Owner – The Mountain Shoppe. Follow me on LinkedIn.
So you want to be an entrepreneur…
Congratulations, you’ve chosen arguably the single most difficult path for sustained income and work-life balance! But do not be discouraged, and do not interpret that statement as “woe is me” because if you embrace the inevitable challenges that will arise, the light at the end of the tunnel could be brighter than you ever dreamed of. Here are the three habits I’ve found to be most crucial in order to stay on path to achieve success.
1. Prioritize physical and mental health and wellness.
This comes to no one’s surprise as it’s been touted by people from all backgrounds for decades, but it still is one of the most important components, if not the most important component, that should be part of your entrepreneurial journey. I’ll spare you all the physiological benefits of exercise and meditation, but the point of listing this habit is to emphasize that you need to be training your body and mind intensely and consistently.
Strength training, cardio and mobility work are all important for the physical wellness aspect. It’s vital to keep your body strong, able to endure and moving well.
In my experience, meditation, positive self talk and impulse control are the three most important mental health aspects. Practice manifesting your (hopefully big) goals, telling yourself you’re more than capable of achieving them and callousing your mind to resist the temptation of distractions so you stay consistent and on a path to success.
You must be comfortable being uncomfortable, which leads us to our next habit.
2. Understand and embrace the difference between working hard and hard work.
Let’s define each of these first.
Working hard is a choice to not be lazy and to put effort into the task you are performing. That could be your career or simple daily chores. You can work hard at your job, at mowing your lawn, at getting laundry done and put away, or at playing your favorite instrument. You oftentime work hard doing things you either enjoy, know how to do or are required to do for money.
On the flip side of things, hard work is completing the tasks that you have no desire to perform or doing something you have no knowledge of or background in. Hard work requires you to navigate and execute brand new concepts, products, technology, modalities; the list could go on and on. The main takeaway here is that hard work is foreign and difficult to us and is 100% individualized. What you find simple, I may find extremely difficult and vice versa.
If you were wondering which one I was going to say is most important, I have bad news… it’s both. You must be able to take on difficult tasks that may frustrate you to no end and work diligently at them. If you only work hard at the phases of your business that you enjoy or are good at, you will bring many more burdens to yourself in the long run. Embrace the difficult work.
3. Develop relationships with everyone.
To me, this tip is likely the most underrated of all. Develop meaningful and authentic relationships with everyone. Seriously, I mean everyone, both business and personal—your clients, accountant, suppliers, mailperson, employees (even the lowest person on the organizational chart), the neighbors at your home, the neighbors at your brick-and-mortar store, the person picking up your garbage, the old lady who talks your ear off because she just needs someone to talk to, etc.
You can alleviate so many issues in your business journey, and life in general, if you have quality relationships with the people you interact with, even if it’s on an irregular basis. Plus, people are way more willing to give you assistance or a helping hand when they like and appreciate your relationship!
As you begin your endeavor as an entrepreneur, remind yourself why you started and what it is you hope to achieve when you reach the light at the end of the tunnel. Take excellent care of your body and mind, embrace challenging work and getting comfortable being uncomfortable, and strive to develop and maintain long-lasting, quality relationships with those you meet along the way.
Good luck!
The information provided here is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. You should consult with a qualified healthcare provider for advice concerning your specific situation.
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