Top 5 Habits For Business Success in 2012

January 13th, 2012

As an entrepreneur you probably know better than to fall into the trap of setting resolutions. You are thinking bigger than that and planning out what you will accomplish in the new year. Goals and step by step actions are the mindset you have here at the start of 2012. Good habits are always in style, but with a focus on business success, here are my top 5 picks for the best habits to have in the new year.

#1 Stay focused on a priority project. I am sure you have plenty on your list of goals and accomplishments, but in order to excel in the achievement department, my experience has shown that you’ll move forward in a much bigger way if you focus on one priority at a time. Focus diligently and keep it in front of you everyday until you accomplish it. When it is complete you can bring a new project into your priority status. When you have a few larger projects that will take more than 90 days to complete, you may want to break down the milestones into smaller mini projects.

#2 Celebrate every success, both big and small. As entrepreneurs we are much harder on ourselves because we know what we are really capable of. By logging each and every success or win throughout the year you will be able to see ‘in writing’ that you have had many great days and productive weeks. This ongoing list is an excellent source of confidence and can do a great deal to encourage you with ongoing momentum to push forward. Keep you wins and the milestone successes close by, as a word document or in a dominant notebook.

#3 The third good habit of business success in 2012 is to surround yourself with positive people who are thinking big and taking action to improve their business and their lives. You can’t really get away from family or close friends who swing more on the negative side of the fence, but you can control the conversations you have with those people. You also can choose to spend more time with people who support and encourage you to take action on your ideas instead of just letting you talk. If you need to meet and bring new people into your life than seek out online and offline groups where you can meet some like minded people.

#4 Double D attitudes, discipline and determination, are the dual power that can make or break your business success in 2012. Self discipline is the action that supports you to do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done. Determination is the drive and commitment that helps you keep your eye on the prize (end result) so you don’t get too far off track when you know exactly what it is you want to accomplish. Determination and discipline are the attitudes you want to bring with you to the game, every single time! Are you ready to bring it and play big?

#5 This one is really important, but more times than not it falls to the back burner. The 5th habit is about balance between business success and living the life style you imagined your business success would bring. We often put our heads down and work our butts off to get ahead and before we know it, the day is over, the week has ended or it is another new month (already!?)! There are certain lifestyle elements that you dream of and before another daydream gets put off with the justification of ‘someday’, think about how you can bring some of those ‘someday ideas’ into the present. What would that look like? Would it include more downtime, travel, time with friends & family, giving back, moving to the country or city?

I wish you a very happy and successful new year. A big part of that is just being clear what that even looks like. After you have a clear vision, these habits will help you to keep moving forward!