"How can you be so happy all the time?" is a question I often get asked. Well, it's not that I'm happy ALL the time - but, I can say... most of the time. I believe that being, and feeling, happy is a habit.
We all know people who make "being miserable" a daily habit, right? That's not the way I choose to live my life nor is it the way I choose to run my business.
Here are my 7 Habits which lead to me being a happy entrepreneur. They can work for you, too - once you decide that you want them to!
1) MAKE A DECISION TO BE HAPPY.
Sounds simple, right? It is. Just make the decision to be happy. The mind cannot hold two conflicting thoughts at the same time - when you decide to be happy, you will find lots of reasons to support that feeling. In my opinion, choosing to be happy on a daily basis is a habit and it is one that has served me well.
2) BE GRATEFUL.
One of my "happy habits" is to write in my Gratitude Journal at the end of each day. I have been doing this for 17 years now and it has changed my life. We live in an abundant society - and I see that we take many things for granted. Once you develop the habit of writing down 5 things for which you are grateful at the end of each day, it also becomes a habit that, throughout the day, you become very conscious of what is around you so that you DO have 5 things to write down. Get yourself a journal today and begin this habit. It will change everything for you. When I was in Africa recently, on a mentoring mission to work with women entrepreneurs, these women were extremely grateful to have a pencil and piece of paper on which to write. What business tools do you have that you take for granted each day? Become grateful for that which surrounds us in abundance so that you can run your business. Start with the simple things.
3) EXERCISE DAILY.
Running a business can be stressful. It's not always easy. There are ways of managing this stress - and keeping your happiness levels high each day. I simply begin my day with exercise. It changes my attitude and the way I approach the day. I feel in control. I feel good. I feel happy - and that's the emotion and energy I take into my business day. It makes a huge difference - you can do this, too. Keep it simple, again, and begin with just 15 minutes a day. On work days, in the winter, I work out in my home - with a DVD. On weekends, you can find me outside on x-country ski trails. In summer, I am out on my bike or, when working from home (when I'm not travelling), I take a quick hike around the block at noon just so that I change my environment, get some fresh air and change perspective. It makes me happy and more productive.
4) BE AROUND HAPPY PEOPLE.
Happiness is contagious. Who do you spend your time with? Be very aware of the people you have around you - and ensure there is a high level of happiness. I really do believe there are 2 kinds of people in the world - the "glass half empty" and the "glass half full" kind of people. I choose happy people! You can, too.
5) LIVE WITH INTEGRITY.
As an entrepreneur, this is huge. Follow through on your commitments, pay your bills, do what you say you are going to do - delight your customers and your team. There are so many ways to increase your levels of happiness and it all begins not only with good habits, but with acting in integrity. This helps you to sleep at night - which, in turn, helps to increase levels of happiness.
6) TAKE RISKS.
Happy entrepreneurs "get in the game". They take risks. They try new things. We are all gifted in different ways - it's our responsibility to live our lives to the fullest which includes using our God-given talents and gifts. Happy entrepreneurs try new things all the time. It's fun. It's rewarding.
7) MAKE LOTS OF MONEY.
Happy entrepreneurs know how to make money. And they make lots of money. Money has power. Money touches everything. You can make such a huge difference in the world when you have money. There is nothing that makes me happier than sharing - much like when I was on that recent trip to Africa to mentor women entrepreneurs. If I had not made lots of money, I would never have had that experience. It changed my life! Making lots of money enables me to gift my friends, my family and my team. That makes me happy. Happy entrepreneurs are successful entrepreneurs running profitable businesses. Be one of them!
