Entrepreneurs and small business owners are typically buried in demands and obligations, so learning to say “no” and focus on the right things is critically important.
Vickie Milazzo, an entrepreneur and author of “Wicked Success Is Inside Every Woman,” has some advice that could benefit just about anyone, not just women.
Milazzo emphasizes using your time wisely. You don’t achieve big goals overnight; you have to work at them every day, sometimes in small chunks. So commit to doing something every day toward your goal and reach it in stages.
Abandon perfectionism. When you get there, success may not look like what you expected, so adjust your expectations and definition of success along the way. We all have an idea of how success will look and feel when we get there, so your ability to be flexible and adjust your goals could get you to a place of success earlier than you otherwise might.
Find successful people to learn from and emulate. If you’re struggling to achieve a goal, you won’t learn much from someone else who is struggling to achieve that same goal. Look around for others who have achieved what you want and whose work you admire and model yourself after them.
Keep it fresh. Do you remember why you wanted the career you have? Tap back into the frame of mind you had when you were just starting out. Finding that passion again will renew your energy and engagement.
Finally, give yourself a break. If you stepped back and looked at your daily routine objectively, as if it were happening to your best friend, what would your advice be? Slow down? Take a few deep breaths? Spend a few moments enjoying the day?
Adapted from Successful Woman’s New Year’s Advice for Other Women: Stop ‘Enduring’ by Don Tennant at IT Business Edge. And send us your small business success tips!