Seven habits you need to break for a successful entrepreneurial business life

Life can be pretty tough at the best of times, but to have a successful self-employed life, it can sometimes feel like you have to put in more hours, take on more projects, some of which you do not actually want, and get yourself ‘out there as much as possible. But bad habits can form, even those built on good intentions, and frequently these can actually hold you back.

From my own experience as a business coach, I have come up with a few ideas of habits you might consider stopping straight away to give you a happier and far more successful business life.

1.      You are easily distracted

On a day-to-day level, you may find that you sit in front of the computer to work on creating materials, business or coaching plans but instead frequently find yourself distracted by the call of social media, cat and dog videos, or reading online articles, some of which have nothing whatsoever to do with business but what occurred at the Oscars, considering each and every possible angle of the event. Sound familiar?

One of the approaches I adopt to help myself is to write a list of what I want to do, I set a timer for a limited period of 15/20 minutes or so, and promise myself that I will not get distracted, or do anything else until the timer is up.

Distractions can also be bigger and come from not having a focus or goals for your business. Many entrepreneurs are people who can get distracted by new ideas and possible opportunities. It even has the name ‘bright, shiny object syndrome! It is not dissimilar to when a dog gets completely distracted by a squirrel whilst on a walk!

When new opportunities or ideas do appear, ask yourself whether it’s really relevant to the direction you want for yourself and your business. If it’s not, then it is likely to be an unnecessary distraction, even if it is fun on the face of it.

2.      Working 24/7

Even workaholics have to sleep. As I type this late in the evening, I have placed myself under the pressure of believing that this is something I need to do. But with that in mind, ask yourself, if I do not take care of myself, who is going to take care of my business if I end up being unable to properly function. As an entrepreneur, it is a very easy and slippery slope to start clocking up 60-, 70- or even 80-hour workweeks. You might feel that if you just put in more time on your business to create success.

 Many people feel like working 24/7 is manageable until, suddenly, it isn’t. Their health starts to suffer, they can’t sleep, their mental health declines, and they become isolated from their friends and family. As much as you love your entrepreneurial business, it’s important to maintain your work/life balance. Make time for yourself and be with people around you that you care about. Take time off, and take up pastimes that give you joy. In terms, you might be surprised at the positive effect on your business.

3.      Setting boundaries

Entrepreneurs often find they have to increase their work time when they don’t set boundaries.  If you are someone who feels obliged to say ‘yes’ to every request or opportunity, who feels unable to let anyone down, and who is worried about not being available, it can get exhausting very quickly. 

As an entrepreneur, you should be able to set the boundaries for your business that suit you. This includes your working hours, availability, and even when you are happy to answer the phone. If you choose not to work Fridays or you only like to have telephone meetings after lunch, that is your call. Be clear with clients and contacts so you can manage expectations. Make sure you stick to your boundaries, Structure your working week in a way that suits you.

 4.      Starting too late in the day!

You will read a number of books and articles that state that many successful entrepreneurs, freelancers, and business people swear that the secret to their success is making an early start on their work every day.

You might find that getting up an hour earlier and implementing a morning routine such as writing a to-do list or checking your emails before your clients are in their offices helps you to manage your workload. Of course, this doesn’t always work for night owls, but it might be worth a try, and be sure to avoid taking long naps during the day.

5.      Doing work that makes you unhappy!

One of the consequences of a bad habit such as saying ‘yes’ to everything is that you can end up creating a job for yourself that makes you unhappy rather than a business that fulfills you.

Sometimes, we all find ourselves taking on work or clients that don’t gel with our own values or who have unrealistic expectations. This can be draining. Bad client and bad work are simply not worth it!

If you are doing work that makes you unhappy, ask yourself way and is it really worth it?  Look at your database of customers. Who are the clients that you love working with? What projects fill you with excitement? What are you passionate about?

If you can build your business around these things, you are likely to find a significant positive transformation in your life.

6.      Sitting at your desk for too long

Even if you’re disciplined about the hours your work overall, you could be spending too long at your desk throughout the day. Short, frequent breaks have been found to be far better for us than less frequent longer breaks. Try to take five to ten minutes away from your desk at the end of every hour and you should feel much more productive.

7.      Overpromising

Don’t do it! It is such a common entrepreneurial habit to overpromise. You want to look like you’re completely in control and capable of delivering whatever your clients need. But this also means that you might over-extend yourself, underestimate how long a project will take to complete and deliver it late or offer to take on more tasks that you can accomplish with your current workload, eventually letting people down. They say it’s better to under-promise and over-deliver.

If these extremely brief examples sound familiar, let’s have a conversation. My clients past and present have benefited greatly from working with me in these and many other challenging aspects of the business.