7 Lifestyle Changes That You Should Be Making As An Entrepreneur
One of the greatest aspects of being an entrepreneur is that you get to be your own boss. You set the schedule, you set the goals, and you control the pace of progress. But this can also be one of the most challenging aspects of entrepreneurship, as your ability to stay focused and motivated on a daily basis directly impacts the productivity and success of the business at large. It’s no coincidence that many of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs frequent many of the same lifestyle habits to get the most out of their work week, and as the boss of your own enterprise in the making, you should frequent them too. Here are 7 lifestyle changes that you should be making in order to maximize your weekly productivity.
1) Read More
From Oprah Winfrey to Bill Gates, reading has been a common denominator in the lifestyles of successful entrepreneurs. Reading helps train your brain to focus on one task for an extended period of time, and to see a project through until the end. It also helps you to optimize even the smallest intervals of time, as 10 minutes on the subway can instead be viewed as 10 minutes spent reading. In addition, reading helps to expand your imagination, writing skills, vocabulary, and knowledgeable base; and for an entrepreneur, mastering the art of visualization, creation, idea pitching, and overall communication is invaluable.
2) Organize Your Day The Night Before
As an entrepreneur you are constantly juggling several tasks at once. It’s easy for an entire day to slip by and feel like nothing was accomplished at all, instead just a series of stopping and starting different activities with none seen through to completion. Therefore, it's critical that you make a list the night before so you wake up with a plan. Sorting out your day the night before gives you time to think about your activities in terms of priority- what needs to be completed first based on its relation to your business’ long-run objectives. For the record, Elon Musk schedules his entire day into five minute intervals to ensure that all necessary tasks are completed and daily productivity is at a maximum.
3) Set Reminders In Your Phone
In order to ensure that your daily agenda is full-proof, set reminders in your phone for key activities that may be possible to forget about once the day gets going. For example, responding to emails that are not the highest priority but nevertheless should be completed. In addition, set reminders for longer-term activities that don’t have a firm completion date but you want ensure that they aren’t forgotten about. For example, setting a reminder to include brainstorming time into your schedule about an idea that you wanted to explore.
4) Exercise Frequently And Eat Well
Regardless of where you are on your entrepreneurial journey, getting into a boss-like mindset is critical for success and physical sustainability. From Warren Buffet to Barack Obama, exercise has been an integral and consistent part of their success-climb. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will not only help you to accomplish more in your day because you physically feel stronger and have more energy to run on, but also to see the benefits of continued perseverance and goal setting, which will motivate you in your professional life.
5) Expect Your Social To Life Change
As an entrepreneur there are many reasons why your social life will and should change, but you should view these short-term sacrifices as long-term investments in yourself and your dream career. In the early stages of entrepreneurship your time is extremely valuable as it is likely one of your only resources. Moreover, early funding often consists of personal savings and loans. Cutting back on expensive socializing frees up both time and money. Of course cutting back does not mean cutting out, and a balance of work and play is healthy. But on the days where you feel like you need to step away from the workload, getting a good night sleep, going for a walk, or simply doing nothing at all may be more beneficial.
6) Surround Yourself With People Who Motivate And Inspire You
As world renowned businessman Jim Rohn puts it, “ you’re the average of the five people that you spend most of your time with.” Surround yourself with people that motivate you, mentor you, challenge you, and push you to be the best version of yourself. The people that are around you matter; they will influence the decisions that you make, visions that you craft, and quite possibly your overall success. Choose wisely.
7) Visualize Your Destination Constantly
Always remember that your destination is the sounding board for everything that you are building. It is the long-term vision of who and what you are trying to become. It is the ideal ending to your career story. On the days when you feel lost let it re-inspire you. On the days when you have to make tough decisions let it guide you. And on the days when things finally start to go as planned let it excite you!
Yours Truly,
Sinead