Striving to be an entrepreneur is no mean feat. It’s a 24/7 venture, which means you cannot just clock out after an eight-hour shift and forget about the business. You need constant discipline, drive, and innovation to push your brand towards growth.
It’s a fact that entrepreneurship is not for everybody. But for the determined few who can find a way to make it work, it can bring rewards (both extrinsic and intrinsic) that cannot be experienced with a nine-to-five job.
When it comes to succeeding as an entrepreneur, there are several key daily habits business owners subscribe to if they want to gain advantage over their competitors. Do note that these may not sound novel to you. But once these small practices are consistently done each day, you gain a more efficient and worthwhile approach to your career.
1. Stick to a routine
For many, hearing the word “routine” immediately brings boredom to mind. It’s had a bad rap, and many of us think that in order to enjoy life we should not be limited by routines.
This cannot be farther from the truth! Routines actually bring you a lot of benefits when it comes to freeing your schedule.
Think about it. Ever noticed how doubly stressed you are when your day is disorganized? That’s because you resort to fight-or-flight mode when you cannot predict what comes next. Sticking to a routine lays out a framework for what you’re going to do and where you’re going to be. You gain control with it.
The best entrepreneurs build routines involving work, self-care, and leisure. These keep your mind grounded and focused. The nature of entrepreneurship is stressful enough; from supplies, clients, marketing, to all kinds of curveballs, sticking to a predictable routine can be your sanctuary amid a flurry of unexpected scenarios.
2. Prioritize difficult tasks
Called “eating the frog”, this habit involves tackling the most grueling or crucial task first. If you accomplish such tasks first, you then feel relieved that they are done. You’ll likely be more motivated to finish more appealing tasks.
It’s not going to be easy trying to practice this, but if you really want to overcome procrastination, make sure you eat those frogs first thing!
3. Get moving everyday
Yes, successful entrepreneurs have access to all the resources they would need to stay fit and healthy. But that doesn’t mean that they depend on plastic surgery, spas, and treatments. In fact, most of these high-power individuals make exercise a part of their daily routines. Why?
Because aside from keeping you trim and fit, exercise helps keep the brain healthy. It improves the brain’s neuroplasticity, which is good for learning, memory, and brain repair.
So next time you hear yourself making excuses for not working out, stop. You have time to do other things, right? Why not make time for something proven to keep you at peak performance?
Bottom Line
Looking at these three habits, you may notice that none of them are explicitly about business. Success as an entrepreneur goes beyond being the savviest financier or being the most charismatic in your industry. It’s about keeping your goals in front of you and purposefully using your time each day to get yourself closer to those goals.