Starting your own online business is a lot like a long journey. You will need perseverance, stamina, and some faith, and you will reach your goals. But lots of people burn up all of their energy right out of the starting gate. Have you ever gotten really excited about a business idea or an online mentor, thrown a lot of money at it, and then never done anything or really learned anything from it? There is a lot to be said for making small changes in your life that snowball over time into success. (For those of you following Joel Comm\’s Project Fit, this concept might sound familiar.) Think of it as sustainable entrepreneurship. Here are some ideas for how to go about making some micro-changes to your daily habits that have the potential to build up to the success you dream of over time:
Scheduling
Make a list of three scheduling changes that would have the power to revolutionize your business if you did them on a daily basis. Ideally these would be minor changes that wouldn\’t take up too much time, but their effect after a year would be substantial. Examples could include small pockets of exercise (to increase your energy and motivation), changes in the way you eat (ditto), taking a potential client to lunch once a week, making one phone call a day to a prospect, etc.
Spending /Saving
Think about your money and financial goals and how they affect your business. Do you need to rein in your spending? Think of small ways you could change your behavior that could have a major impact on an aspect of your business. You could, for example, give up that daily latte that you don\’t get much joy out of anyway, and at the end of the month you would have enough extra money for a small AdWords campaign. Conversely, you could commit to spending a certain small sum (for starters) on getting the word out about your business each week or month, and see what it brings you by the end of the year.
Social Habits
There are probably changes you could make in your social habits both online and offline that could have a major impact on your business. You could decide to attend at least one business mixer / meet-up per month, you could make a habit of participating in online forums and chat rooms related to your business topic, or you could take the time each day to brainstorm unique social media strategies and campaigns.
Becoming an entrepreneur, just like losing weight or becoming fit, is not something that is going to happen overnight if you have been living a totally different life. But it can happen by making small but important changes in your life and sticking to them over time.