Originally published at nadiashapiro.com
Being an entrepreneur is not always an easy road to travel. Taking your business from start to profitable can be complicated and even confusing at times. Bridging the gap between success and business is truly an art form.
Being successful is as much a state of mind as it is a way of being. There are many roads to building a lucrative business but the first step starts with your mindset.
With the right mindset and actions, reaching success only becomes a matter of time. Any person who has the right attitude and takes action could reach the top of the business ladder, serve clients, create products and make their business a thriving enterprise.
If you are going to be a successful entrepreneur, you must have the determination to take action and the right way of thinking to reach your goals. It can be difficult to always have the right mindset and to take action when you don’t feel like it, but a successful entrepreneur will push past these obstacles and do it anyway.
Think of it this way, all great things start with the correct actions and the right attitude. All successful people in the world of business have understood this and implemented it before they reached success.
Most successful entrepreneurs have done a great deal of hard work to make it to the top. It’s not easy, but with the right goals and determination, you too can reach the level of success that you want to achieve.
To help you along the way here are the 4 essential success principles you need to have to become a successful entrepreneur:
1. Release your baggage and don’t let fear stop you.
All people experience failure and collect baggage. This is a natural part of life. The key is to not let your failures become baggage and to let the baggage that you do have go. Challenges provide you with the reasons to stand up and try again. A successful entrepreneur knows how to accept and overcome failures. In this way, you’ll be more determined to change yourself for the better and reach the success you’re aiming for.
It’s pointless to worry about failure because, with every failure, you learn to pick yourself up and once again, be the best that you can be. Great entrepreneurs use their failures as feedback instead of personal attacks on their character. I have read countless stories and interviews on successful entrepreneurs who have used their failures to grow and build thriving businesses.
2. Make Clear Goals and be S.M.A.R.T.
One of the most important things to achieving success is to have the right goals. Some entrepreneurs make the mistake of setting goals that fit the business they are involved in instead of goals that take their business success to the next level and that also suit their own management style.
Goals should be well defined, achievable and should inspire you to move forward. By setting these types of goals you have the edge in creating or running a business that will be more likely to succeed.
Most of the time however, people write very obscure pie-in-the-sky type goals. These types of goals don’t allow your brain to associate with what you’re trying to attract. If your goals are disassociated, then it doesn’t allow you to be connected to them and to create actions and emotions based on what you are trying to create.
Think about it. How many times have you acted upon something that has an emotional charge? The answer is probably every day. How many times have you gotten mad or upset and acted on it? How many times have you gotten anxious or excited about something and acted on it? How many times have you done something based on impulse?
Well, your goals need to be associated in the same way, but in a positive emotional tone that creates motivation. If you are procrastinating on something, it probably means that you are about to step out of your comfort zone, and your mind is telling you to take care.
Goals should be S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-based). You should not let your goals be unsure or unclear. You should have the dedication to reach these goals and a clear idea on how to make it happen. This is your biggest key to accomplishing the things you have to do to make your business successful.
Entrepreneurs who have clear and SMART goals will eventually find a way to succeed in their business.
Your goals will create a gateway for you to achieve not only the success of being an entrepreneur but also the satisfaction of serving others. This will give you more opportunities to learn and grow.
Now that you have the breakdown of how to write out a goal, take it one step further and associate your goals with a way of being or feeling. In other words, how would you feel if you were to achieve that goal?
Here is an example. “I am so excited that I have signed a new VIP client by December 31, 2016.”
3. Take the Right Action
The third thing successful people do is take action. After you’ve written out your SMART goals, you’ll want to brainstorm some action items that you will need to take to achieve your goals. If you want to succeed, don’t hesitate here as that will not move you forward.
If you are truly determined to succeed in your business, you should develop the mindset that you need to take the right actions in the most appropriate order.
After you’ve set your SMART goals, it would be best to determine your actions by separating your goals into two parts by making two separate lists.
Separate the first list into three parts, easy action items, action items with multiple steps, and harder actions that will take your out of your comfort zone. Brainstorm the easy items and start placing those on your calendar every day.
For the action items with multiple steps, break these items down into very clear smaller steps. Once they are broken down into bite size steps, then place those on your calendar as well.
Don’t make any to-do lists. To-do lists can set you up for failure as they are continually growing and never seem to get finished. If you need to make a list then go ahead and schedule every single item on your calendar.
For the harder actions, write down everything which makes you feel uncomfortable about these actions. After each item write, “What makes me uncomfortable about this action? What might happen if I were to do this? What will happen if I don’t do it? How could my business change if I were to do this? What wouldn’t happen if I didn’t do this?”
Now see how you feel about each item. If you feel better about it, then break it down into bite size steps and place it on your calendar. Successful people take action in spite of their fear.
The second list is on action items that you are unclear on, don’t know how to do, or would like to outsource. Start doing research on each item by reading articles and watching videos. You can then decide if this is something you want to learn and master or hire someone else to do. Once you have decided, place it on your calendar.
4. Maintain Your Focus
The fourth thing that successful entrepreneurs do is to maintain focus. Let’s face it, our culture is set up for distractions. Every second we have a notification popping up on our phones and on our computers. Set time aside to be productive and limit your distractions.
Set aside 90 minute increments of time and turn off all distractions. This will help bring your goals to the completion stage and help you manage your time. 90 minutes of pure focus is usually all the brain can handle at any one time. Then take a break before starting the next 90 minute segment.
When it comes to business, you need full focus so that you can accomplish the tasks you are doing. Maintaining your focus is very important so that in performing business functions, you will not be distracted and can make sound and effective progress. An entrepreneur who has a great focus on the things he or she is doing will accomplish many tasks quickly and easily. This will result in effective planning and decision making in all business transactions.
Some of the most successful entrepreneurs have a focus that is unbreakable. Entrepreneurs who already have this value naturally installed in them, tend to be more successful in building their business than others who struggle with focus.
They are the ones who take the action items from their goals and implement them into their business. They have a clear focus of their overall goals and have a clear direction on each individual project that needs to be accomplished. They are also the ones who naturally block times off to work on the growth of their business and turn off all distractions.
Once you understand and master the four principles of success, building a thriving business will be much easier and more rewarding. Having the correct mindset, clear and concise goals, actionable steps and total focus will make your entrepreneurial journey much smoother. You’ll have a clear road map to follow and the challenges along the way will not overwhelm you.
To learn more about Nadia Shapiro and her coaching programs, please visit www.nadiashapiro.com
Originally published at medium.com