As we approach the end of January, some of the New Year resolutions that were so inspiring at the beginning of the month may be getting brushed aside in the hustle and bustle of a typical work day. So, how do we return to those resolutions and keep the inspiration flowing through the year?

Here are some techniques I use to keep motivated and stay on track:

• Divide your business goals between short and long term
  Nothing is more overwhelming than having a huge to-do list, so when the list gets too large, it’s time to divide and conquer. Place the smaller goals first in order to build the steps to attain the bigger goals.

• Stay realistic
  After putting your list together, make sure it is something you have the ability to accomplish. Realistic goals may not seem so exciting, but the amount of success will be far greater in the end.

• Picture the end result in your mind
  Gurus from all walks of life cite this as a secret to success. Being able to focus on your end result not only puts your energy in that place, but also reminds you of the what, why, and how of your business.

For further reading, Gleb Reys offers 5 great ideas in his article entitled How to Stay Motivated over at Lifehack.org.

With these ideas in mind, as well as tuning into your own personal motivators, you should see results start to take root and grow!

We’ll be launching a new, on-going series that we’re calling “What’s Not to Love About…” It will focus on the partners we work with, the clients we do work for, companies or people who inspire us, sites that inform us, books that educate us, and anything else we love that we think you should check out. If s/he-they-it has gotten us excited, perhaps s/he-they-it will do the same for you!

Keep track of this on-going series!

January is National Mentoring Month — which reminds me of the incredible 54-hours that was Houston Start-up Weekend. GlobalWrites was a proud sponsor of the local edition of the global event that brought together business and technology entrepreneurial leaders to create and launch a product in a single weekend.

It sounded like a wonderful idea to bring all these people together for an intense weekend of creation, but I had no idea how they would pull it off. Brian Cohen, one of the organizers of Houston Start-up Weekend, tried to explain it to me beforehand but it took going to it to get a clue at the complexity of the event.

Some 75 entrepreneurs showed up, ready to roll up their sleeves. Some came with an idea and were looking for a development partner to make it real. Others came with technical know-how looking for a great product idea. Everyone came with an open mind. The meet-and-greet was like a speed dating event. Individuals or partially formed teams walked around not only looking for the right team members to fill out their ranks but also to build excitement around their own ideas. Only 12 teams would be formed that weekend.

Everyone was called into the auditorium and those with ideas had one minute to pitch to the crowd. Afterward, teams were formed and product development began. The teams did market research via personal interviews, social media, and online polls to hone their product features. They then came up with a better elevator pitch, a prototype, and a presentation in the remaining weekend hours. Some had never done this sort of thing before. Others had never done it in this compressed time-frame.

Throughout all of it, mentors walked amongst the hopefuls. They questioned assumptions and challenged participants to refine their product, their message, their plan. Two mentors in particular caught my attention: Grace Rodriguez of C2 Creative, DFJ Mercury and Culture Pilot; and Keith Casey of Twilio. (Thanks to both of you for taking time out of your busy schedules that weekend to grill me and offer up some great business advice!)

It might sound cliché to say, but I think everyone — sponsors, entrepreneurs, technologists, judges — came away from that weekend a winner. If you have a chance to participate in a Start-up Weekend near you or an event like it, take it. (If you’re foundering on where to take your business next, find a mentor. There are resources out there, like the SBA.)

Keep track of this on-going series!