Maybe you just want to earn some extra cash outside of your day job – or you may want to be the next Bill Gates. Whatever the case – here are 10 success tips for budding inspired entrepreneurs.
Table of Contents
1. Positive Thinking
“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” ~ Willie Nelson
Positive thinking isn’t just about being happy or showing an upbeat attitude to the world. Finding ways to build positive and happy emotions into your life yields more than just temporary stress relief and a few smiles.
Being in a positive state of mind gives you assess your creative side – allowing you to use those skills and talents that are impossible to reach when you’re in a negative frame of mind. Barbara Fredrickson – a University of North Carolina researcher, suggests a 3-to-1 “positivity ratio” for boosts in creativity. Take Fredrickson’s two-minute quiz to find out your ‘positivity ratio’ with.
2. Gratitude
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues but the parent of all others.” ~ Cicero
Expressing gratitude is a powerful mindset for any entrepreneur to have – being grateful for what success has already been achieved rather focusing on the not so successful aspects of the business. Start by creating a simple list of everything you’re grateful for – including all aspects of your life, however mundane – and spend a few minutes every morning reading and adding to it.
People who practise gratitude view difficulties as a chance to become stronger – they’re more determined, resilient, and energetic when the going gets tough. Practising gratitude can improve many business relationships – with both partners and customers allowing your business to thrive.
3. Simplify
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci
De-cluttering and keeping things simple not only keeps stress to a minimum, it also keeps the number of decisions that to be made down too. Decision-making requires energy and in excessive amounts can cause mental fatigue.
Successful delegation and releasing responsibility to others will simplify your life and free you up to pursue more lucrative and enjoyable aspects of business life such as, growing and developing your brand. Micromanagement and control are fatal for any company – the fewer decisions requiring your input the better for everyone.
4. Meditate
“You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.” ~ Joyce Meyer
Being an entrepreneur can involve emotional ups and downs – easy to get caught up in failures in the past and worries about the future. Meditation helps to focus on the present moment, making the trials of your working life more manageable and sustainable.
Meditation can be the perfect antidote to feelings of anxiety. By training your mind to remain in the current moment, you approach problems calmly, become more patient, and treat yourself kindly when events don’t quite go to plan.
5. 80/20
“You have to think anyway, so why not think big?” ~Donald Trump
The important thing here to understand, is that in life – 20% of the activities you do account for 80% of your happiness and successes – hence the ‘80/20 Rule’. You can certainly apply it to most aspects of your entrepreneurial life.
Take, for example, your clients – there is a good chance that 20% of them are generating the majority of your revenue (80%). By letting go of the ones that often require extra time and cause you headaches – you’ll be able to focus and attract more of the ones that truly benefit you.
6. Move
“Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.” ~ John Adams
Exercise not only firms your body, it boosts brainpower as well. Research shows that aerobic exercise increases cognitive function by increasing blood flow to the brain – meaning the best time to brainstorm a new idea, will be straight after hitting the gym.
Physical activity also lowers stress hormones and boosts certain brain chemicals that result in a feeling of wellbeing. The less stressed you are, the better able you are to make smart and rational business decisions.
7. Change
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” ~ Maya Angelou
Being unable able to embrace change and hating the process can cripple an entrepreneur’s vision of success. Change is constant in every business environment.
Being open and ready to embrace and adapt to any change required to succeed, is a major competitive edge for any entrepreneur. Looking for shifting trends and positioning yourself at the front of them – then attempting to stay out in front of the competition are all essential skills that reflect a readiness to change and evolve.
8. Food
“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.” ~ Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
As an entrepreneur, you think that as long as you eat enough to feel full, you’re good to go. Yet food, has an enormous effect on your energy levels and performance – both physically and emotionally.
At a minimum consider eliminating the junk from your diet – the sugary snacks and sodas, all the highly processed foods, and high-salt foods. Consider embracing a diet that’s high in organic fruits and veggies, grass-fed meat and dairy, and good fats such as oily fish and coconut oil.
9. Motivation
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” ~ Zig Ziglar
Great entrepreneurs know exactly what motivates them – they are able to pinpoint a specific concept, idea, or reason that keeps their motivation high. Without having a reason to keep moving onward and upward – a ‘why’ – can lead to loss in momentum in that direction, especially when the going gets tough.
10. Sleep
“A well-spent day brings happy sleep.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci
Interrupted and poor sleep is bad for your our health – not getting enough sleep can lead to low mood or depression, compromise your immune system and lead to cardiovascular disease. It’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to be working long hours and functioning on very little sleep.
Getting at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night is a critical for any entrepreneurs’ success. Inadequate results in poor decision-making, foggy creative thinking, and bad memory and reaction time – not good for your business.
