Entrepreneurship can be an incredibly rewarding endeavor, and many professionals hope one day for the opportunity to start their own business and live their passion. However, the entrepreneurial lifestyle is not for everyone. For many, it comes with long hours, missed activities, and stressful appraisal interviews. But if you want to succeed, there are some small changes you can make that can have a big impact on your overall satisfaction and happiness.
Below eight members of Council for Young Entrepreneurs share the simple yet powerful changes they have made to their lifestyles since becoming entrepreneurs to be more successful, more satisfied leaders, and how it has had a positive effect on their lives.
Members of the Young Entrepreneur Council share tips for leading a fulfilling entrepreneurial life.
Photos courtesy of individual members.
1. Celebrate at least one small victory every day
The biggest but simplest change I made was to start celebrating at least one small win every day. As a child grows up, you hear the parents say “well done” countless times every day for the little things the child does. Likewise, an entrepreneur needs that appreciation to move forward. Before starting my day, I spend 10 to 15 minutes each morning celebrating things I accomplished the previous day. That’s how I assembled my bike yesterday, which I hadn’t done before. While it’s simple and anyone can do it, I’ve taken the time to celebrate. Unless we appreciate these little things or actions that we do in our daily lives, it becomes difficult to recognize victories – big or small. Celebrate those little moments and observe: How is today better than yesterday? – Vinay Indresh, Joy of space
2. Let go of the fear of failure
I no longer gave in to the fear of failure. This is a simple yet powerful change I made. Before I knew it, I started seeing amazing results. This change alone helped me let go of perfectionism and embrace a more realistic approach to things. I finally started projects that never made it past the idea board, employee morale went up and overall productivity increased. However, this was not something I did overnight. It was more of a gradual process than something you do right away. – Jared Atchison, WPForms
3. Take control of your time
Becoming an entrepreneur has forced me to be more disciplined with my time. I had to learn to manage my own agenda and set priorities. This has led me to make some simple yet powerful lifestyle changes, such as eating healthier and exercising more. I have also been able to focus more on my work, which has led to increased productivity. – Candice Georgiadis, digital day
4. Maintain a healthy lifestyle
The simple yet powerful change I’ve made in my lifestyle is being healthy. Drinking water, sleeping well and exercising are the three most important factors that give me the energy to be the leader I want to be. Being healthy gives me the positive attitude that I bring into my company! – Christian Rivera, The e-commerce accountant pc
5. Take care of your mental health
It has been huge to take more time to take care of my mental health. No one can lead if they don’t have the best mindset available to them. You can only give if you already have something, but many leaders forget to take care of themselves. They burn themselves out, run empty and try to treat every possible result to the best possible standard. It is not realistic or sustainable. My one tip to all leaders is to put your well-being first. Profits and productivity are of course essential in business, but you can only achieve those things if you are good enough in yourself to handle the constant pressure. Don’t buy into the toxicity of ‘gravel culture’. It’s exhausting and unrealistic. Take your time, take care of yourself and put your best foot forward. – Nick Vendittia, StitchGolf
6. Work less, but more efficiently
I try to work less. When I first started my business, I regularly worked more than 80 hours a week on the business. But in the end, that’s not productive for me. My role as a leader is to focus the strategy and the team, and I find that I can’t do it if I work non-stop. I just get burned out. My health, my family and my friendships have all suffered from too much work. Don’t get me wrong, I still work hard and sometimes there are long hours, but now it’s more of short bursts with scheduled time off during the work week and some time off before vacation. Ultimately, I think I can now put more energy into my work in fewer hours, because that work is more focused and efficient. – JT Allen, myFootpath LLC
7. Make time for yourself
My morning routine has become a cornerstone of my success. Spending time alone by journaling, setting goals, meditating, exercising, and learning has been a game-changer. It’s easy to get caught up in to-do lists, emails, and pending tasks, but take your time me the first thing every morning has helped me to stay balanced and grounded. During this time I spend a lot of time on vision casting for myself and my team. I brainstorm about new ideas. I listen to podcasts and books. I use this as a way to “fill my cup” before going out into the world and tackling the day. – Ryann Dowdy, Uncensored Consulting, LLC
8. Read stories about other entrepreneurial journeys
Read as many books about business and entrepreneurship as you can. Books are summaries of someone else’s journey. It’s about how they made it work, what they learned, things they can coach you with, and how they give you advice in the pages in the book. You have this amazing ability to absorb all of that person’s experiences and use the lessons as your own and grow from them. Books are really that powerful on the journey of entrepreneurship. – Mary Harcourt, CosmoGlo
