Running a business is a difficult enough task but what do you do when that ‘get up and go’ deserts you? It’s easy to reach the point of asking yourself why you bother, so how do you recharge your entrepreneurial batteries when they get low?

Take a moment to jot down the benefits of working the way you do. Is it for status, or money and what you think it will buy? Is it the lifestyle, being in control of your life, or the opportunities it leads to?

List these positive factors and stick them on your wall. Then when Monday dawns and you would rather stay in bed, your list will remind you why you should make the effort. Keep your goals in sight. It’s hard to walk through a forest in the dark – you can’t see how far there is to go or enjoy the satisfaction of seeing how far you have already come. If you work alone, identify an understanding person with whom you can talk through business issues and who will encourage you. A mentor can be helpful. Write a plan for yourself. Set tough but realistic objectives with timcscales – we all react positively to these.

Use picture power or imagination to ‘fix’ your goals. It’s easier to visualise something you can see. Savour the emotions you will feel when (not if) you land that order. Tell people what you are going to do it will make you feel more committed.

Compile a record of past successes. Fill a notebook with tasks one per page that you wish to do. As you complete a task, reward yourself, tear out the page and keep it somewhere safe. When you feel you are achieving nothing, review your sheets to remind yourself of what you have achieved.