Entrepreneurship can be an incredibly rewarding endeavor, and many professionals one day hope for the opportunity to start their own business and live their passion. However, the entrepreneurial lifestyle isn’t for everyone. For many, it comes with long hours, missed activities and stressful judgment calls. But if you want to succeed, there are a number of small changes you can make that can have a major impact on your overall fulfillment and happiness.
Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council share the simple yet powerful changes they’ve made to their lifestyles since becoming entrepreneurs in order to be more successful, more fulfilled leaders, and how it’s had a positive effect on their lives.
Young Entrepreneur Council members share tips for leading a fulfilling entrepreneurial life.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Celebrate At Least One Small Win Each Day
The biggest yet simplest change that I made was that I started to celebrate at least one small win every day. When a kid is growing up, you hear the parents saying “good job” a zillion times every day for small things the kid does. Similarly, an entrepreneur needs that appreciation to keep moving forward. Before I start my day, I spend 10 to 15 minutes every morning celebrating things that I achieved the previous day. For instance, yesterday I assembled my bike, which I hadn’t done before. Even though it is simple and anyone can do it, I still took a moment to celebrate it. Unless we appreciate these small things or actions we do in our everyday lives, it gets difficult to recognize wins—big or small. Celebrate those small moments and observe: How are you better today than yesterday? – Vinay Indresh, Spacejoy
2. Let Go Of The Fear Of Failure
I stopped giving in to the fear of failure. This is one simple yet powerful change that I made. Before I knew it, I started seeing amazing results. This change alone helped me forsake perfectionism and embrace a more realistic approach to doing things. I finally started projects that never got past the idea board, employee morale went up and overall productivity increased. However, this wasn’t something that I did overnight. It was more of a gradual process than something that you just do right away. – Jared Atchison, WPForms
3. Take Control Of Your Time
Becoming an entrepreneur has forced me to become more disciplined with my time. I’ve had to learn how to manage my own schedule and set priorities. This has led to me making some simple but powerful changes to my lifestyle, such as eating healthier and getting more exercise. I’ve also been able to focus more on my work, which has resulted in increased productivity. – Candice Georgiadis, Digital Day
4. Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle
The simple yet powerful change I have made to my lifestyle is being healthy. Drinking water, getting good sleep and exercising are the three key factors that give me the energy to be the leader I want to be. Being healthy gives me the positive attitude I bring to my company! – Christian Rivera, The Ecommerce Accountants PC
5. Look After Your Mental Health
Taking more time to look after my mental health has been huge. Nobody can lead if they don’t have the best mindset available to them. You can only give something if you already have something, but many leaders forget to care for themselves. They burn themselves out, running on empty, trying to handle every possible result to the best possible standard. It isn’t realistic or sustainable. My one tip to all leaders is to put your well-being first. Profit and productivity are essential in business, of course, but you can only achieve those things if you are well enough within yourself to handle the ongoing pressure. Don’t buy into the toxicity of “grind culture.” It’s exhausting and unrealistic. Take your time, look after yourself and put your best foot forward. – Nick Venditti, StitchGolf
6. Work Less, But More Efficiently
I try to work less. When I first started my business, I regularly logged 80-plus hours a week on the business. But ultimately, that’s not productive for me. My role as a leader is to focus the strategy and the team, and I find I can’t do it if I work nonstop. I just get burned out. My health, my family and my friendships all suffered when I worked too much. Don’t get me wrong—I still work hard, and there can be some long hours, but now it’s more in short bursts with planned time off during the workweek and some time off for vacation. Ultimately, I think I can bring more energy to my work now 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, goal setting, meditating, exercising and learning has been a game-changer. It’s easy to get caught up in the to-do lists, emails and ongoing tasks, but taking time for me first thing every morning has helped me stay balanced and grounded. During this time, I spend a lot of time vision casting for myself and my team. I brainstorm new ideas. I listen to podcasts and books. I use this as a way to “fill my cup” before I go out in the world and tackle the day. – Ryann Dowdy, Uncensored Consulting, LLC
8. Read Stories About Other Entrepreneurial Journeys
Read as many business and entrepreneurship books as you can. Books are the summaries of someone else’s journey. It’s about how they made it work, what they learned, things they can coach you on and how they give their advice to you throughout the pages in the book. You have this amazing ability to absorb all of that person’s experiences and adopt the lessons as your own and grow from them. Books are really so powerful on the journey of entrepreneurship. – Mary Harcourt, CosmoGlo
