How to form habits that have proved essential for successful entrepreneurs
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I can’t tell you how many times I have failed at various tasks.
During high school, I was involved in the band (I played the flute). Our head director was very supportive of the idea of playing perfectly. As they should be. But to attain that perfection, we were expected to develop the self-discipline to practice consistently throughout the week as well as the semester. Without those successful habits we would never have achieved the level of success that we had attained at our concerts, contests, or even just in practice.
Many of the same successful habits that I learned in the band have carried over into becoming a successful entrepreneur.
Many successful entrepreneurs have established these successful habits to achieve their accomplishments. Some have been observed to determine these successful habits but others have willingly given their advice about how to achieve their level of success.
If you are wanting to become a successful entrepreneur, you should try your hand at developing some or most of these successful entrepreneur habits.
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Successful Habit: Form a routine
What this successful habit means: Wake up early, Exercise first, Eat healthy meals, Plenty of Sleep
There is always something that will come up or be different in your daily routine. Whether this is a doctor’s visit or a vacation, something is bound to make an interesting week.
That being said, most successful entrepreneurs make successful habits from creating a consistent routine out of their day. Being consistent in their routine allows them to devote more time and effort to their entrepreneurial pursuits. It’s important to make this a routine and not just a fad. Make sure you can comfortably execute your routine and enjoy your time executing each task. You shouldn’t be a vegan or waking up at 4 a.m. just because you think it will make you successful, but adding a few veggies and waking up an hour earlier to get a quick jog in before work is a great start.
A majority of successful entrepreneurs tend to wake up early, some as early as 4-5 a.m., and start their day with at least an hour of exercise. Successful entrepreneurs know that they need to prioritize their health to focus on other more important matters in their business.
Not only do they focus on an early-bird schedule or physical fitness first thing, but successful entrepreneurs also focus on eating healthy meals and get plenty of sleep at the end of the day. Without the right amount of rest and maintaining their health, they won’t be able to focus on their ventures.
Successful Habit: Taking risks
What this successful habit means: Learn from failure, Learn something new, Dream big, Plan ahead
When I’m reminded of this topic, I envision Gina Lenetti from Brooklyn99. Specifically, I’m reminded of her last episode in which she is playing a game of chess and discussing her reasons for leaving the police squad. Everything in this episode embodies what I’m about to explain in this successful entrepreneur habit.
In this segment, Gina talks about how she doesn’t want a steady paycheck; she wants to take a risk. This is what many successful entrepreneurs want. They want to do something different with their skills and make an impact in some way on the world.
Gina goes on playing chess with Captain Raymond Holt and rattles off some of her entrepreneurial ideas along with other possible business ventures she could pursue. She’s not afraid to take risks on big dreams that she has and doesn’t limit herself to only the skills she has learned while at the 9-9.
All the while she continues to play chess with Holt. While Gina does not understand chess and Holt checkmates her in every game, she still has plans for what she can do. They might fail, but she doesn’t focus or plan for those failures. She focuses on her goal of becoming a successful entrepreneur.
Successful Habit: Passionate
What this successful habit means: Drive to succeed, Goal-oriented, Persistent in honing a craft
It’s not enough to want to succeed for a large paycheck. A successful entrepreneur needs to have a passion behind their entrepreneurial idea.
It doesn’t matter what you are passionate about. You can become a successful entrepreneur in any field or profession, however, if you do not have a resounding why behind why you want to pursue this self-created business venture, you won’t want to succeed as much. You’ll mainly think and focus on the paycheck at the end.
You’ll see athletes before a game or at practice doing repetitive motions to warm up but to also hone their craft. They are expected to be great at their profession. You see a gymnast as they perform a flip in the air and don’t realize they had to do the same flip hundreds, if not thousands, of times to be that consistent and produce that exact result. To be that persistent, you need to have a passion that fuels your entrepreneurship more than only money.
Creating this persistent craftmanship helps develop goal-orientation and a drive to succeed. You’ll know that your skills are up to the task and help you achieve those goals and success.
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Successful Habit: Responsibility
What this successful habit means: Follow-thru on promises, Consistent, Self-disciplined
Being responsible has many meanings when it comes to creating successful habits for a successful entrepreneur.
Remember when I noted that you needed to be persistent and willing to repeat your craft multiple times to consistently get it right? Here’s where responsibility comes into play.
It’s more than solely being responsible though. To have this successful habit, being responsible for yourself and others is equally important. It’s important to be responsible for your priorities by developing self-discipline and consistency in your routine and actions. It might not be a glamorous task but these successful habits will pay-off in the meantime.
One of the biggest definitions is following-thru on your promises. Doing exactly what you say you will do shows you have respect for others’ time along with knowing you can manage your priorities. You know what needs to get done.
Successful Habit: Communication
What this successful habit means: Networks with like-minded people, Listens reciprocally, Communicates clearly to others, Meditates
Developing your communication skills will pay off in dividends in the long term. Both actively speaking and listening are great successful habits to cultivate for any job but especially successful entrepreneurs.
Being an active listener will help you develop your communication skills in spades. Listening when a client is upset about a product, or when your business partner is showing you new ideas for the business start-up you’ve started will help you process new ways of thinking. It’s important to rely on others when you start a business, but to do this, you need to be able to actively listen to others around you.
Networking also plays a large impact on developing successful habits. Knowing you are surrounded by fellow successful entrepreneurs will help you communicate effectively because you are networking and communicating with like-minded people. Successful entrepreneurs network with like-minded people so they can focus and prioritize their goals easier.
Last but not least, meditation is communication with yourself. You need to be able to sit back and reflect daily to understand what you need to do, what you’ve accomplished, and what you need to prioritize so your business start-up can be a success
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What are some successful habits you’ve been encouraged to form to achieve success in your business?
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