Being a Successful Entrepreneur and BEING Happy?  Is it Possible?

You might think that success and happiness go together, but the truth is that many people struggle with finding happiness, once they’ve reached their goals – or while they’re pushing their way there.

So, can you be a successful entrepreneur, while being happy? The short answer is: yes! The first thing you need to learn is not to focus too much on your goal, but instead pursue your drive and motivation. This will automatically help you feel content and happy with yourself, without feeling overworked. The best advice you can be given is to love the practice of working – learn to love the struggles and challenges, instead of fearing them, or seeing them as obstacles between you and your goals.

Keeping yourself healthy/ keeping yourself happy should be major concerns for any entrepreneur as happiness will keep you productive and ensure a longer career.

Here are my 5 top secrets to being a successful entrepreneur and being happy:

1. Give Back

Just because you’re a successful entrepreneur it doesn’t mean that you need to keep all of the money for yourself. Donate money when possible and see what you can do to help your local community. While most entrepreneurs hold onto their money to make sure that their business can keep going, giving just a small percentage of it can make you feel appreciated in the community.  Also, I am 100% believer in money flows.  Meaning, if you hold onto your money so tight, there is no way more money can flow your way.  I have found 110% of the time…when I give money, I get back more money shortly!  Try it!

2. Take Time for You and Your Family

Overworking yourself as an entrepreneur can lead to burnout very quickly, it is a huge risk to your own physical and mental health to work a super long work week of 60 to 100 hours and spend time away from your family to get tasks completed. Don’t be afraid to take breaks whether it is a long weekend vacation or just a few 10 min. breathers throughout the day to call your family or friends.

I recently posted a story called “5 Decisions You Will Regret Forever” with Bronnie Ware, a palliative care nurse, working exclusively with people who were 3 to 12 months from death. She made a habit of asking them about their greatest regrets, and she heard the same five regrets time and time again. By studying these regrets, you can make certain that you make good choices and don’t fall victim to them yourself.

Guess what one of the top regrets were: They wish they hadn’t worked so hard.

3. Delegate to Trusted Professionals

When you can hire people in your company that you can really count on you know that it will be easier to take breaks. You can also be far less stressed about day-to-day operations when someone extremely qualified can complete tasks for you.

In today’s world, there are so many options to outsource to professionals for very little expense.  upwork.com, elance.com, fiverr.com, and many more.

Try it for a small project.  Website design.  Facebook banner or cover.  Business card design.  And so much more….

4. Remember That Failure is a Part of Business

It can be really easy to get stressed when you face failure, try not to dwell too long on failures and don’t let them overcome you. Try to keep a positive attitude in entrepreneurship and remember that failure will happen but it is what you take away from failure that will improve your business for the future.

Fail Forward.  Meaning, make tons of failures as these move you forward in growth.  100% of successful people have made mistakes and had failures.  This is knowledge that helps you growth and become that much more valuable to others.  Mistakes also build character.  They shape your lives into who you want to become.

5. Say No When You Have Too

Taking on more than you are equipped to handle can be a big risk in entrepreneurship. If you have to refuse a particular job because you don’t have the resources or time to complete it, don’t be afraid to.

This is a really big one for me when I thought of how to be successful AND happy.  I know so many super successful executives that are super depressed and unhappy.  How?  They have so much money, influence, power, friends, blah, blah, blah but they have no time.  You can’t get back time. When you are always overbooked and overworked…you lose the ability to enjoy life.  I love to say “yes” but I have also learned to say “no” when it does not serve my mission and takes me off course to reaching my goals.

In an article by Kimanzi Constable titled “4 Happiness Myths That Make It Impossible To Actually BE Happy“.

I found it very interesting to see how many people self sabotage and don’t believe in “happiness”, or that happiness isn’t accessible to them.

This is an insert from Kimanzi’s article:

Here are a few of the myths that might be holding you back.

1. Happiness is a destination.

I always thought of happiness as a finish line. I thought it started with working on my major life goals, and when I accomplished them, I would “reach” happiness. Beginning to explore the idea of happiness in literature and with people wiser than I, I began to accept that happiness is not dependent on circumstance. It’s dependent on mindset.

You don’t have to achieve your biggest goals and dreams before you can be happy. The journey to those achievements is filled with opportunities for joy. Life doesn’t always play fair. It might have dealt you a tough hand. But that isn’t a barrier to happiness. It’s an opportunity to adjust your attitude and find satisfaction in the slivers of light that shine so much more brightly in the dark. Nothing is more satisfying than enjoying happiness after every punch you take.

2. You can be happy without money.

For a large portion of my life, I’ve been broke. Correction: more than broke. I owed money to family, friends, and companies and was constantly stressed about how I was going to pay the bills.

In 2012, I started a lifestyle business. I write, speak, and consult. The business grew and allowed me to pay off all my debt. With the debt paid off and enough money to live comfortably, I learned that although money doesn’t lead to happiness, it IS a part of the happiness equation.

You can’t enjoy the little things when you’re constantly stressed about having enough money to pay your bills. You don’t need to be a millionaire or even make six figures, but you do have to have enough money to free yourself from financial stress. Liberating yourself from worry is crucial to lasting happiness.

3. Your relationships don’t determine your happiness.

Love is one of life’s most exquisite gifts. But it can break your heart. I have experienced both. I was convinced that I could be happy despite everything inside of me screaming in pain from lost love. I was wrong.

It’s important to end any toxic relationships and embrace the ones that make your life better. Get honest with yourself about the relationships in your life. If they make you unhappy more often than they make you happy, it might be time to reassess their value.

4. I, personally, cannot be happy because…

I could insert hundreds of reasons I thought happiness was out of reach — the abuse, the lack of education, the series of disheartening jobs — they all painted a picture that happiness just wasn’t in the cards for me.

Your beliefs directly affect your decisions and actions. If you don’t believe happiness is possible for you, trying to make choices that lead to happiness will seem ridiculous.

Happiness starts in your mind and manifests in your actions. Don’t let self-limiting beliefs convince you that you can’t have what you want. You can be happy.

Happiness is a decision you can make right now. You can wake up each day determined to choose happiness and do the work to make happiness your reality.

You have a choice everyday you wake up, everyday!  You can be happy or unhappy.  Whichever you choose, your right.  It all starts with you.

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