When you own the business, there’s no boss who’s going to redirect you when you’re off track. So you have to manage what goes into your head. If you put the wrong inputs into the system, you’re going to get the wrong outputs. That means taking a hard look at the people you spend time with and the content you take in, then choosing more of what fires you up.
Why is it so hard to stay motivated when you work for yourself?
When you’re building your own business, you’re responsible to one boss, and that boss is you. You only have yourself to hold yourself accountable. You also only have yourself to overcome the doubt, or the fear you have about asking other people for money.
Every morning we have to decide if we feel like businessing today. Before we can, we have to get through the doubts, the second-guesses, the imposter syndrome and the comparison. With no boss to give us a little guidance, we rely on ourselves and on the inputs we put into the supercomputer up here.
Who in my circle is draining my energy?
Do you have an ongoing coffee friend, someone you’ve been talking to for years, and it’s become a one-way relationship? You sit down and you talk for 45 minutes about how hard their life is.
There’s not even a passing “how are you?” and nothing about your business or what you’re facing. That person is an energy vampire, and they’re one of the wrong inputs.
Compare that with the friend who’s on the right track. You leave that cup of coffee fired up and ready to take over the world.
Is it okay to see a negative friend less often?
Yes. I’m reminding you today that this is a choice. You are choosing to meet with the person who drags you down.
They’ve been in your professional life for so long that you never stop and think, “I could see this person less.” You could avoid the person it seems only bad things happen to.
What is a content diet, and do I need one?
A content diet is making sure the information you’re taking in is actually nutritious. Think about what’s on your podcast playlist, what you’re watching on YouTube and what kind of music you’re listening to.
I love music of all kinds. But if I just sat around and listened to Joy Division all day, I wouldn’t be fired up to go out and conquer the world. I’d be all up in my feelings wondering why things aren’t great.
Watch out for the self-improvement quagmire too, the stuff that’s all about overcoming what’s wrong with you. If that’s all you consume while you’re trying to build a business, it can get after you after a while.
What should I read or watch to feel fired up about my business?
We need to read more stories that inspire, and we need to be around more people who inspire. Lately I’ve been finding that in biographies, everyone from George Carlin to George Washington.
One thing has stood out in every single one of them. They were obsessed. They saw a future that they wanted and nothing was going to get in the way of it, and none of it happened by accident.
One of my favorites is Steve Martin’s book, Born Standing Up. I expected a goofy, crazy ’70s book. What I found was a guy on an absolute mission who studied every second of his routine, what worked and what didn’t. He saw what he wanted, and he did what he needed to do to get there.
What should I do this week?
Here’s the homework. First, think through the people you meet with on a regular basis and ask who leaves you fired up and who leaves you drained. Pick one person who drags you down and decide to see them less.
Second, check your content diet. Look at your podcast playlist, your YouTube and your music, and cut what isn’t good for you. Then pick up a biography of somebody who did something that makes you say, “Wow, how did you do that?” Born Standing Up is a good place to start.
You absolutely have what it takes if you put yourself in the right mindset, get clear, work hard, and never quit.
This came from Businessing with Pat Miller. Watch the full June 8, 2026 episode.