As an entrepreneur, you have ultimate responsibility for your business. Every decision you make can have a significant impact on the growth and success of your company. Fortunately, there are several things you can do every day that will improve your life, enhance your business and help you to make better choices. They include:
Look after your health
Looking after yourself can be difficult when there are so many things to do. Getting something from the fast-food restaurant or snacking on whatever is in the house or office might satisfy your hunger, but it’s not good for your performance long term. Taking the time to eat healthy foods will give provide you with more energy and help to keep you sharp.
Tear yourself away from the computer screen, get out of the office and do some exercise! This will help you to clear your mind, improve your focus and increase your sense of well-being. Taking time off for a pleasant walk or run also means you’ll be able to remove distractions and think about what’s most important. It’s also vital to get a proper amount of sleep so that you wake up feeling refreshed and energized.
Have a good morning routine
Starting your day off right is essential to having a productive life and business. Try to get out of bed early and avoid catching up on the news, emails or other non-urgent administrative work and focus on the most important tasks first.
This will help you to clear your day of the less important items, so you can spend quality, uninterrupted time on the areas that matter to your business.
Create time for distractions and less important tasks
It’s natural to be distracted during the day. Entrepreneurs are naturally curious, but you there’s still work that needs to be done.
The best way to keep your mind active is to schedule regular breaks when you can browse the web, listen to music, catch up on emails or deal with any of the other regular admin tasks. Setting aside and sticking to 20 minutes in the morning and afternoon for tasks and distractions will help your focus tremendously.
Use a ‘Must-Do’ list
Lots of people have “To-Do” lists. Most of the tasks on those lists never get done. A better approach is to have a “Must-Do” list. At the start of the day, write down one task that you must accomplish that day. Ideally, this should be directly related to growing your business or making you money.
Then, write down the second task that you’d like to achieve once the first task is completed. This second task should be one small improvement that you could make to your business (e.g., writing a post for your blog, surveying your customers, or creating a marketing message).
Then, make sure you have a few hours of uninterrupted time that you can dedicate to that first task. If you don’t finish it, put it on the list again for tomorrow. If you get the first task completed, you can work on the second task, but not until the first one is ticked off.
Maintain focus and perseverance
Businesses don’t become successful overnight. They require dedication, resilience and a little of luck. Keep your next goal in mind and ensure that you’re always working towards it. Remind yourself of why you’re doing what you’re doing and use that to keep your focus and move your business forward. It can be helpful to print out your next goal and put it on a noticeboard or make it the background for your computer desktop.
Spend time with other people
It’s easy to be alone in front of a computer screen, but businesses are built through relationships. Make sure that you connect with others, whether that’s online in a forum or community, with your co-founders or employees, or face to face at a local networking group. Remember too that it’s essential to spend time with family and friends; they help to keep you grounded.
Although there are no guarantees in life or business, these techniques, practiced on a daily basis, can help increase your chances of success. Looking after yourself, getting a good routine, spending time with others and concentrating on what matters all directly contribute to the well-being of you and your business.
