I am bringing you a little something different today. What do you do when you have an idea but you need the motivation to get you going? Some people listen to music. Others use inspirational quotes. Me? I like books! There’s nothing better than reading an entire book of someone else’s story to make you realize, “Hey I can do this!” It doesn’t even have to be in the same industry. After reading, “Girl Boss,” that is exactly what was going through my head. No, her book had nothing to do with speech therapy. But reading how she started her business and just kept growing was AWESOME!
The books I am talking about today may not motivate you…OR maybe they will. But after reading these, I found a second wind. If you are a business owner, you know the phases you go through. If you are not, you will learn them! There are days when I feel like nothing can stop me. Speech Chick Therapy is booming, everything is falling into place and things are just GOOD! Then there are other days when I am thinking, “What the heck am I thinking? I can’t do this anymore!” Those are the days when you need a good motivational push. I want you to know it is normal for those days or moments to get you down. But don’t let them keep you down! Ride the roller coaster. Don’t get off when it gets scary. Stay on.
So what are the “must reads” for motivation?
- #GIRLBOSS: This is a great read for an SLP just starting out in the early stages. I loved learning that the author was working in a college library when she started Nasty Girl. She wasn’t even in her desired field when she began! Most SLPs are already working in the field but they may be thinking, “I don’t have time to plan or work my new business.” Sophia tells how she worked Nasty Girl while working daytime jobs to pay the bills!
- Girl, Wash Your Face!: I don’t know of a single woman who has thought “There is no way I can do this! It’s too much. I have kids, a husband and a house to take care of.” I think this book helps push you past that and realize you need to stop believing those lies! I am not about to put my dreams on the shelf so that I can have a perfectly kept house during the week! No way. (By the way, don’t come to my house during the week. Feel free to drop on late Saturday afternoons once I have spent the morning cleaning!) My kids need to see their mom crushing her dreams. What message am I sending to my teenage daughter if I don’t pursue my goals? What am I telling my son about women if I don’t follow my dreams?
- The Sweet Spot: I recently wrote a review of this book. (You can check it out here!) Maybe you are struggling with the “boring” things in your business. I hate sitting down to write notes and reports. After reading this book, I am setting up triggers and rewards to help motivate me to complete these tasks. I have a playlist in Spotify now. My diffuser has a citrus blend going. These are just a few things to motivate me to tackle less than fun tasks.
- The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: I will be honest here. I downloaded this book over a year ago but haven’t finished it. This was about the time I discovered I am one of those “need to feel the book in my hands” readers. So my plan is to buy it from my Amazon wish list and read it again (and finish it!) But from what I have read, it’s a great read to get you going! We all have those feelings of “What if I don’t know what I am talking about?” As an SLP, I second guess myself probably 20 times a day. Then to add the title of business owner, I do it even more! This book will help you get past the Imposter Syndrome phase of starting a business.
So have you read any of these books? I think every American woman has read “Girl, Wash Your Face.” But if you are interested in starting your own business, add some of these others to the list. THEN GET GOING!!!
