Yes, I can say from firsthand experience that being an entrepreneur comes with a certain territory, a certain level of expectations, and definitely a certain personality to be successful...and unfortunately, one of those expectations is making personal sacrifices. My personal secret? I have excellent time management ability...and I'm highly motivated. I do believe that one of the crucial personality characteristics to be a successful entrepreneur is motivation. If you aren't motivated or disciplined, then you will find it difficult to reach your goals.
It is true that some believe entrepreneurial skills can be taught, that they can be learned through experience and education. And a big part of this is true. But some also believe what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur lies within inborn personality characteristics, and in both strengths and weaknesses. What do you think?
Furthermore, each personality trait (positive and negative) plays a part in our behavior. It affects how we work, what motivates us, and how we succeed as entrepreneurs. For example, some are motivated by rewards or incentives, some are motivated by advanced opportunities, and others are motivated by social acceptance and personal feelings.
All in all, regardless of who you are, what you do, or how you learn and work, there is one thing in common: Being an entrepreneur means making the most out of every day. But we get it. Everyone has those “slump” days (or even weeks...) when it's tough to get anything done. You don't feel like making that phone call, or running that errand or going to that appointment, sitting in that meeting, or spending another waking minute staring blankly at your laptop or tablet screen. Everyone has days like this. But, at the end of that day, we still have to conduct business...or we don't eat. So how can you ensure that you get the most out of every day?
Start the day off right. It’s true that starting the day off right can make all the difference. It sets the tone for the day. But how you choose to start your day can vary from person to person, because ultimately we are talking about different personalities here. This could mean getting up early, taking the dog for a walk, or having a good breakfast for one, and exercising, checking email, and mentally preparing for the day for another. Whatever gets you going in the morning, focus on that and make it your goal to start off every day that way.
If you struggle to get up early each morning, then find out what motivates you to get out of bed. Maybe you have a pet that makes sure you are out of bed at a certain hour. Maybe it’s setting the alarm on your phone to your favorite song, or the post-it notes you leave on your nightstand the night before. Maybe it’s the sound or smell of freshly brewing coffee. Whatever motivates you to get out of bed, make it happen.
Get organized, and get going. A little organization can go a long way. If this is what gets you going, then spend each morning over coffee or breakfast getting organized and planning your day. Some entrepreneurs claim they can’t focus until they feel organized, whether that is mentally or physically. Maybe this means organizing your work space, or cleaning up your cluttered email inbox. Even just spending a few minutes getting organized each morning will give you that little boost of accomplishment to set the tone for the rest of the day.
Some successful entrepreneurs claim they spend the first two hours of every day "IN" their business. This doesn't mean answering email, listening to or responding to messages, or anything administrative, this means actually thinking, brainstorming, and working on your VISION.
Live for the Night... If you are more of an evening entrepreneur than a morning entrepreneur, why not spend the evening before planning for the next day? This may mean leaving a to-do list before you leave the office, organize your work space for the next morning, or focusing on something that motivates you before you go to bed. Studies have actually shown that the information or activities you complete the evening before can actually stay in your mind, even convert to knowledge, and the output is creative ideas the next morning.
Of course, we can’t control it all…but as entrepreneurs, we would like to. However, there are always going to be obstacles, challenges, and just things that go wrong. We can’t always avoid them, but we can choose to make the best out of them and learn from them. Each and every entrepreneur has his or her own personality, working and learning style and ways they go about doing business. The key here is to find out what makes your entrepreneurial mind “tick”, and how to go about boosting that to make the most out of every day.
No comments:
Post a Comment