Easter in Vienna: it really tastes best with the family. A crispy, golden-brown Wiener Schnitzerl, tender roast pork with sauerkraut and bread dumplings await us at the Heurigen - and to finish, a piece of fluffy Sacher cake with apricot jam and a shiny, tempting chocolate glaze, accompanied by a Melange (Viennese coffee specialty). Simply irresistibly delicious!
Back in Germany, reality lurks and strikes relentlessly. "Gym" is noted in the calendar for Thursday: Endurance and strength training on the machines.
But where has my motivation gone? Because it's gone. Disappeared.
What happened? My sister says to me at Easter: "Manuela, can't we postpone the crossing of the Alps until next year?"
That one sentence is enough - and suddenly my goal, my training plan and my discipline are completely called into question. The air is out. Because our joint project is my "why". Without this - no drive. The inner bastard celebrates his victory frenetically.
Self-motivation is essential
Do you know your "why"? The reason that drives you in the morning and keeps you going?
Entrepreneurs and managers in surface technology want to deliver top performance with their team, deliver orders on time and meet the required quality standards.
But then doubts creep in. Resistance in production. Everyday life takes over. The bureaucratic obstacles and (ever more) requirements make you almost despair. And you ask yourself: "What am I investing my energy in? Why am I actually doing this to myself?"
Why is self-motivation essential?
Self-motivation is the engine that drives you as a boss or manager - even when external factors don't play along. Especially today, in these challenging times of high tariffs, uncertain politics and almost unfulfillable institutional requirements. In surface technology, you have to deal with complex processes, changing order specifications and high quality and time pressure on a daily basis.
If you can't motivate yourself, you lack the stamina to overcome bottlenecks and the energy to inspire your team in challenging times.
Self-motivation is not inexhaustible
But even the strongest mindset needs external stimuli. Especially in such a demanding technical environment, where process optimization and team performance are put to the test on a daily basis.
As a company leader and manager, you are a role model and set the tone. If you are highly self-motivated, this has a direct impact on the mood and motivation of your employees. You don't just set goals, you exemplify passion - and thus create a climate in which ideas sprout and commitment grows.
Clear goals: Without a stable "why" basis, you will quickly lose focus
Those who can motivate themselves have a crystal-clear goal and vision in mind and keep their "why" firmly in view. This "why" and the resulting clarity helps you to set priorities correctly, minimize distractions and focus yourself and the entire team on the most important milestones.
Routines help - but only if they make sense
Imagine starting your day in exactly the same way: first a morning check of your KPI dashboard, then a quick look at the to-dos in the team review. And then check your email inbox. This reduces uncertainty and keeps the hectic pace of everyday life to a minimum. You free your mind for the really important issues. Your tried and tested habits run automatically - increasing your efficiency without you having to rethink every step.
And when the pressure in production increases? Then your routines act like a safety net: you don't have to start from scratch, but draw strength from fixed processes. This saves your energy for creative solutions. At the same time, the small deadlines in your rituals ensure that you stay on track. It is precisely this commitment that lays the foundation for sustainable success - with more time for growth and innovation.
The recipe for success: a sparring partner
That Thursday, I was supposed to go to the gym alone while my real training partner was on vacation in Cyprus. At that moment, I once again became painfully aware of how essential a reliable sparring partner is for my vision of crossing the Alps on foot to actually become a reality.
If you want to achieve great things, you need someone by your side. A sparring partner who will keep you going. Someone who reminds you why you started. Someone to nudge you when your inner bastard barks too loudly again.
As a manager, you can get exactly this kind of support. You don't have to do everything alone. Because:
If you want to go far, it's better to go in pairs.
