• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

2

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

3

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

1

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

2

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

3

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
CommentaryEntrepreneurs

How to Stay Inspired When You’re Overwhelmed

By
Suneera Madhani
Suneera Madhani
and
Bethany Cianciolo
Bethany Cianciolo
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Suneera Madhani
Suneera Madhani
and
Bethany Cianciolo
Bethany Cianciolo
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 17, 2016, 9:00 PM ET
173809400
Businessman working at desk at nightPhotograph by Getty Images/Brand X

The Entrepreneur Insiders network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in America’s startup scene contribute answers to timely questions about entrepreneurship and careers. Today’s answer to the question “How do you stay inspired to run a business?” is written by Suneera Madhani, founder and CEO of Fattmerchant.

When you first start your business, you’ll be filled with inspiration and drive to bring your brilliant idea to the masses. But no matter how great your idea is or how much you love what you do, eventually your business will become work. Like any other business, you will have to deal with everything from the grind of customer acquisition down to ordering sticky notes way more often than you’d like. Running a business is a constant hustle, and it often means that many of the mundane, behind-the-scenes necessities become your responsibility in order for it to run smoothly. Your vision, team, and execution are important factors in ensuring that you’re able to stay inspired to run your startup even after the honeymoon phase is over.

By having a strong, clear vision for your business, you will be able to keep the inspiration alive. A strong vision can act as a touchstone throughout your business’s journey. On the days that seem like they’re never going to end, you can then revisit the vision you set when you were at your most inspired. This will allow you to easily and quickly remind yourself why you do what you do, no matter how busy you are or how far you seem to be from the inspiration you started with.

See also: It’s Time to Let Yourself Celebrate Business Wins

Finding a team that is as enthusiastic and inspired by your business as you are is the key to not losing sight of the inspiration you had when you started. Your team members will be in the trenches with you every day, so it’s important they believe in your idea as much as you do. On the days you might be overwhelmed by the roadblocks or bogged down by the monotonous tasks, having the support system of a strong team allows that unique spark in you to be reignited. It’s an empowering feeling knowing you have a close network around you that is just as committed to the success of the business, and it’s a completely different motivation than when you first launch a business solo. My team at Fattmerchant is the reason I wake up everyday excited to get to the office. There is no one else I would rather go into battle with.

 

Focusing on the execution of your goals will also provide a major source of inspiration as your business continues to grow. By setting defined, numerical goals to reach each month, you’re able to see how far you’ve come from where you started. Measuring the results is a huge motivator as you overcome each new milestone and just keep climbing. At Fattmerchant, these numbers are our life source for inspiration. When we meet or surpass our goals and are able to see the direct impact of our hard work and dedication, it instills in us new excitement to keep growing and achieving more. And if we don’t hit our goals, we are able to evaluate how we can better execute in the months ahead. Either way, we go into the next month more inspired than the last and ready to hustle.

No matter how much fire and inspiration you start with, there will almost always come a time when that “honeymoon phase” has ended because it’s so easy to get caught up in the working grind. Your vision, your team, and your execution will be the tools you need to keep close in order to ensure you’re always able to rekindle the inspiration you had on your very first day.

About the Authors
By Suneera Madhani
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Bethany Cianciolo
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Commentary

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Commentary

trump
CommentaryWhite House
Trump Accounts have a bigger problem than billionaire stock donations
By Jin Huang and Stephen RollMay 21, 2026
16 hours ago
brigham
CommentaryRailroads
The U.S. freight network is broken by design. One merger could start fixing it
By Brigham A. McCownMay 21, 2026
17 hours ago
Elon Musk sits with his fists together, looking up.
Commentaryspace
SpaceX will be worth trillions, but the space station that made it possible is worth even more — if we don’t squander it
By Tejpaul BhatiaMay 20, 2026
1 day ago
trader
CommentarySoftware
The 50-year-old law that governed every software company just broke. Here’s what replaces it
By Martin Casado and Abhishek NagarajMay 20, 2026
2 days ago
FJ Campbell, MD, is chief medical officer at Ardent Health.
CommentaryHealth
A doctor shortage is coming. AI could be the only realistic fix
By FJ CampbellMay 20, 2026
2 days ago
trump
CommentaryCongress
Milken-Harris Poll: 80% of Americans want AI workforce programs now — and Washington hasn’t delivered
By Karen Kornbluh and Libby RodneyMay 20, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
Success
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
2 days ago
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
2 days ago
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
12 hours ago
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
Workplace Culture
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
By Sydney LakeMay 20, 2026
1 day ago
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
Future of Work
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
By Mike Householder and The Associated PressMay 17, 2026
5 days ago
A 'proudly autistic' workplace expert says putting neurodivergent employees in a typical office is like dropping a polar bear in Austin, Texas
Conferences
A 'proudly autistic' workplace expert says putting neurodivergent employees in a typical office is like dropping a polar bear in Austin, Texas
By Tristan BoveMay 20, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.