All business owners have some sort of motivation for what they do. As much as owning a business can be great it is also a lot of hard work, long hours and not always the best pay! As a farmer you understand all of this. But there are still days when we wonder,why do we do this?For myself I have always had a passion for animals and helping people. Without a family farm to go back to though I had to find another way to feel fulfilled in my life. So after thinking about it I realized if I couldn't farm myself I would really like to help other farmers. That evolved over the years and now I can say that I truly love my company and how I help people. Making people happy and prosperous is my motivation!So now think about you. Why do you love farming so much? Now every time you have a bad day remember this. Write it on a piece of paper and stick it up in the barn. That way next time you are sleep deprived, fighting with a stupid calving heifer and wonder why you do this to yourself you can look at that paper and be reminded, and provide you some motivation.Now what are you not liking so much? The worst part of any business is people dwell more on what they don't like and less on what they do like. This is a big mistake. The more you worry about the bad the worse things are going to feel. If you always think of the bad it will seem like it is all bad.If something happens that you're not happy with spend a moment and think of why it makes you unhappy and some ways that you could improve on the situation. Once you have come up with some solutions don't dwell on the problem and focus on the solutions. Eventually the problem will resolve itself and you will be even happier than when you started!My next piece of advice is to never be afraid to ask for help! As entrepreneurs we think we need to know and do everything. Unfortunately that is just not possible. Take this from someone who has been there! I am stubborn and strong willed and thought that I could do it all myself, and do you know what, I was wrong! I started to be unhappy with my business and life. I felt overwhelmed, and tired and frustrated. I even wondered if I was really meant to do this. Fortunately I was lucky enough to meet an amazing women who I hired as my business coach. I can say that that was the best decision I have ever made. Her expertise complimented mine and with her help I was able to take the overwhelm out of my life. I still work with that amazing woman to this day.

Jen Gutfriend,The progressive livestock producer's profitability coach, works with progressive livestock producers who struggle with low profitability and lack of time. She helps them reduce costs, increase revenue, all while having more time to do what they enjoy! Get her free video lesson, "Learn the one biggest change you can make on your farm to increase profitability" at www.livestockmanagementsolutions.com