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11 Things Successful Entrepreneurs Refuse To Do

Forbes Coaches Council
POST WRITTEN BY
Shane Barker

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Winston Churchill once said, "Success always demands a greater effort."

While the courage to continue is something that many of us lack at times, if you look at the journey of any successful entrepreneur, you’ll see that they have this immense courage.

It is this “never give up” attitude that is an essential quality of a successful entrepreneur. Come hell or high water, their passion always remains ignited. Even in the face of adversities or failure, they never quit.

In this article, we’ll take a look at 11 things every successful entrepreneur refuses to do. I hope these will help keep you motivated throughout your entrepreneurial journey too.

1. Give Up

Bouncing back from a failure or a setback may seem daunting to most of us. Repeated setbacks can completely discourage us from walking on that path again.

However, successful entrepreneurs aren’t scared of setbacks. In spite of repeated failures, they’re not afraid to keep going. Instead, they learn from their mistakes and use them to make improvements.

2. Be Arrogant

Truly successful entrepreneurs don’t let success get to their heads. Even when they are immensely successful and wealthy, they refuse to be arrogant.

Arrogance won't help you gain the love and respect of others. Humility, on the other hand, is appreciated and truly respected. Successful entrepreneurs understand the importance and value of humility and refuse to be arrogant.

3. Make Excuses

Successful entrepreneurs are self-aware. They completely understand their strengths and shortcomings, and they’ve done a thorough assessment of themselves.

They remain true to themselves and the people around them. If they make a mistake, they take full responsibility and work towards rectifying it. They don’t make excuses or pass the blame onto others.

4. Buy Into 'Perfection'

We all make plans. However, reality almost always turns out to be a little different than anticipated. Successful entrepreneurs don’t obsess over getting things done exactly as planned.

Instead, they understand real-world contingencies and are able to adapt accordingly. If you’re waiting to launch your product until it has reached that “perfect” state, the launch might never happen. Successful entrepreneurs refuse to wait for things to be perfect.

5. Please Everyone

Successful entrepreneurs realize that they cannot please everyone. There will always be people who are skeptical, critical or doubtful of your actions. However, there will be people who believe in you too.

Successful entrepreneurs don’t worry about pleasing everyone. They aren't scared of making a decision that might be frowned upon if they know it’s the right one.

6. Focus On What Others Think

Successful entrepreneurs are self-driven and motivated. They don’t look for encouragement or validation from others.

They don’t waste their time trying to change people’s perceptions about them or their actions. Regardless of whether people applaud them or don’t, they remain focused on their goals.

7. Hold Grudges

Someone once said that holding a grudge against someone allows them to live rent-free in your head. Holding grudges simply drains you of useful energy that might otherwise be put to better use.

Successful entrepreneurs realize that their mind space is limited. Hence, they only fill it with what truly matters and refuse to hold grudges.

8. Compromise On Values

Successful entrepreneurs never compromise their values for the sake of an easy win. They don’t believe in bending the rules when it comes to ethics and moral values.

They believe in doing business the right way. Even if it takes longer to achieve success, they never give up on their values or do anything unethical.

9. Be Serious All The Time

Successful entrepreneurs don’t believe in being serious all the time. A little light-hearted playfulness can make the work environment less stressful and more enjoyable for everyone.

Successful entrepreneurs realize the importance of unwinding. They know that it can make people more energized and motivated. Hence, they refuse to be always serious.

10. Benchmark Their Progress

Constant evaluation or benchmarking of your efforts and progress can do more harm than good. Everyone grows at their own pace.

Of course, you need to be aware of your competition and know what needs to be done to grow. But it’s completely futile to constantly evaluate yourself against your peers or competitors and their growth rates.

Hence, successful entrepreneurs refuse to constantly benchmark their success. Instead, they look at the big picture and concentrate on their goals.

11. Burn The Candle At Both Ends

Successful entrepreneurs realize the importance of taking care of their health. Hence, they avoid working so insanely hard that it exhausts them both physically and mentally.

They believe in recharging their batteries at the end of a workday by investing time in something relaxing. They also devote adequate time to sleep so that they wake up energized to face the new day.

For some of us, these habits may not come naturally. However, if you wish to be successful as an entrepreneur, you must develop them sooner than later. Not only will they help to diminish any negative thoughts or feelings, but they will also boost positivity so you’re completely motivated.

Can you think of any other things that successful entrepreneurs refuse to do? Let me know in the comments below.

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