A know-it-all attitude. Giving up at the first sign of trouble and criticizing the ideas of others. These are some ways entrepreneurs sabotage their success with bad habits. A successful entrepreneur achieves by avoiding a few bad habits. If you’re an entrepreneur with a lust for life and the heart of a business-building hustler, consider breaking the following five practices and watch your career flourish.
5 Bad Practices a Successful Entrepreneur Avoids
Not Taking Responsibility
One of the first bad habits you need to break is not taking responsibility. Whether it is a lousy decision influencing your company’s performance or a choice you have made personally, failing to take responsibility is a sign of weakness. If you want to earn the respect of your peers (and potentially angel investors), stop shucking responsibility, and be strong enough to own up to imperfections and bad choices.
Failing to Learn
It can be a giddy experience to be an entrepreneur. You are building a company out of nothing and enjoying the freedom of being your own boss. However, being the boss doesn’t mean you already know everything. Leaders who continue to learn throughout their career are destined for much greater success than those who make no effort to continue to learn.
Agreeing to Unnecessary Meetings
Entrepreneurs who agree to too many meetings are far less productive than those who also use email or text messaging. Face-to-face meetings aren’t necessary most of the time; questions and answers can just as easily be handled via instant messaging or email. The next time someone asks to meet to pick your brain or get your input, ask yourself whether a meeting truly is necessary. If successful tech moguls like Mark Cuban can use email instead of meetings, don’t you think the same could be right for you?
Multitasking
You would think multitasking is suitable for your productivity as an entrepreneur, but the opposite is true. Attempting to do too many things at once means you’re not giving your full attention to any specific task. You are much better off concentrating on one task at a time and giving it your all before moving on to other duties demanding your attention.
Procrastinating
Procrastinating is another evil sin if you want to be a successful entrepreneur. Putting off tasks you dread can have a significant impact on your daily work output. When you have a dreaded task hanging over your head, you are less likely to dive into other duties with full force. Get your least favorite tasks over with at the beginning of your day and the remainder of your business day will be much more productive and positive.
Breaking bad habits isn’t easy. It takes time and discipline and a willingness to be tough on yourself when necessary. The rewards are definitely worth the effort, though, both personally and professionally.
