Think back: You set off to start your own business as a way to end your trapped existence working for somebody else. You might have thought, "If only I could run things my way and at my pace; I'd be so happy. I just know it!"
Here you are now: king (or queen) of your own empire, ruler of your roost, master of your destiny, and captain of your contentment. Did that last one almost slip by?
Happy entrepreneurs have a reason for what they do, a deep itch they simply must scratch
You're running your own show, but are you happier for it? While many are, some haven't found entrepreneurial exuberance, quite the opposite.
How is it that the first group grabbed the brass ring of happiness while others are still going around and around at a dizzying pace? Consider these seven habits that happy business owners seem to exhibit in their daily activities.
They have passion
This one might sound as if it were plucked from an infomercial, but it's really the core of happiness, be it in business or life.
Happy entrepreneurs have a reason for what they do, a deep itch they simply must scratch. Passion to make a difference, improve the lives of others, or just to challenge their own personal doubts or limitations is what keeps a happy business person going, striving for and reaching their goals in a way that is satisfying day in and day out.
Find your passion and pursue it with everything you have. It's a happy pursuit; it really is.
They always improve their skills
To reach your goals, you often have to stretch beyond your current knowledge and capabilities. Gone are your schooldays where information was absorbed through repetition and memorization, force-fed to you by a commanding authority figure.
Happy entrepreneurs are eager to improve their abilities and usually reach higher levels of improvement because this learning is by choice, not by dictate. And, it's hard to deny the good feeling that comes from mastering a new skill or concept, isn't it?
In business, there are highs and lows, but the happy entrepreneur has learned to not get too high and, therefore, never get too low
They choose to be responsive
It's not so much what happens to you but how you respond to it.
In business, there are highs and lows, no question, but the happy entrepreneur has learned to not get too high and, therefore, never get too low. This is a difficult habit to harness, establishing an even tempo is what you want to do.
To achieve happiness in business, it's helpful to take some objectivity to the situations that present themselves, apply a measured and logical analysis of suitable responses, then use deliberate steps to move along.
They seek inspiration
If you believe happy, successful business people are 100 percent responsible for their good fortune, you'd be wrong (and those business owners would probably confess as much).
Few among us have all the answers, innate and irreproachable wisdom that assures absolute success. Happy entrepreneurs recognize and even embrace their own shortcomings, and they look for remedy to these matters externally. Without the pressure of believing all solutions must come only from within themselves, these folks can tap the limitless resources around them.
Be it from other business owners, friends, family, even favorite music and movies, the relief that the answers sought are available somewhere is extremely comforting and soothing. From that realization comes the quest for inspiration, the sort that will feed happiness and further fuel passion.
They take risks
It's sometimes terrifying to take risks in your business, isn't it?
From that purely entrepreneurial moment when you decided to become a business owner and put yourself into the open marketplace, the chill of "what if something goes wrong?" likely leapt onto your back.
Happy entrepreneurs, however, acknowledge this fear factor, and use it to drive them to slay doubt and distrust in themselves. With risk comes reward and the opportunity to reach as-yet untapped resource within oneself.
For some of the happiest business owners, the confidence that comes from taking on risk is more rewarding than anything you can deposit into a bank account.
Trust in oneself is critical, it's crucial and it's so fully satisfying
They trust themselves
That leads to this critical happiness milestone: Trust in oneself is critical, it's crucial and it's so fully satisfying.
Some call it self-actualization, self-enlightenment or self-sustenance; whatever name you give to it, it's the point where you become completely comfortable in your own skin and in your own instincts and endeavors. You can trust your gut, so to speak, and you work—and play—with intention and resolution.
Sure, business matters may have a certain unpredictability and unevenness, but that's the nature of elements that the individual can't control. You can, however, trust that you'll do the right thing, each and every day, based on your ever-growing wiles and wisdom. That's trust in oneself. Try to keep from smiling when you realize that you've got it.
They give themselves a break
"Wait!" you say? "These aren't habits. They're philosophies; they're not activities I can perform each day, like a real habit." Sure they are.
Each one requires an action to reach happiness. Key to converting these "philosophies" into "habits" is the time taken to relax, reflect, and resolve to apply them to your daily thinking and activity. It's also necessary you take the time to assess your accomplishments and avoid fixating on some goal you have yet to realize.
Have you thought about how much closer you've gotten to your goals since starting this journey? You should. Happy entrepreneurs have learned to breath comfortable, to take in the totality of where they've been, where they're at now, and where they'd like to go next. You can, too. All you need do is resolve to start today and, in short order, it will all be habit for you, too.