These Good Habits Will Positively Shape Your Business
If you’re running a small business, it can be easy to get in a rut and keep on repeating the same bad habits over and over. This not only harms your relationship with your customers and reduces your income, it can hamper your productivity too. In this article we look at the habits you need to make sure you repeat.
It can be easy to fall into bad habits in business. These include:
- Spending beyond what your budget decrees
- Becoming lazy and complacent in your business practices
- Working too little or working too hard
- Assuming you are always right
- Engaging in activities that ruin productivity (hello Facebook!)
Instead of falling into bad habits, make it a practice to follow good habits instead. You may need to force yourself into them, but like any habit, they will become second nature after a while. Consider the following as examples.
Get out of bed early
Lying in bed past your alarm clock could sabotage your day (you will feel overtired for one), so make it a habit to go to bed at a decent time, and in turn get up at a respectable hour. You will have more time to eat breakfast, partake in a little exercise, and be in less of a rush when it comes to sorting out the tasks on your work timetable.
Set daily goals
Rather than going through your day aimlessly, clearly set out what you need to do in advance. This way, you will be less likely to waste your time on something that isn’t a priority activity, and you will have short-term targets to focus on during the day.
You Might Also Like: Free Download: Goal & Habit Tracker
Be honest and true
Dishonesty is a terrible habit to get into, so focus on the opposite. By being honest in everything you do, whether it’s talking to others or organizing your taxes, you will earn the reputation of having a trustworthy business. The alternative will prove very detrimental.
Set learning targets
No matter how far you have come in business, you should never stop learning. Each day, week, and year, set yourself learning targets; finding those opportunities that will brush up on your skills and help you deal with your weaknesses. From listening to TED talks to taking online courses (such as the online masters in accounting and finance if money is a weak point), better yourself and in turn, better your business.
Keep a journal
Aside from any personal journal you may keep, work on something that is reflective of your time in business. Jot down the things you have learned each day, chronicle your experiences, make a note of things that have gone well and things that have gone badly, and offer yourself some self-feedback. Whether you act on your journal entries now or in months to come, this is a good habit to fall into when you are trying to gain some perspective of your working life.
Give yourself a break
We all need a break, but you may need to force these into your working day. This is especially true if you’re guilty of working too hard. So, give yourself a couple of breaks during the day; time where you can fully rest your busy mind. Then leave your work at the door when you have done for the day. Life goes on outside the office walls, and there are far more interesting things to do than taking your work home with you.
It’s wiser to focus on doing those things that will benefit rather than hinder our business, so get into the habit of following good practices today. And if you know of any other good habits worth adhering too? Be sure to let us know.