Dealing with stress and facing your failures are a regular part of any career, especially if you’re a young entrepreneur. It’s perfectly normal to fail and nothing to be ashamed of. It’s an obstacle all successful people such as Steve Jobs and Richard Branson have had to face. On your journey to success, you’ll need to learn how to stay productive in spite of stress. Lacking focus means you could easily make the wrong decisions and sacrifice your efficiency.
1. They always ask for help
In his book “The Virgin Way”, Richard Branson says that you should ask numerous people about your idea before saying “We’ll give this one a miss,” or “Let’s do it.”
Many new entrepreneurs and business people make a big mistake when it comes to asking for help, because they think that they should do certain projects on their own. You simply cannot do everything on your own, however. You’re not an expert in every field – leave certain tasks to professionals. If you only rely on yourself, you’ll end up stressed out and won’t finish every task properly. All successful people hire experts in various fields in order to get certain jobs done right. This will help you stay productive and focused on your job, while guaranteeing that everything else will go according to plan.
Whether or not you are sure of something, always seek a second opinion (and even a third). However, make sure you ask the opinion of a professional and not a random person. That way, you won’t waste your time over-analyzing it and wondering if it’s a good decision or not.
2. They share their experience with other professionals and reflect on their past steps
“This is the key to life: the ability to reflect, the ability to know yourself, the ability to pause for a second before reacting automatically. If you can truly know yourself, you will begin the journey of transformation.” – Deepak Chopra
You’re probably asking yourself why you should share your experiences with others. The main reason is to get feedback from other experts, who will certainly share their stories with you as well. You’d be surprised how many of them went through the exact same things you did at the beginning of your career. This is a great way to learn something new, and to avoid making mistakes that someone before you already made.
Successful people tend to write blogs in order to vent their constant stress and pressure. By sharing your thoughts and even failures, you’ll not only get needed feedback, but also relieve some of the stress that has been piling up.
Likewise, when you document your story as an entrepreneur, it will be a lot easier to reflect on your previous experiences and learn something from it. Before you go to bed, evaluate your day and make sure you write everything down. At the end of the month, write a blog post to help you evaluate your month and assist other new entrepreneurs in their careers. This will also make you more productive, as you’ll be better able to reflect on your entire business journey.
3. They learn all the time
No matter how old you are or what job you are doing, learning is a lifelong process. Knowledge is a precious and powerful tool in business world. If you want to be successful, then follow this timeless advice from experts, and don’t forget to keep building your knowledge.
When you strive to keep learning new things, challenges will seem easier and decisions will come more quickly. If having a blog isn’t important for your business but is for you, then you’ll need to learn how to install WordPress and start your journey on this simple and elegant platform. Staying interested in new subjects will only help you stay on track in life, because there is no such thing as unnecessary knowledge. But remember: Don’t do someone else’s job! Always stay on top of your duties and know what results are expected of you.
4. They make their gadgets work for them
Gadgets are there to work for you and help you perform everyday tasks. You need to learn how to make the best of them and use them properly. Having a quality smartphone enables you to do much more than just tweeting, posting, and taking photos. Use your phone to make a detailed schedule and organize yourself.
Moreover, instead of going to the bank or using a laptop, you can download your bank app and manage your transactions easily and quickly. There are many applications for both smartphones and computers that save you a lot of time, so learn to use them to your an advantage.
You can even receive your phone notifications on a computer. If you’re in an office or working on a laptop, it is a lot easier to manage your bank account, schedule, and e-mails if your notifications are sent directly to your PC.
5. They know what motivates them and keeps them going
“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” – Lou Holtz
In order to stay stress-free and stay productive, you definitely need to find out what keeps you motivated. Some are driven by the end goal, whereas some people just cannot cope with huge problems and find their motivation in simple things.
No one can tell you what will motivate you to keep going, but you need to find out by yourself by not giving up. Walt Disney was told that he had lacked imagination and was fired over it, but that did not stop him. Later he started many other businesses that ended in bankruptcy. However, he eventually found the right way. Most importantly, he didn’t give up; he was motivated during the whole journey to keep on going and didn’t stop.
Motivation plays a huge role in everything you do, so whatever you feel will motivate you and make you happy at that moment – do it.
6. They clearly separate their work and personal life
Many people dedicate their whole life to their career and success. However, there has to be a clear distinction between personal and business life. The fact is that you cannot be productive the entire day, and you won’t finish all of your tasks successfully if you work on them all the time. You need to establish clear working hours and not needlessly work overtime.
When you set clear working hours, you invest most your energy during that time on your projects. Working all day long, on the other hand, won’t get you anywhere. You will only be tired, stressed out, and unprepared for the next day. In order to be productive, you also need to be happy, and there is no better way to be happy than spending the other half of your day with your family and friends.
Moreover, the best ideas come to mind at a time when you aren’t thinking about them. Don’t let your personal life suffer – have fun with your family, travel, and enjoy your hobbies.
7. They relax and stay calm
“The idea is that one’s temperament improves with age; that you learn to deal better with people and become more benevolent and loving. That’s not necessarily true. I try to stay loose, but sometimes the best thing to do is get yourself away and take a good nap.” – Robert Duvall
It’s extremely important to learn how to relax and dispel negative thoughts. Some people need a physical activity such as jogging or the gym in order to blow off some steam. On the other hand, some people enjoy doing yoga in order to achieve their desired state of mind. However, all of us need to learn how to relax and take a deep breath while at work. If you’re stressed out, it’s less likely that you’ll be productive, so you need to learn how to cope with stressful situations in order to stay focused.
