5 Habits Of Successful Entrepreneurs

by Helaine Iris Habits get a bum rap. When you think about your habits, I bet you think of the bad ones the ones that you arent particularly proud of, like eating too much sugar, or smoking, or dwelling on your negati e thoughts. !ccording to Websters dictionary a habit simply is" ! pattern or action that is ac#uired and has become so automatic that it is difficult to break. Its easy to see how if you start a beha ior, and continue to reinforce it, it #uickly becomes a habit. $he pint of %en and &errys after dinner, playing 'ree (ell when you should be making calls, or always leaping to a negati e conclusion when something happens. )nce habits are formed, they can be hard to break, correct* +et ready for a new perspecti e habits can be good, What if, instead of relating to your habit as a problem, you were able to use your habits creati ely to help you be more successful* -ince habits are a natural part of our human e.perience /for better or worse0, learning to capitali1e on your innate ability to form positi e patterns can mean a ery successful life and business. Here are 2 habits that successful entrepreneurs can learn to de elop. 1. Build resilience. 3ou dont need me to tell you part of what goes with the territory when youre self4employed is the incessant up and down of sales and cash flow. $his is probably the number one stress producer for entrepreneurs. %uilding the habit of resilience will help you to elegantly weather the una oidable ups and downs. 3ou build resilience by building your reser es. -ome e.amples of reser es are cash, /ha ing 546 months of sa ings in the bank0 self4esteem /plenty of positi e regard for yourself0 or confidence /feeling like an e.pert in your field0. What creates the most worry for you when faced with a stressor in your business* 'ocus on building a reser e of what e er will counter your number one stressor. 2. Become a passion junkie. 7assion is an emotion its a feeling of e.citement and intensity. It arises when you recogni1e something that authentically resounds in your being, and is a result of lo e and affinity. 3ou know when you feel it and you know when its missing. 8nfortunately, many people ha e de eloped the default habit of

connecting with the emotion of fear instead. 'ear /unless a polar bear is chasing you0 fuels negati e thinking and always results in stress. How do you connect with your passion* How can you begin to dis#ualify the fear4based thoughts that want to hog the road /of your mind0* )nce you disco er your passion, or remember it, taking acti e steps to stay connected to it will begin a new practice and encourage the passion habit in your life. 3. Be authentic. !ccording to psychologist, !braham 9aslow, !uthenticity is the reduction of phoniness toward the 1ero point. -tri e to be honest in your personal and professional dealings so your beha ior and speech are a true and spontaneous e.pression of your inner self. :i e in a way that e.presses your real ision, alues and characteristics. ;o you know who you truly are* %y knowing yourself first, you will de elop the habit of authenticity. What you put into the world will begin to be congruent with what you recei e back from the world. 4. ork smarter not harder. If youre not careful, working hard can deteriorate into an e.hausting habit, rather than an e.pression of an ethic. )ften what dri es and moti ates entrepreneurs is the desire for success, but the pursuit of success often comes with mental baggage that can undermine it. What are the mental tapes that cycle through your thought stream to undermine you* I e got to work hard and pro e myself< If I dont do it myself, it wont get done or perhaps, If I could =ust put in more time, Id get it all done. %egin to build the habit of working smarter not harder. (ounter the disempowering messages with some practical actions that put your business more on autopilot. Impro e your systems, take the time to plan, and delegate. 5. !ractice "enerosit#. $he international business networking organi1ation, %>Is motto is +i ers +ain. $he premise is more will come back to you if you focus on generously gi ing to your business network, and your customers. +i ing, pro iding alue, or offering superlati e customer ser ice is an attracti e attribute and positi e habit to de elop. $im -anders, author of :o e Is $he ?iller !pp articulates this business idea as, the act of intelligently and sensibly sharing your intangibles with your business partners. $his alue can dri e your business and your life up as far as you want it to go. What intangibles do you ha e to offer your world* What shift in your success and happiness do you see possible by focusing on gi ing rather than gaining* If creating a habit is as easy as starting a beha ior, and then repeating it /practice0, consider the positi e and powerful habits you could begin to form in your life and business, starting today, +oing back to Websters definition, a positi e habit would be e#ually hard to break.

Wouldnt that be nice for a change* Its 3)8@ life. :i e it completely, Helaine is a professional coach and writer, who has been featured in numerous publications, including ) $he )prah 9aga1ine. -he helps entrepreneurs and professional women accelerate their professional success, while achie ing a more complete and fulfilling personal life. -he combines a broad range of professional e.perience in her work, including management positions in the education, training, retail and international non4profit sectors. 'or a free consultation, contact her at 5AB4B2C4D2E5 to discuss how she can help you accelerate your own success. 3ou may also isit her website, http"FFwww.pathofpurpose.com, for additional information, or email your #uestions to helaineGpathofpurpose.com