Do you have that thing you always do and subconsciously follow a routine? Maybe drinking water right after you wake up or reading a book. In our business or daily lives, there are things that we regularly do which usually turns into habits – sometimes, daily habits.
Some of these habits may be good but there are also habits that can work against us. And, if there’s also one thing we can all agree on, I guess it is that habits are hard to shake off. Although pursuing a habit – whether it’s good or bad is still a choice – our choice. Though, I’m sure Steve Jobs didn’t make Apple the company it is today because of a bad habit) So what are some of the better habits we should cultivate as entrepreneurs?
Daily Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs
What sets these highly successful people – Oprah, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, apart from the rest of us? Is their success a result of mere luck or is there more to it, a secret sauce, maybe? What are their daily habits? If you want to find out, then read on!
The Early Bird Catches The Worm
As cliche as it sounds, this is one of the true habits of successful entrepreneurs. If you think about it, the logic is really simple – if you wake up early, you can get things done early. In a Forbes article by Neil Patel, he mentioned that “Jack Dorsey starts his day with a 5:30 meditation session. Richard Branson rises with the sun, at 5:45, even when he’s supposedly relaxing on his private island. Tim Cook is a regular on the 4:30 email marathon, firing off messages hours before most people start hitting their snooze buttons.”
Exercise
For entrepreneurs – Jillian Michaels (a world-renowned fitness/life coach), Tribe CEO Cyril Paglino, and a few others, the phrase “health is wealth” is accurate. I mean, how can you do your job properly if you’re sick or if you’re not in the best health. This is why regular exercise as a daily habit is important, in addition to eating healthy.
Meditation
Jeff Weiner, Arianna Huffington are some of the successful entrepreneurs who believe in the power of meditation. Set aside some time to meditate and clear your mind. A study published in Consciousness and Cognition found that brief meditation training improved cognition and entrepreneurs need to think quickly and digest information at the same time.
Abundance Mindset
Having an abundance mindset also sets your mind in the right direction (just ask John C. Maxwell). It’s a positive way of thinking and is actually healthy for you, (physically and more importantly, mentally). You can read more about ‘How To Have An Abundance Mindset’ here.
Work/Life Balance
A successful entrepreneur knows how to separate work from their personal lives. If you’re feeling productive with work then go with – do as much as you can do. Make time for your personal activities – whether it’s exercise, or dinner with your family/friends, schedule it. Richard Branson mentioned, “I make it a priority to spend time with my wife Joan every single day,” he says. “It reminds me of why I do what I do.”
Accept That You Are Not Always In Control
Jayson Demers AudienceBloom founder said, “Without a willingness to fail, you’ll always hold back…” No matter how meticulous you planned something or work for it, remember, you are not always in control. And that’s okay. Even if the result is not what you had hoped for, you must learn to accept it and take the positive out of it.
Plan Your Day
Did you know Benjamin Franklin made himself a strict daily routine to keep up with his printing company? Stay ahead of your schedule and commitments by planning your day the night before or early in the morning. This will help you have an overview of your workday and prioritize based on the importance of each task.
Stay Curious
Successful people always ask questions but not just questions, they ask smart questions. They are always hungry for more – information, trends, news, and such. They always want to know how things work and why. Take Mike Rowe for example (you might know him for Dirty Jobs), he believes that curiosity is one of the keys to success.
Share Your Knowledge
Entrepreneurs or thought leaders share their knowledge. They are happy to give back and impart people how they become successful and what made them thrive in their field. Writer and entrepreneur Vivek Wadhwa said, “most successful entrepreneurs share their knowledge as a way of giving back. They do not demand compensation..”
Set Priorities
Take this technique from Brian Tracy about prioritization, “Work from the 80/20 rule. If you have 10 items on your list of things to do, two will be more important than all of the other items put together.” Learn which task needs your urgent attention over those tasks that can wait.
Do you believe that habits can either help you reach success or the other way around? What are your daily habits?
