Three Healthy Habits Of Successful Entrepreneurs

ChicExecs Co-Founder and Co-President, Nikki Carlson, shares three healthy habits for successful entrepreneurs on Forbes blog. Below is a highlight from the piece.

No matter their industry or business size, most successful entrepreneurs have three consistent habits that set them up for success. Implement these healthy habits in your own life to make better business decisions, live a more complete life and run a more successful business.

1. Focus on the highest-value tasks.

Productivity hacks like “eating the elephant” are helpful, but sometimes you don’t need to spend your time tackling big projects. If anything, you need to focus on the most valuable tasks.

You can start focusing on higher-value tasks by:

• Identifying them first: Track how you spend your time for two weeks. Which tasks should have been delegated or tabled? What is the most valuable thing you can do each day?

• Monitoring them: Project management apps like Trello or Asana will help you stay on task with your daily to-do list.

• Outsourcing: Make sure someone in your organization is still handling low-value tasks!

2. Wake up early.

Scientists have found that people who wake up early tend to be less stressed and depressed. That’s great for you on a personal level, but an early wake-up time can benefit you professionally, too.

If you’re a night person but want to become a morning person, you can make the transition by:

• Going to bed early: You still need to get your seven to eight hours of sleep, and that means going to bed earlier.

• Creating a sleep-friendly space: Blackout curtains or a sleep mask are great for darkening your room.

• Doing it gradually: Don’t suddenly start waking up at 5 a.m. if you normally wake up at 7 a.m. Try waking up earlier in 15-minute increments so it’s a more gradual process.

3. Remember why you started.

Short-term focus might get you through the week, but will it be enough five years from now? You don’t want to wake up to a business in turmoil; you need to have a vision for the future.

You can maintain long-term focus on your mission and purpose by:

• Setting goals: But not just any goals. Write tangible, quantifiableSMART goals.

• Scheduling deep work: It’s hard visioning for the future when you’re overwhelmed with daily to-dos.

• Creating an accountability team: Accountability is the best way to achieve your long-term goals.

Read Nikki’s full blog on Three Healthy Habit of Successful Entrepreneurs.