There’s actually way more than 10 bad habits most of us could stand to rid ourselves of before embarking on our new lives as an entrepreneur.
But here’s 10 that are entirely indispensable if you’re planning to aspire toward something greater than where you’re currently at.
1. Resistance toward planning.
Hey, if you wanna be a fly-by-the-seat type, buy a Volkswagen and a surf board and find a beach to camp out at somewhere! Jim Rohn offers one of the most timeless quotes about the importance of planning. One that’s always resonated with me:
“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan.”
How can you argue with that kind of wisdom? It’s true, isn’t it?
2. Insistence on staying a hot-head.
There’s another type of bad personality trait that rhymes with hot-head that you should be getting rid of, but I digress. Hot-heads are reactionary types that can’t take the heat.
Either stay out of the kitchen or learn to stay cool and calm under pressure. Nobody will want to work for you and you’ll likely scare away customers, vendors and business partners before ever achieving the greatness you deserve.
3. Being a lazy communicator.
This includes a number of undesirable traits that any good entrepreneur can do without:
- Quiet talking — If people are always asking you to repeat yourself, you’re the problem (worse is when a quiet-talker is mixed with a hot-head!)
- Fast talking — Or “too fast talking”. Again, if people constantly ask you to repeat yourself or always have a bewildered look on their face, slow down!
- Interrupting — There’s few things more incessant than someone who doesn’t wait their turn. Communication becomes inefficient, misunderstandings occur often, and mistakes are sure to follow.
- Eyes up — No staring at the ground, or (ahem) any part of a person’s body that is considered inappropriate. Look people in the eyes at least 60% of the time spent talking to them.
- What else? Share your suggestions for being an awesome communicator in the comments.
4. Being a change-averse entrepreneur.
There’s a semi-famous cartoon character named Maxine who’s known for saying this: “Change is good, as long as I don’t have to do anything differently.” It’s a joke, of course. However, if that’s similar to your own life’s mantra or indicative of how you live your life it’s time to buck up, do a few stretches and allow flexibility into your life. Changes happen fast in business. Adapt or die!
5. Thinking time equals money in the linear sense.
The working man’s mentality is that an hour’s work equals an hour’s pay. You can’t think that way as an entrepreneur. Sometimes 8 hours is better than 12. Sometimes you just won’t be able to get out of the office for that golf game scheduled for early afternoon on Friday.
Take breaks when your brain / body gets tired, but also be willing to spend your weekend working when it’s needed. You’re leaving blue-collar life behind — don’t ever forget that!
6. Making excuses.
Whether it’s for being late, not getting done something on time, or even for why you’re wearing a funky outfit that day! The old saying goes “Excuses are like ____.” You know how to fill in the blank.
You don’t have time for excuses. Don’t accept them from others and don’t your own on yourself or others.
7. Procrastinating.
Obviously, procrastinating often leads to excuses. It definitely doesn’t ever lead to anything good. That is, unless you’re thinking about going across the street to get lunch — procrastinate for a few minutes — then learn a bomb just went off in the same building where the restaurant is located!
8. Thinking on the tough stuff too long.
This is another opportunity to offer you a classic Jim Rohn quotable:
“It doesn’t matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off. You cannot make progress without making decisions.”
Another, which I cannot attribute to any single person:
9. Being a YES man/woman.
You’ll quickly run out of time for your own stuff. You’ll also likely spend countless hours pursuing projects, leads and ideas that just aren’t worth the time they take away from your own endeavors.
10. Being a persistent multitasker.
If you’re an awesome multitasker, the FBI / CIA / NSA is looking for you! For the rest of us, doing more than a couple of tasks at the same time just doesn’t work. It’s counterproductive actually.
Main Image Credit: Alan Cleaver/Flickr