Good habits to adopt as a one man band

You’re a busy entrepreneur and you work hard driving your business. You attend networking events, send emails and do the client work. You invoice and you chase late payers. Everything is down to you.

The success or failure of your business depends on what you put into it. And it may sometimes having 100% motivation may feel hard.

But there are ways to tackle this feeling! Adopting good habits can help to put you in the best possible mindset, helping you to feel positive.

So how do you go about achieving that sense of balance as an entrepreneur, so you are performing well day in, day out?

We’ve put together some top tips to help you feel happy and confident in yourself.

Write down your goals

Sometimes it can be easy to lose sight of why you are doing what you are doing. Why not take the opportunity to write down the goals that you have for your business?

Make sure you find time to look at them regularly to help keep your head in the game. This will remind you of your mission and give you focus, so that everything that you are doing contributes towards fulfilling your long term ambitions.

From this list of big ambitions you can create small tasks. This will ensure that every day you know what needs to be done, so that everything you are doing will contribute towards the bigger picture.

Getting enough exercise

Nothing helps create a positive mindset than doing daily exercise.

Try to find time in your day to do some exercise. Even just half an hour. NHS guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week. This doesn’t need to be anything strenuous, it could be something as simple as a brisk walk or even a quick bike ride. 

You could try to walk as much as you can if it's close by. This may sound like a small thing, but it can actually help you achieve a much more positive mindset and help you work better.

Try to do something fun, that you enjoy. Is there a sport you like or a class you want to participate in? If so, why not take it up. See what goes on in your local community. Perhaps there is a running club or a kickboxing centre you could join.

Regular exercise has enormous benefits in terms of making you feel less tired and giving you a lot more energy. It will also help you have a clear head when conducting business and ensure that you will have a greater capacity to work more effectively. A healthy body equals a healthy mind.

Eating healthy

Exercising is great, but eating right is just as important. Think about it, you wouldn’t put the wrong type of fuel in your car and expect it to run well, would you? This is how you need to think about your diet.

We wouldn’t want to list the copious amounts of diets and eating plans that there are out there, but there are some things you can do that are simple.

Try swapping out unhealthy food for something better for you. For example, if you are partial to a full English every morning, why not just have eggs with some salad instead?

We would highly recommend looking at the NHS's advice about eating a balanced diet.

Listen to podcasts  

It can be difficult working on your own with no one to talk to if you're a sole trader. So why not listen to something to help give you inspiration?

Take a look at some podcasts. These are incredibly popular and a great way to engage your mind.

Perhaps you want podcasts that focus on generating ideas for your business? No problem. The internet is brimming with business podcasts, which could really help give you some inspiration.

We recommend having a look at Tony Robbins’s podcast, as well as Youpreneur - which is particularly good if you are trying to develop a brand.

Or maybe you want to zone out from business topics for a while? Podcasts can be a good way to get a breather. If that is the case, you’re in luck, as there are millions of podcasts out there covering every subject under the sun, from sports to entertainment.