What Are The Daily Habits Practiced by Successful Entrepreneurs? 

Small Daily Habits Add Up to Big Results Over Time

When that wise, proverbial quote-maker said, “Good things come in small packages,” she/he was on to something. 

And as an entrepreneur – when it comes to growing your business – small steps that become habitual can make a massive impact over time.

Start Small, Even When You Have a Big Goal

If you an entrepreneur and you are reading this article, then you are most likely here because you have big goals. You want to be a wild success.

I get it.

But I want you to start small. 

I highly advocate breaking down big ideas, big projects, big dreams into small, digestible pieces.

Otherwise, it’s too easy to get overwhelmed.

If you are staring a monster obstacle in the face, it’s much easier to procrastinate, or avoid, or feel super frustrated with mere thought of tackling it.

This will actually set you up to NOT succeed.

In contrast, when you break that monster down into smaller pieces that you can tackle in 15 minutes or less at a time, you’re much more likely to address your challenge with small steps in the right direction.

Why?

First, small steps help you avoid decision fatigue, which you’ve felt before if you’ve ever had a BIG choice to make and found yourself exhausted afterward (think buying a new car, buying a home, taking the leap to start a business!).

Small steps also help you build critical momentum. When you make daily progress toward your big goal, those feel-good endorphins keep you chugging along.

And when you get habitual about the small actions that help you to grow each day, it gets easier and easier over time.

Consistency with these small activities then become habits.

And habits free up brain space to do other productive, awesome, one-of-a-kind things during the day, because your habits become automatic.

Small Habits Pay Big Dividends for Entreprentuers

So what small steps can you be taking to make a big impact in your life, business and personal growth right now?

You probably won’t be surprised to learn I have an opinion about this.

Some 15-minute-per-day habits are going to grow your client base and income exponentially. 

And fitting in 15 minutes here and there throughout your day is totally doable if you free up your time by not dwelling on your roadblocks, not doing “busywork” and not mindlessly scrolling web pages to further avoid your big monster challenges.

5 Daily Habits to Succeed as an Entrepreneur

1.    Do Mindset Work

Above and beyond anything else, I recommend taking time each day to focus on your mindset.

Your state of mind sets the stage for everything else that happens in your business and personal life.

It affects how you react, how you take action, and how you approach each and every obstacle that pops up during your day.

Your mindset is a combination of your attitude, beliefs, perceptions and ideas, and it takes daily practice to change thought patterns you’ve been cycling over and over in your head for months, years or decades.

Right now, you may have negative tapes bubbling up from your subconscious mind that were programmed many years ago. 

Your brain plays limiting beliefs such as:

I’m not good enough.

I don’t have what it takes.

It’s just too hard.

You can replace these with empowering beliefs that propel you forward and empower you.

Start small, and take just 10-15 minutes each day to recognize the negative thought patterns that are blocking you from progress. 

Ask yourself…

How can you change my narrative?

Which of my thoughts can I let go of and replace with patterns that move me forward?

How about:

I’m learning every day.

I have the opportunity to be better today than I was yesterday.

I can take small steps every day to reach my big goals.

Then take a few minutes to visualize how you want your business to be in the future. Imagine it and feel it.

If you’re going to build a profitable, sustainable, successful business, it all starts with setting goals, visualizing your successes, and letting go of negative thoughts (aka, mind work).

Just like the Little Engine That Could who said ‘I think I can, I think I can’…

2.   Put Yourself Out There and Be a Consistent Marketer

Go Live on Facebook, record a YouTube video, write a thoughtful comment on a Linkedin post…

It doesn’t take much to get your name/face on your audience’s radar.

So often, we want to put a perfectly polished piece of material out into the e-world, and then it never happens.

Because it’s just so dang daunting.

Instead, rather than biting off a too-big-to-chew goal, take a few minutes to do something small.

You can record a Live Facebook post in 5-10 minutes, and or check in to your Facebook group(s) to see how you can contribute to the conversation.

Small increments make a difference – it doesn’t have to be a big production.

And bonus: when you practice putting yourself out there and speaking/engaging/writing to the general public, it makes it easier to hop on other opportunities down the road, like podcast interviews or conference speaking. 

Because remember, practice = habits = easier over time.

3.   Grow Your Business Connections, Build Relationships

Take 10-15 minutes each day to make new connections, whether it’s on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, or your other platform of choice.

The idea of going from zero connections to 5K is totally intimidating.  

Going from 0 > 10, and then 10 > 20? Not so much, right?

Which is why I personally choose daily goals to make it much more palatable, like making 20 new connections on Linkedin each day.

It doesn’t have to be time-consuming. It doesn’t have to be rocket science. 

A simple message with “Hi___________, I’d love to connect with you sometime. Have a great day!” will suffice.

Start with 20 each day, five days a week, and by the end of a year you’ve met your 5K goal.

Small goals like this give you a path, they give you a game plan, and they give you epic results over time.

Bonus reading: 30-Minute Guide to Getting Clients on Linkedin

4.    Say Thank You to Clients, Business Partners, Authors, etc.

Small notes make big impressions.

Whether you keep a small stack of cards at your desk, or set a pop-up reminder on your computer, come up with a routine for sending a ‘Thank You’ message each day.

One thank you message can sway the lead who was on the fence, or wow the client who will go on to sing your praises to his/her colleagues.

If your goal is to make your clients fall in love with you (as it should be if you want to grow your business and maintain profitable and mutually-beneficial relationships over time), this is one easy, small way to do it.

Thank a partner who had you on their podcast, thank the conference organizer who invited you to speak, thank a client for their referral, or thank the author who mentioned you in their article.

Show gratitude, and foster relationships. This is a small and highly effective way to build your partnerships over time.

Getting on someone’s radar in a positive way can take a small amount of time, and make a big lasting impression.

5.    Break Your Monster Projects Down

Ever looked at a really big project in the face (like launching a new program, redesigning your website, or switching to a new software) and felt overwhelmed and hopeless before you even started? 

That’s because smaller, broken down steps are much easier to palate than big ol’ lofty ideas.

Mark Twain had it right when he said “The secret to getting ahead is getting started.” 

And getting started means tackling 15-minute digestible, doable pieces at a time.

When your first steps are attainable, you’re more likely to fit them in and actually make them happen.

Then your friend momentum keeps you rolling along by encouraging you to keep going, small success after small success. 

This is how successful entrepreneurs grow…they take action, no matter how small, and they tackle their projects one step at a time.

It’s True, Small Daily Habits Lead to Big Success Over Time

So what small steps can you fit in with 15 minutes today? How about tomorrow?

Think small, and make them happen. 

If you’re really ready to help your business grow and scale, it takes daily action. And it’s totally doable if you make these steps a priority – again, it’s not hard if you commit to ditching the hair-pulling, headaching and busy-working that comes from being stagnant in your business.

And if you want to talk more about making a big impact with small, doable changes, schedule a call with me, or enroll in my free Master Class.

We talk realistic tips and tactics (that really make a difference) to grow your business and change your lifestyle, and so much more.