Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs
Any entrepreneur will tell you that sticking to their healthy habits is their secret to success. But figuring out what habits to stick to is not always openly shared!
I’ve put together a list of the top habits successful entrepreneurs cultivate that make them so effective in their fields. Let these examples inspire your daily practices.
Rise early.
Easier said than done…right?
You may have seen the “5 to 9 before the 9 to 5” trending on social media where influencers are sharing what they get accomplished before their day job begins. Getting up at the crack of dawn is not just for Instagram baddies, though.
Successful entrepreneurs *often* wake up early.
But how do you bring this into your schedule when you are not an early riser?
I will be the first to admit I am not the biggest morning person but I can still make sure my day starts off on the BEST foot.
For me, I prioritize my day the night before. I figure out what I need to do and then in the morning I jump right into my small morning routine…a bit of coffee, checking my email, and trying to avoid social media. It makes all the difference!
Business Insider found that a lot of the most famous entrepreneurs all rise before 6am, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Xerox CEO Ursula Burns, and GE CEO Jeff Immelt.
This does not have to be you - but you can still make sure your morning is smooth, calm, and a great start to your day.
Work your network.
Successful entrepreneurs know that you can’t achieve greatness in a vacuum. Without the support of friends, family, and colleagues, you won’t get very far.
Financial guru Tom Corley conducted a five-year study on habits. He discovered that 79% of successful entrepreneurs spent at least five hours each month working their network.
If you spend only 10 minutes each day chatting with a colleague, reaching out to someone on LinkedIn, or shooting a quick email to your network, you can hit that target each month. Seems like an easy goal, right?
Maintain a positive attitude.
In recent years, society has really made a push toward acknowledging sound mental health and a positive attitude as an important part of a healthy life. This is no different in business.
Your mindset is everything when it comes to your success.
Savvy businesspeople know that keeping a positive attitude is crucial in achieving their goals. They prioritize expressing gratitude – both externally and internally.
If you want some extra pointers on this topic, I write about maintaining your mindset when faced with challenging clients here.
Prioritize self-care.
This one may seem a little counter intuitive. How can spending time on yourself and not your business result in success?
If you’ve ever experienced burnout, then you definitely know the answer to that question.
Making sure you take care of yourself can ensure that you have the energy and mental capacity to take care of your business. Successful entrepreneurs protect their “off” time to decompress from their high-stress work lives.
Here are some great self-care activities that can help clear your mind and prepare you for taking on the day:
Meditate
Go for a jog
Practice yoga
Spend time with your friends
Get out of your comfort zone.
“Success is on the other side of your comfort zone.”
– Orrin Woodward
When you feel comfy and safe, you are tempted to stay in whatever stage of life you are in. Not moving beyond that stage limits you from achieving new things, though.
Successful entrepreneurs are constantly striving to get out of their comfort zones. They may proposition a client who they think are out of their league or try producing a new product that they are not 100% certain will succeed.
But if you don’t try to do the big (scary) things, you won’t get the big rewards.
Focus on achieving growth by stepping out of your comfort zone. Visualize your success, confront your fears, and you just might push hard enough to break through to that next level of success you’re striving for.
Stay organized.
Entrepreneurs are known to be a little chaotic. There are a lot of moving pieces when it comes to running your own business!
But successful entrepreneurs keep their chaos organized.
Some tips on maintaining your organization when things seem a little out of control:
Plan tomorrow’s agenda today
Set goals and action steps to achieve those goals
Prioritize your highest value tasks first thing
Always double check your to-do list
Always be learning.
This one is big.
One of the top habits of successful entrepreneurs is making learning a daily activity. Whether it’s cracking open a good book or enrolling in a new class, prioritizing learning is fundamental to earning success.
There is no downside to investing in your own learning. It can help you identify new interests, broaden your understanding of the world, and deepen your connection to others. These skills can be easily translated into the business world. And with the vast amounts of free resources all over the internet, it doesn’t have to cost you a penny.
Manage your money.
My last habit of successful entrepreneurs is to manage your money like a successful entrepreneur! A bit of a no-brainer, if you make wise money decisions, you can reap big rewards.
Now what does managing your money actually look like? It could mean:
Downloading (and using) a budgeting app
Making sure you are always living within your means
Asking for help when you are struggling with understanding something (like investing or IRAs)
Outsourcing the work you know will save you time, headaches, and ultimately money
Managing your money is going to look different for everyone but if you are an entrepreneur, this is one you should certainly be taking seriously. Not sure where to start? If you need a little help with this one, book a time to chat with me!
