4 habits are hurting your chances of succeeding as an entrepreneur

Success is what happens over time, through patience, determination, and focus. Small wins turn into big wins for entrepreneurs
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Too often, the entrepreneurs think of success as something that happens suddenly.

You can probably blame it on popular culture: after all, a moment of triumph is much more fun to watch than all the gradual, slow steps that precede it.

Even though everyone likes to tell stories about immediate success, you almost never see how far you have to go to get there. Very often, there is not much in founder stories that would encourage the cinema to come knocking on their door.

Success is what happens over time, through patience, determination, and focus. Small victories turn into big victories. If you're lucky, there will be times when you reach a goal or a milestone worthy of blowing up a bottle of champagne. But those moments don't tell the whole story.

What are the habits of the best entrepreneurs?

Here are some common ways in which the entrepreneurs hinder their chances of success in the long term.

Ignoring your well-being

The act of getting enough sleep and eating well is certainly not sexy enough to warrant a plot in almost every movie. But despite its lack of cinematographic value, taking care of yourself is one of the cornerstones of success.

If the stereotype of The entrepreneur Is that of a person glued to their screen at 3 am, the truth is that lack of sleep seriously impairs your cognitive abilities. A study has shown that people who only sleep 4.5 hours per night are often more irritable and make poorer decisions than those who get enough rest.

Being too busy to sleep goes hand in hand with being too busy to eat well and being too busy to exercise. Once you start making excuses, it can be extremely difficult to get back on track. This lack of discipline probably doesn't bode well for your business either.

Eating well and exercising are intrinsically good for you and your mind. But they also help you learn to structure your life around routines. By disciplining yourself, you will lay the foundation for other positive habits, both in and outside your professional life. Train yourself to appreciate the value of long-term gain rather than immediate gratification, and you'll be on the path to success like many entrepreneurs.

Look outside of yourself

It's always a good idea to stay up to date with industry trends. But there's a big difference between being aware of what's going on and Comparing yourself obsessively to everyone.

Your definition of success is exactly that: your own. If you're constantly looking around to see what others are doing, you're not focused on achieving your own goals. By focusing on the perceived successes of others, you are exposing yourself to self-doubt and negative thinking, two factors that can be fatal to success.

The same goes for seeking the approval of others.

Yes, outside input can be incredibly helpful in clarifying your vision or seeing something from a different perspective. But ask for constructive criticism is not equivalent to having need constant validation from everyone. Not everyone will understand your goals, and that's okay. Have the confidence to chart your own path and stick to it. And if you want to be inspired, do so from of entrepreneurs who have failed and who have succeeded.

Wanting to do everything

Entrepreneurship is a humbling learning experience. It lets you know what you're looking for when it comes to hiring a team and delegating tasks that you're not always good at.

Because as painful as it may be to admit it, you can't do everything yourself. If you divide your attention between too many activities, you are unlikely to do any of them well.

Not delegating also means you're expending valuable energy on things you don't even like. And when you give someone else a task, let them do it their own way. Micromanaging is not only a misuse of your time, it will also inevitably lead to resentment in your team. If you don't trust your direct reports to do their jobs, ask yourself why. Is it because they are not performing well? Or is it because you have trouble letting go? In both cases, this is an important issue that needs to be addressed.

Les best entrepreneurs are not always those who know how to do everything but often those who know how to delegate at the right time.

Saying “yes” to too many things is an identical trap. If you accept something that you don't really have the time - or the desire - to do, who are you helping? It's better to say “no” than to make a promise you can't keep.

Losing sight of your goals

Sometimes it feels like running a business is like putting out one fire after another. However, it is important not to get so caught up in your daily routine that you forget your long-term goals.

Why? First of all, fighting to keep your head above water is a sure-fire way to burn out.

Then, having a Clear vision prevents you from dwelling too much on small failures. Difficulties are always frustrating, but an overall vision makes it possible to put them into perspective.

It's an area where movies are right: failure is inevitable, but that's no reason to give up.

Rather than being victims, people who think long-term take their failures as lessons and learn from them for the next time. Over time, you'll take setbacks less to heart and understand them as part of the long road to success.

Because success is not what you find at the end of the road, it is the path itself.

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Stephen MESNILDREY
CEO & Founder

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