Inspiration

How to Stay Focused as an Entrepreneur

How to Stay Focused as an Entrepreneur

Inspiration, Reflections

Entrepreneurs know how to get things done. However, the ongoing flow of creativity and innovation that comes with running a business can get overwhelming. There are constant distractions and demands. Essentially, this can be a challenge. As a client described recently “I’m working all day but don’t feel that I’m getting anywhere.” Given that, here is how to stay focused as an entrepreneur.

But first, know thyself

Although it’s helpful to get inspired by stories from successful CEOs, know thyself. What works for one person may not fit your lifestyle, or priorities. For example, advice to get up at 5am to eat that frog may not work for you. Because your business hours means your bedtime is 1am. Or you are a night owl, and do your best work in the evening hours. Therefore, the most important thing is to know your own cycle and routines, and adjust accordingly to make these strategies work for you.

1. Stay fit and healthy

Nothing boosts focus like wellness. Exercise boosts endorphins. And when we are dehydrated, brain function declines. Staying fit and healthy ensures that you are focused, and not foggy. So get lots of sleep, eat well, and move every day. This optimizes your health and boosts your ability to focus.

How to Stay Focused as an Entrepreneur

2. Streamline workflows

Next, take a look at all your communication channels and organizing tools. Look for ways to simplify and streamline. For example, say there is one software to monitor projects with contractors, and another platform for staff. Flipping between platforms, emails, and lists is time wasted. More importantly, it’s hard to focus when there are so many sources of information coming at you. So streamline workflows. Consolidate lists and project planning into one method. 

3. Be realistic

Though to-do lists are valuable, they do have downsides. When Monday is stacked with dozens of tasks that can’t be possibly done in one day, it’s easy to get off track.  Because then the schedule on Tuesday is overflowing with unfinished Monday tasks. And so on and so on, all through the week. This is overwhelming, and stressful. Subsequently, focus is pulled to the weight of the task list and the lack of clarity. Which takes away from actually getting things done.

This is one strategy for how to stay focused as an entrepreneur. Be realistic about the time available each day, and the time required to complete tasks. It is better to set 2-3 goals for the week. This gives your brain less to think about, which increases focus.

4. Be structured

Generally, entrepreneurs work on 4 groups of tasks: operational, tactical, administrative, and strategic.

Clearly, it’s necessary to manage clients, staff, and suppliers. But without a structured schedule, this can consume the whole workday. For example, a client told me he jumps onto email at 8am. By the time he wraps up delegating, responding, and directing operational and administrative tasks, it’s 2pm. And he is tired, with no energy to do the projects required to execute strategies to grow his business.

So create a space in your schedule to focus on the projects, planning, and decision making that matter to you. Make the time to have the time to dedicate to working on your business.

5. Eliminate distractions

Obviously, distractions break our focus. But you may be surprised at the small distractions which are getting in the way of being highly productive. So when you head into a block of focused work time, turn off notifications on phones and laptops.

  • Mark the time in your calendar and tell family and staff that you are working.
  • Be in a place where you won’t be interrupted.
  • If you can’t get that at home or in the office, find somewhere else. Go to a coffee shop or library.

My favourite way to block time and create space to focus is to join a FlowClub session. Then I’m online with people from around the world who are also looking to clear distractions and focus on tasks. There are sessions all day, every day.

Also, there are options to personalize the experience. Choose from a pomodoro format that builds in breaks, which is known to boost focus. Pick time blocks of 60, 90, 120, or 180 minutes.

6. Stop multitasking

We’ve all done it – thinking that we’ll get stuff done faster if we do them together. You may have heard that science says otherwise. Studies show that multitasking tires the brain and leads to more mistakes. Actually, multitasking just dilutes the brain’s ability to concentrate. Juggling many tasks at once does not allow for full focus and attention.

Conclusion

It takes effort to change habits and routines. Streamlining workflows and consolidating productivity tools takes time. But these are important strategies for how to stay focused as an entrepreneur. In the long term, it will allow you to be more effective and reach your goals faster. For a real game changer, check out Flow Club. Enjoy space to focus and a sense of community from accountability partners. I’m there most days, and I even host sessions. Come join me in the Flow!

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How Subliminal Affirmations Can Help Entrepreneurs

How Subliminal Affirmations Can Help Entrepreneurs

Inspiration, Leadership

It’s not woo-woo. If you think affirmations in general, or subliminal affirmations in particular, are in the outer edges of reality, prepare to be surprised.

Subliminals have a long history of use in marketing, and many scientific studies have validated their effectiveness. Positive thinking and affirmations have the power to transform thought patterns, lower stress, improve health.

Most importantly for business owners, it also increases productivity, critical thinking, and decision making. Many top performers in sports and business use affirmations. As Jennifer Lopez says, “your thoughts create your life”, and subliminal affirmations can help entrepreneurs achieve the mindset and confidence to succeed.

What are affirmations?

First, let’s clarify what I mean by affirmations. Affirmations are really just statements, or sentences, that are used to reinforce a message. Affirmations are meant to be empowering and encouraging. These can be general, like “I am successful” or “I have what it takes”. They can also be very specific, to address whatever challenge an individual is facing. So if there is some public speaking coming up, then a good affirmation is “I am capable of speaking in front of an audience and what I have to say is valuable.”

I will resist the urge to share the whole backstory of positive affirmations – which is tough for me, because I am a history geek. What is important to know is that this isn’t new, or New Age. Many people first learned about positive thinking in 2006 with the explosive popularity of “The Secret” documentary about the law of attraction. But 50 years earlier, Earl Nightingale recorded an essay called The Strangest Secret about the “truth” that “we become what we think about”. Fun fact – this album is the first to reach Gold status by selling over a million copies. Even earlier, Napoleon Hill published “Think and Grow Rich” in 1937. The power of positive thinking has ancient roots, seemingly discovered anew by each generation.

The Power of Positive Thinking

The books I mention above are just a few of the countless ones written over the years about the power of positive thinking. Many share anecdotal stories of high achieving individuals who credit affirmations for their success. 

Mindset doesn’t just impact productivity and creates success in business – it makes a difference to our physical health. Studies at Johns Hopkins in the US show that among people most at risk for heart disease, those with a positive outlook are 13% less likely to have a heart attack. In fact, there is a growing body of science supporting the link between our internal dialogue and outlook, with brain function and physical health. 

The most successful entrepreneurs I know are optimistic. It’s part of the job description.

Caterina Fake

Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life because you become what you believe.

Oprah Winfrey

Whether you think you can or you can’t, you are right.

Henry Ford

Positivity breeds positivity.

Richard Branson

What are Subliminals?

Subliminals are messages directed for our unconscious mind to absorb. These may be a single image included in a video which our eyes don’t see, but the brain detects. Most commonly, subliminals are communicated through sound. Though the conscious brain hears music or nature sounds, the unconscious brain picks up messages being spoken in the background. This allows the information to bypass the logical, rational mind and access a deeper part of our brain processes. 

So subliminal affirmations are positive messages that are in the background, masked by music or some other soundtrack. But your brain is capable of absorbing the information, which makes this a powerful and effective way to transform attitude and outlook.

How Subliminal Affirmations Can Help Entrepreneurs

How Subliminal Affirmations Can Help Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship can be lonely and isolating. Carrying all the responsibility and financial risk is a weight that can easily take its toll on our energy level. Which is why maintaining good health through self care, nutrition, and exercise must be a priority for every entrepreneur. But being fit and having vitality doesn’t mean that there are no doubts or insecurities. Being a business owner means dealing with many challenges, problems, and complaints. These carry their own weight and easily create uncertainty and indecision. This is how subliminal affirmations can help entrepreneurs. It is a passive way to transform our inner dialogue and support a healthy outlook. 

Are you a new entrepreneur? This affirmation is designed for you

5 Ideas for Using Subliminal Affirmations

Listening to subliminal affirmations on a regular basis can help guide thinking towards a positive mindset. Repetition is key. After all, you don’t expect to get fit after one visit to the gym. And you don’t learn a new skill by doing it once. So with consistency, over time, subliminal affirmations can transform your mindset. Here are 5 ideas for how to incorporate this into your daily routine.

Don’t listen while driving! These can have a very relaxing effect, and you want to be fully alert when behind the wheel.

  1. Listen while falling asleep
  2. Use headphones and listen when walking outside or on treadmill
  3. Play in the background while working
  4. Listen during touring tasks like dishes, meal prep, laundry
  5. Include in a mindfulness or meditation practise

Conclusion

There are no absolutes in this world. Yes, positive thinking is powerful, and it works. Subliminal affirmations are effective for helping to align the internal dialogue of our brains to the goals and actions we want to achieve. But the reality is that we all have crap days. And affirmations can’t erase challenges to our physical and mental health. Nutrition, sleep, and other aspects of self-care are critical for everyone – especially entrepreneurs who have big plans for their business. 

Want to improve your business? Listen to this to level up your mindset.

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The benefit of joining an entrepreneurship organization

Joining an entrepreneurship organization

Inspiration, Operations

It takes a special kind of person to be a business owner. Owning and managing a business needs the right mindset, commitment, and a deep passion. Studies show that business owners are at higher risk for entrepreneur loneliness, stress, and burnout. Being part of a supportive community protects against these downsides of being an entrepreneur. This is the benefit of joining an entrepreneurship organization. Read on to understand what these are, how to find them, and the benefits of being a member.

This post may contain affiliate links. I will receive a small commission if you use these links, at no additional cost to you. For the full disclosure, visit this page.

What are entrepreneurship organizations?

It’s like a club, but only for business owners. They are generally designed to provide entrepreneurs with support, communication, education, and networking. These can be very broad, or segmented. For example, an entrepreneurship organization may be very local or regional, just for people living in a specific geographic area. Or, a group may only accept members based on certain criteria. Perhaps the group is just for women. Or members must have been in business for a certain number of years, or have reached a threshold of annual revenue.

Why join an entrepreneurship organization?

If you are still wondering if it’s worth it, here are the 4 top benefits joining an entrepreneurship organization.

1. Networking

Connect with people who share common ground. Maybe they are in the same sector but in a different geographic market, so you can freely share tips and ideas. Or they are a provider or supplier with expertise that your organization needs. At the very least, you have entrepreneurship in common. Also, networking develops relationships and connections, which creates business opportunities and growth experiences.

2. Mentorship

Many entrepreneurship organizations have structured mentorship programs. This could be a set number of meetings with a mentor selected for you, based on their experience and background. In addition, there may be informal guidance programs to help members start, grow, and scale. Also, being introduced to a mentor who can steer you through the challenges you face is a key benefit of joining an entrepreneurship organization. 

3. Education

Education is key at every stage of growing and managing a business. Obviously, books are helpful to build skills and grasp new concepts. Additionally, workshops, keynotes, and conferences are valuable opportunities to learn and grow as an entrepreneur. Many entrepreneurship organizations offer education programs to showcase the expertise of members and develop the skills of the whole community. 

4. Money

Certainly, businesses need access to more money at some stage. Some entrepreneurship organizations facilitate introductions to government grants, loans, or venture capital investors. 

How to find an entrepreneurship organization

Although social media and Google can help find an entrepreneurship organization, here is a list of groups to consider to help you get started. 

Entrepreneurs Organization

The EO calls itself the world’s only peer-to-peer network exclusively for entrepreneurs. Their mission is to transform the lives of those who transform the world.

Federation of Small Businesses

This UK organization is dedicated to supporting small businesses achieve their goals. They offer advice, financial planning expertise, support, and advocacy. 

National Small Business Association

For American small businesses, this entrepreneurship organization provides access to services, benefits, and resources. 

US Small Business Administration

With a focus on providing access to loans and grants, the SBA is dedicated to supporting small businesses as they start and grow. 

British Organization of Women Entrepreneurs

This UK organization is a member of the international FCEM, which has 5 million members in over 120 countries. Founded back in 1945, they are dedicated to connect entrepreneurial women for solidarity, friendship, and education. The organization in the USA calls itself a one-stop resource for women business owners. 

Young Entrepreneur Council

The tagline of this group is “Driven by ambition. Empowered by community.” They take a holistic approach to provide its members with skillbuilding and support both professionally and personally. 

Startup Grind

This organization is for the global startup community. They have chapters in 600 cities across 125 countries. Their goal is to give startups education, opportunities, and access to the resources that will support their growth. 

BNI

Business Networking International provides weekly networking without competition. Each chapter allows only one member per category of business. This provides a wider range of networking opportunities and ensures that all referrals for your product or service will flow to you.

It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.

Napoleon Hill Tweet

Conclusion

Overall, business owners can expect many benefits from joining an entrepreneurship organization. As shown above, it creates opportunities to access  information, ideas, support, and funding. Therefore, the return on the investment of time and money is well worth it. Furthermore, being part of a community of like-minded people can build friendships, networking and business opportunities. 

 

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