A lot of people aspire to be entrepreneurs because of its promise of freedom. You can work anytime, anywhere, and however you want simply because you are your own boss. This is nothing but a half-truth. Yes, there may be some level of independence in terms of how you approach your job, but since the business depends on you primarily, you need to wake up early as your employees do, show up at the store, office, or field, and work in the manner most satisfactory to your real boss: your clients and customers. In other words, you need discipline. You can’t have excesses in freedom when you’re running a business. Otherwise, you would run your organization into the ground more quickly than you built it. That said, you should be able to master these disciplines to be a successful entrepreneur:
Managing time and tasks
No, this isn’t just about having a fixed schedule every day and sticking to your meetings and appointments. This is about making the most of the given time. Much of that requires eliminating distractions. At that, new entrepreneurs tend to do a poor job.
When you’re new in the business, you have this zest — an almost-uncontrollable zeal, to do everything. You want to be on top of every project. You want to explore opportunities. Heck, you want to answer every email coming in your inbox. When you try to do everything, you’ll realize that you accomplish little at the end of the day. Sometimes, that “little” unfortunately doesn’t do much in the overall growth of your venture. Rather than pouring out all your energy to doing so many things, focus on the few things that will make the most impact. In other words, exercise the discipline of prioritizing.
Learning new things
Your venture can only improve as much as you do. The more that you’re exposed to new concepts or strategies, the more likely that you can bring innovation to your business. This is why it’s important to set aside time for learning new things. Yes, you can take in new information every day from your business partners or employees, but it’s better if you be intentional about educating yourself.
Sign up to classes every now and then. Be strategic in broadening your understanding of different aspects of the business. Perhaps you can focus on the marketing side this month, and then the accounting or legal on the next. Seminars and conferences will not just stuff your mind with good things, but your social circles with thought leaders. You never know, you might just meet someone who can offer you a promising restaurant or home care franchise opportunity, which can expand your business portfolio further.
Eating healthy
Most entrepreneurs often neglect this. If finishing up a presentation means skipping meals, then that’s what it’s going to take. But that’s where the problem lies. The fact that you’re choosing health over your business means you don’t have the discipline of balancing self-care and career. That often stems from not recognizing that a healthy lifestyle is important. But in reality, it is. A healthy body is crucial for withstanding the long hours of work, dealing with the stress, and coming up with rational, sensible decisions. If you’re sick and wobbly, how can you manage to finish up that presentation, right? Embrace the discipline of self-care. Ask a nutritionist for a good diet. Take yourself to the gym at least twice a week. Push yourself towards a healthy lifestyle.
When you decide to be an entrepreneur, you’re signing yourself up for a life of discipline. Incorporate these mentioned habits in your daily life to increase your chances of business success.
