Balancing your social life with family, friends and romantic partners with your hobbies and a new business. Seems easy, right? Yeah — we didn’t think so.
That’s why achieving success as an entrepreneur doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a lot of focus and dedication, and it doesn’t leave much room for free time or distractions. If you want to get your new business off the ground, you’ll need to optimize your schedule to ensure that you’re making the most out of every day. But that doesn’t mean you should let your mental or physical health slide. The most successful entrepreneurs recommend adding small, intentional habits to your daily schedule to keep you and your business healthy.
This way, you’ll be your best self while you’re working. It won’t help anyone if you spend all of your free time at the office typing away and making phone calls — more than likely, you’ll get burnt out and your business will actually suffer. Taking care of yourself and your body will put you in a position to thrive.
Read on to discover four simple, healthy habits that successful entrepreneurs recommend adding to your daily schedule.
Listen to Uplifting Music
As a busy entrepreneur, starting your day in the right headspace is essential. Michelle Divani, the founder of Lovedivani, recommends listening to uplifting music in the morning to boost your mood and improve your outlook throughout the day. Simply turn on your favorite music while you’re getting ready in the morning or driving to work. It doesn’t take up a lot of time, and it can make long, monotonous tasks feel much less daunting.
Stay Current With Industry Trends
Reading industry-specific news in the morning is a great way to stay current on trends impacting your business. Founder and CEO of Caspian Agency Heather Mason starts her day by reading trade publications in her industry and recommends that you do the same. This often inspires new ideas for her business and helps her make better-informed decisions when she gets to work.
Exercise Before Work
Andrea Houston, founder and CEO of Artitudes design, suggests implementing an exercise routine every morning to stay energized. Daily exercise not only improves your physical health, but also boosts creativity, cognitive function and memory. If your day starts early and your schedule doesn’t allow for a trip to the gym, try taking a short walk before work or during your coffee break. It can do wonders for your overall productivity.
Start a Journal
Running a business takes up a lot of mental energy and can be incredibly stressful. That’s why Co-founder of Happiness Without Valentina Lopez recommends taking a few minutes each day to write out your thoughts in a journal. Journaling is great for creating to-do lists, outlining personal or business goals and organizing your thoughts when you’re feeling overwhelmed. It also serves as a healthier alternative to mindlessly scrolling on your phone when you’re feeling unmotivated. Next time you need a break, try journaling for 15 minutes to unwind. You might be surprised by what you come up with.
Read Books
It might seem like an objective waste of time to set aside part of your day for reading, but doing so can help relax you and sharpen your mind. Ask Warren Buffet, whose philosophy is that reading allows knowledge to compound like interest. So devoting some time to reading can help you become smarter while still having fun! And I know it might be tempting to count reading your email as your daily reading — but let’s try to stick to only books.
Exercise Daily
Many people talk about the healing and rejuvenating powers of exercise. And entrepreneurs are no different! Exercising is not only good for physical help, but can also help entrepreneurs get the motivation and energy they need to tackle whatever comes their way throughout the day. And did you know that exercise has even been proven to improve memory and cognitive skills?
So, it’s a healthy habit overall to start your day with a bit of exercise. You don’t have to hit the gym for an hour-long, intense workout, either. A 15-minute morning walk or quick lunchtime yoga flow can get you the benefits of exercising without having to take a large chunk of time out of your day.
It’ll take about two weeks to get into a new habit, and about two months for the behavior to become automatic. So if you aren’t keen to start exercising or reading everyday immediately, keep going until eventually you’ll become more excited about the routine than you even realize! And before you know it, you’ll be in a daily routine that matches some other successful entrepreneurs.
Check out the infographic below for more daily habits entrepreneurs recommend to help you achieve personal and professional success.
