The strategies entrepreneurs use to overcome inspiration blocks

Passion, proactivity, perseverance, drive, business skills, and the eagerness to learn are not the only things you need in order to succeed as an entrepreneur. It’s also crucial to have a good dose of motivation and creativity to overcome the challenges that you’ll inevitably face along the way and make your business thrive. But the effort of getting a business off the ground and the daily grind of running it can sometimes drain your creative energy and leave you stuck in an inspiration block.

There’s surely no shortage of motivational quotes and inspirational movies that send out meaningful messages and can make you feel empowered or give you that push you need when going through a rough patch. But as stimulating and educational as they may be, quotes and movies might not always have the power to break the barriers that are holding you back and prompt you to take action.

So, if you’re looking for that aha! moment but it just doesn’t seem to happen, there are certain strategies that versed entrepreneurs generally use to get back in touch with their creative spirit and find the inspiration they need to ensure the evolution and growth of their business. These methods have helped many professionals break through their inspiration blocks, and chances are they’ll work for you as well.

Meditate

Entrepreneurs are so caught up in their daily tasks and all the responsibilities that come with running a business that meditation, or any other activity that involves standing still for a certain period of time, is not exactly high on their priority list. That’s rather unfortunate because meditation is an extremely useful practice in moments when inspiration levels are running low.

You can’t force inspiration to happen, as much as you try it. It usually comes to you when your mind is relaxed and when you allow your stream of thoughts to flow freely, and that’s exactly what meditation can help you achieve. When you meditate, you drown out the noise that clutters your mind and you make room for new ideas to take shape. Even if you’re not a spiritual person, meditation can help you attract fresh energy so you can see things more clearly.

Disconnect

When you’re all wrapped up in your business affairs day in and day out, it gets difficult to get a general understanding of the issues you’re dealing with or find solutions to longstanding problems. It’s a classic case of not being able to see the wood for the trees that causes you to feel creatively stuck.

When that happens, the smartest thing you can do is take a step back and busy yourself with something else for a while. Anything that can keep your mind off work can help, be it exercising, engaging in a hobby, spending time with your friends, or taking a short trip every now and then. As an entrepreneur, it can be scary to give up control and detach yourself from work, even for a short period. But by doing that you can gain a fresh perspective and find the key to unlocking your creativity.

Listen to the experts

There’s nothing more frustrating than having clear goals but zero ideas on how you can reach them. The good news is that most business goals are probably not specific to you. Other professionals have had them in the past and found themselves in the same position, scrambling for ideas on how to make things happen. And some have found the solution.

So, what better way to regain your inspiration than by listening to experts in the field? If your objective is to increase sales, you can listen to Sales Keynote Speakers talk about the best business practices and innovative solutions that can drive sales productivity. Surrounding yourself with creative people is one of the most effective ways to unleash your own creativity.

Do a digital detox

Digital solutions and tools have transformed the business world from the ground up, providing a myriad of benefits for companies in all industries. But while it’s true that digital transformation has optimized business processes and made life easier for entrepreneurs, the intense use of tech solutions can also become a barrier to creativity and inspiration.

The fact that you’re always surrounded by smart gadgets and you feel the need to check notifications every five minutes floods your brain with more information than it’s able to process, creating unnecessary stress and pressure. And when stress levels rise, creativity drops. That’s why doing a digital detox is often required, to remove the elements that act as a distraction and keep the ones that enhance the entrepreneurial experience.

Run brainstorming sessions

When you’re stuck in a creative rut and nothing you’ve tried so far seems to work, remember that two (or more) heads work better than one. So, instead of struggling to fix the problem on your own, why not ask for support from your team members?

Sometimes, all you need to do is put yourself in the right context to turn your creativity engine back on. That’s what brainstorming sessions were designed for. Not all the ideas bounced around will be brilliant, but at least they’ll help you keep an open mind and overcome your block.

Focus on progress, not perfection

You shouldn’t put everything on hold just because you lack inspiration, and get nothing done because of your block. Your business and clients are not going to wait for you to get your creative spark back. Striving for perfection is a productivity killer, so you should focus on making small progress instead, as imperfect as it may be.

While you may not be able to force inspiration, there are ways to lure it. And the best way to do it is to simply keep working at a steady pace and move forward. Putting one step in front of the other is the surest and safest way to slowly break through your creative block.