11 Habits of successful entrepreneurs

Being an entrepreneur is not always easy. Behind the success stories and profitable companies there’s another side that not many people talk about. Sleepless nights, poor time management and lack of self-care are only a few of the struggles that entrepreneurs face every day. These struggles have a direct impact on their success rate.

According to a Harvard Business School study 3 out of 4 start-ups fail. This failure is caused by many reasons, including lack of focus, lack of motivation and lack of general and domain-specific business knowledge.

Fortunately most entrepreneurs overcome these challenges by adopting simple habits and applying them on a daily basis.  

Have an organized schedule for your day

Time management is key when it comes to achieving success. When you’re developing a project every minute of the day counts. That’s why is so important to plan ahead. Try to write down your goals and to do list the night before. Take advantage of online tools like calendars, time tracking apps or project management software.

You might not realize it yet, but not having an organized schedule might be affecting your overall productivity. Not to mention the level of stress and wasted time that it adds up.

Just remember that every effort to organize your day will make a difference. You’ll find yourself having more time to welcome new opportunities and to invest in your personal life.

Write your ideas in a journal

The process of writing in a piece of paper, away from your phone and computer can be really refreshing. Writing down ideas and thoughts in a journal is a habit that many successful entrepreneur do on a daily basis. It not only gives you the opportunity to track your progress, but also it allows you to get a real image of what you’re thinking and feeling.

When you write down your goals or ideas you give them power. You’ll be able to prioritize them, remember them and clarify them. You’ll also feel more motivated and committed to them if they are written down rather than just being in your mind.

Establish weekly and monthly goals

In a world full of distractions and things to do it can be really easy to get diverted from your goals. That’s why one of the secrets to achieve success is to establish weekly and monthly goals. It’s very important that your daily efforts help you accomplish your objectives, otherwise you’re just wasting your time.

When you set a specific goal in a short period of time you’ll be able to track its progress and acknowledge what you’ve done and what it’s left to do in order to achieve it.

Wake up early

Being an early riser has many advantages. Yes, it’s true that not everyone is a morning person. But waking up early can become a life changing habit and productive entrepreneurs know it. Getting rid of the stress in the morning can help you improve your mood and overall mental health. It can also help you be more productive and enhance your decision making skills.

Just think of all the things that you could do if you had a couple of extra hours a day. You could have more time to clear your mind, exercise and set goals. You could even enjoy more time for yourself and spend it doing things you truly enjoy. Taking advantage of the quiet time in the mornings could also allow you to work on important things with no interruptions. These are the main reasons most successful entrepreneurs wake up early. They can achieve more and give themselves some extra personal time.

Get enough sleep

In order to wake up early and have lots of energy for your day you need to rest well. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation affects your concentration, weakens your immune system and gives you mood changes. It can also increase your chances of suffering Alzheimer’s disease.

So a good night’s sleep is basic for your health and brain function. Making this a habit will help you improve your memory, lower stress levels, sharpen your attention and increase your creativity. Successful entrepreneurs are aware of this and they include it in their daily routine, ensuring more productivity and effectiveness on their tasks.

Exercise and meditate

The list of benefits from exercising and practicing meditation is endless. But how do these activities relate to success? If you check the daily routine of the most successful entrepreneurs you’ll find that they all take a moment from their busy days to exercise and meditate. That’s because they know that with only 30 minutes of daily practice they are developing self-discipline, boosting their ability to learn new things and increasing their energy.

Both, exercising and practicing meditation, lower stress levels, boost memory and promote a clear mind. They also have long lasting positive effects like better sleep, sharper mind and better health. All of these benefits are helpful for developing successful projects and accomplishing goals.   

Never stop learning

Successful entrepreneurs are constantly learning about new things. Part of their success comes from acknowledging that they don’t know everything. That’s why developing new skills and having permanent training are part of their lives.

Learning makes part of your self-growth. It can help you become an influential leader, adapt faster, be smarter and also to open your mind to new ideas.

How can you do it? Read every day, watch documentaries, check interesting TED talks, take courses about things that interest you. Whenever you can, share your time with people that thinks different from you and practice your listening skills. Also be curious about new topics, listen to new music or visit inspiring websites.

Have a big vision

Successful people are able to see big potential where regular people don’t. They use their imagination to think about the possibilities of developing business, projects and ideas in a near or far future. They have a big vision of their dreams and work hard to make them happen.

When you become a visionary you find yourself having big ideas and dreams constantly. Thinking in the future gives you purpose and motivation to take action. It also helps you create a plan and see opportunities where you didn’t before.

Be motivated and informed

Motivation plays a big part on the road to success. It not only lifts the spirit but improves performance and persistence. This is the reason why successful entrepreneurs surround themselves with things that motivate them like images, audios and quotes. The habit of self-motivation can be a decisive element when it comes to achieving goals.

It’s also important to keep your knowledge updated. By obtaining information through mentoring, seminars and books you’ll be able to adapt and respond faster to the rapid changing entrepreneurial world.  

Avoid negative thoughts

Negative thinking can push you away from success faster than you think. It takes away your energy, motivation and happiness. On the other hand positive thinking increases your self-confidence, boosts your mood and helps you be more grateful. It also gets you closer to your dreams.

Avoiding negative thoughts is not an easy process but it’s worth it. In order to do it you should acknowledge you’re responsible about your thoughts as well as for your success. You need to be determined to be a better version of yourself. And make an effort to distance yourself from negative people and environments. Also establish clear dreams and goals.  

There many other ways to include positive habits into your routine. Meditation, thinking in positive memories and using motivational affirmations are only some of them.

Take time for yourself

Self-care might be one of the most important habits of successful entrepreneurs. Even though they are often busy and the hustle never stops they take time for themselves, and you should too. Accomplishing goals and being on a schedule is very important. But investing time in yourself is basic to reach success in the best way possible.

Taking vacations, resting when you are sick and eating healthy are actions of self-care. Working nonstop will drive you to burnout and push you away from success. So habits like meditation, pampering and quiet time should be in your routine.

Are you an entrepreneur too? What other habits will you include in the list?

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