A sales career can be an extremely rewarding, yet draining, endeavor. Hard work and dedication as a sales professional can result in great benefits in terms of salary/commission and personal fulfillment. Add to that the start of a brand-new year, and it usually isn’t too difficult to get yourself motivated to sell. But keeping this drive long-term and staying motivated in the non-stop nature of the sales field is no easy task. Here are a few ways to keep your sales motivation strong throughout the year and beyond:

Take a Breather

Burn-out is real, and a key to staying motivated in sales is to not let yourself get to the point of burn-out. It is important to hop off the train for a bit to get your mind on something other than your next sale. Take a break and go out to lunch with a co-worker, step outside for a fresh breath of air, or work on a crossword puzzle at your desk. Do any sort of positive activity that will get your mind in a completely different place.

Make a To-Do List

Sit down at the end of each day and make a list of things you want to accomplish the following day. Daily stressors of your sales career can oftentimes prevent you from maintaining your focus, but having a plan of action written down for the day will help you to stay on track even on days when you may feel overwhelmed. While other things can come up that may throw a wrench in your to-do list for that day, that’s ok! Your to-do list will still serve as a tool to help you maintain your focus and motivation if you start to feel yourself getting lost in the day’s unplanned activities.

Make Room for Lightheartedness

There are definitely things in your career that must be taken seriously, but knowing when and where not to take things seriously can make a huge difference in our overall mindsets. If we are constantly in a state of austerity, we will soon forget how to “brush off” the little things that happen on a daily basis. When you take the little things too seriously, you’re subconsciously on your way to creating a permanent, negative mindset change.

Teamwork/Collaboration

Working together with teammates develops a sense of unity and pride that helps to foster a sense of belonging and a greater purpose. In times when you feel yourself sinking, turn to your team to help lift you up, help you along and remind you of your goals to keep pushing forward.

Although a sales career can be draining at times, these four tips will help you to fight off the burn-out and help you to keep your sales motivation strong!