motivated is something that comes and goes. The start-up grind is tough, and every solopreneur knows that the days are long and the to-do list is even longer.

The secret to staying motivated in business is to have a plan. That, and setting goals, making sure you’re living a healthy and balanced lifestyle with plenty of exercise and good brain food, and working in a good working environment.

Success means different things to different people too, but no matter what kind of product you sell, who you work with, or how much money you make, if you’re heading home every day satisfied with the work you’ve put in and you feel good about it, you’re successful.

Here’s how we stay motivated in business…

Set objectives and goals.

Knowing what you’re working towards is a great way to stay motivated. If you’re a visual person, write your goals and objectives out and stick them on the wall. If you’d rather keep things digital, track your progress with analytical data or systems that measure growth. Whatever way works for you to set your objectives and goals – measure them, revisit them, review them, and stick to them. When you’re working for yourself, you have to be accountable to yourself. The buck stops with you when it comes to business, so if you have clear objectives and goals, you can stick to them.

Write a personal mission statement.

Writing a personal mission statement and keeping it on hand will keep you motivated, on track and continually progressing. When you’re living the daily grind as a freelancer, solopreneur or start-up business owner, it’s easy to get bogged down in the ‘day to day’ and lose sight of the bigger picture or your ‘why’. When you have a written a personal mission statement on hand, the tough days become a little easier, because you have a motivational manual to refer back to. Keep it close, either stuck to the wall near your computer, saved as a desktop background, or on your desk in a binder. Whenever you’re feeling flat, out of steam, lacklustre or just not into it, refer back to your personal mission statement and remember why you started. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it, but they’re not – remember that. You got this.

Surround yourself with good vibes.

It might sound simple, but your environment plays a critical role in your business success and your health and wellbeing. Countless small business owners and solopreneurs will vouch for the fact that working from home or working alone can lead to feelings of isolation, depression and anxiety. It’s also proven that working in a co-working space surrounded by like-minded and positive people can improve your productivity, increase the potential for collaboration, excel your success and boost your happiness levels.

If all else fails, step away from the office and walk around the block. Sometimes all it takes it a little fresh air, a new perspective and a few deep breaths to find your motivation again.