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10 Habits of Highly Successful Entrepreneurs

 

A habit is traditionally defined as a regular tendency or practice, especially one that is habit. As entrepreneurs, what the hell does that really mean?

 

 

That definition is crap. Forget it and never think about it again.

 

 

I define a habit as the things an entrepreneur must do to stay in business and succeed. More than that, it’s really the things a natural hustler must do to make it to the next day.

 

 

The most successful entrepreneurs, past and present, all share many of the same qualities. Here are 10 habits of highly successful entrepreneurs:

 

 

1. Live and breathe goals.

 

“A goal is just a dream with a deadline.” – Napoleon Hill

 

Entrepreneurs often have many goals they must achieve. Some are long-term, some are short-term, and others don’t have a deadline. Whatever your goals may be, successful entrepreneurs not only set goals constantly, but they conquer them.

 

 

By conquering them, I mean they really do whatever necessary to achieve their goals. They eat their goals alive and make sure they do everything they possibly can to accomplish it.

 

 

2. It’s my fault.

 

“If you take responsibility for yourself, you will develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams.” – Les Brown

 

Successful entrepreneurs don’t play the blame game. If they screw up, they will openly let people know that they messed up. Not only that, but they take accountability for what goes wrong and reassures everyone around them.

 

 

Everyone makes mistakes, it’s okay to screw up. Instead of worrying about all the things you did wrong, acknowledge the mistake, and improve in the future.

 

 

3. Failure doesn’t stop them.

 

“Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.” – Morihei Ueshiba

 

There are very few entrepreneurs out there who can say they made it to the top without any failures. The truth is, everyone fails. As I like to say, it doesn’t matter how many times you fail as long as you are successful in the end.

 

 

Instead of stressing about failures, successful entrepreneurs learn from their mistakes and strive to do better. Greats like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates each failed at some point in their careers, but they stayed focused and achieved amazing things.

 

 

4. Know their strengths and weaknesses.

 

“Build upon strengths, and the weaknesses will gradually take care of themselves.” – Joyce C. Lock

 

Every great entrepreneur knows what they can and can’t do. The sooner you learn about your strengths and weaknesses, the quicker you are able to succeed.

 

 

We as entrepreneurs cannot do it all. Nobody can be perfect in every area of a business. The great entrepreneurs always know when they cannot do something and they are wise to find others who can.

 

 

5. Play hard, work hard.

 

“All work and no play is not good for the soul.” – Felix Sabates

 

Successful entrepreneurs draw a fine line between fun and work. They understand that they must work more than they play, but they also know that they need some fun in their lives.

 

 

Nobody sits tediously around the clock working on their startup and you shouldn’t either. You should find days or times when you will go out and have a good time to escape the workplace. Find a strong balance between work and play in order to succeed.

 

 

6. Listen more than they talk.

 

“The ear of the leader must ring through the voices of the people.” – Woodrow Wilson

 

As an aspiring entrepreneur, you need to listen to your customers, mentors, and even your competition. As entrepreneurs, we’re often driven to talk, talk, and talk some more.

 

 

However, the successful entrepreneurs have always listened more than they have talked. They hear everything, but say very little. When they do talk, their words of wisdom blows the room away. By listening to others, you can learn a lot.

 

 

7. It’s not work, it’s a passion.

 

“If you go to bed every night anxious to relive your day all over again, you have found your passion.” – Jeet Banerjee

 

If you don’t love what you do, you’re going to call it work. Work isn’t glamorous, sexy, or fun. Do what you love and it turns into a hobby or something you spend countless hours on because you’re having fun!

 

 

Passion is a strong driving force that can help lead you to a path of success. If you are passionate about what you do and how you do it, you will be driven to work harder without every knowing it. Almost all successful entrepreneurs have loved their job.

 

 

8. They can sell anything.

 

“Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesman – not the attitude of the prospect.” – W. Clement Stone

 

Being an entrepreneur, you’re not really in business until you make your first sale. All successful entrepreneurs know that sales and cash flow are important to a businesses success.

 

 

If you cannot sell, you simply will not succeed in the world of entrepreneurship. You are constantly selling your vision to investors, customers, partners, and even employees. Successful entrepreneurs can all sell under any situation.

 

 

9. They believe in the crazy.

 

“A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy?” – Albert Einstein

 

Many successful entrepreneurs have had a big idea or vision only to be completely shut down by others. People say things like, “You’re absolutely crazy” or “That’s the dumbest thing I have ever heard.”

 

 

Instead of going into a state of depression, they laughed and said “We’ll see who’s crazy in 3 years.” They truly believed in their product, no matter how crazy it was. All successful entrepreneurs believe in themselves and most importantly in their vision.

 

 

10. They build around what they know.

 

“Trust yourself, you know more than what you give yourself credit for.” – Anonymous

 

If you do not have any extensive experience in an industry, it’s going to be tough to create a killer product or service. Many successful entrepreneurs took what they knew or what they had to build a billion dollar brand.

 

 

There is no need to reinvent the wheel or learn a whole new industry on your own. If you have prior knowledge about something, use it to your advantage. That’s what some of the greatest entrepreneurs have done which has fueled their success today.

 

 

Conclusion

 

The 10 habits listed above are habits that entrepreneurs of all levels should somehow integrate into their pedigree. These qualities are proven techniques that have worked for some of the biggest entrepreneurs this world has ever seen.

 

 

photo credit: davidkosmos via photopin cc

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