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If you want to start a business, this 23-step guide can help.

These are the steps you need to come up with an idea and bring it to fruition, giving you the foundation you need to grow a thriving business. | SUCCESS

How to Start a Business in a Day

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How to Start a Business in a Day | SUCCESS

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Drew Hendricks is a business growth consultant.

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Drew Hendricks

Professional Growth

Professional Growth Archives

Professional Growth | SUCCESS | What Achievers Read

<p>So you’ve swerved onto the rumble strips along the road to your entrepreneurial dreams.</p>

<p>Welcome to the club.</p>

<p>The club includes just about every other member of the human race who has ever <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/10-easy-ways-to-start-something-great">started something brave and new</a>. In every entrepreneurial success story, there is a time, if not multiple times, when setbacks occurred, chances were taken and motivation was lost.</p>

<p>Think about Steve Jobs getting fired from his own company. Or Mark Zuckerberg dropping out of Harvard and moving to Silicon Valley on a whim. At least you’re in good company. At moments like these, it is important to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/4-steps-to-get-your-life-together-and-back-on-track">take the right steps to get yourself back on track</a>.</p>

<p class="rteindent1"><em>Related:</em> <strong><a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/3-pieces-of-advice-for-first-time-entrepreneurs">3 Pieces of Advice for First-Time Entrepreneurs</a></strong></p>

<p>Here are seven suggestions to keep yourself motivated:</p>

<h2><strong>1. Be mindful and restore yourself physically.</strong></h2>

<p>We tend to neglect our bodies when our minds are overwhelmed by stress. But keeping and <a href="https://www.toptal.com/remote/staying-healthy-while-working-remotely" target="_blank" rel="noopener">maintaining a regular health routine</a> is critical for entrepreneurs, especially when faced with challenges. Take a yoga class. Sit in a quiet room and meditate. Go for a jog near a body of water. The point is to do something to get your endorphins flowing, to clear your mind a bit and to re-energize yourself. As the saying goes, “Sometimes you have to slow down to speed up.” Take a moment for your health and it will <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/how-to-exponentially-improve-your-performance">pay dividends in the long run</a>.</p>

<h2><strong>2. Read fiction.</strong></h2>

<p>Step out of your world for an hour and read a good fiction book. As our society moves toward more bite-sized, digital content, <a href="https://www.lifehack.org/307436/7-benefits-reading-literary-fiction-you-may-not-know-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the benefits of fiction for entrepreneurs</a> are increasingly being recognized. After reading fiction, individuals tend to empathize better, demonstrate superior focus and learn to approach obstacles in new ways. Reading, similar to exercise, helps to replenish us in a seemingly counterintuitive manner. It helps us to step away for a moment, then approach our challenges more effectively. And you never know, the right reference to a client’s favorite character or novel just might close the deal one day.</p>

<h2><strong>3. Hear from leaders who have been through it.</strong></h2>

<p>There’s nothing quite like an inspirational I-did-it-and-you-can-too story. The entrepreneurial world is full of stories of tragedy and triumph that inspired great new businesses. Latch onto those stories and learn from them. Try out a few tips that <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/6-success-lessons-i-learned-from-the-streets">successful entrepreneurs who have overcome adversity</a> have tried when they were struggling. This could mean checking out the biography of one of these leaders or just browsing YouTube for their inspirational speeches and interviews. Learn from others’ experiences as much as you can in this moment to better your chance of success in the future.</p>

<h2><strong>4. Level up your approach with strategic reading.</strong></h2>

<p>If you read any two books during this time, check out <a href="https://www.amazon.com/What-Got-Here-Wont-There/dp/1401301304/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1473873626&amp;sr=1-1&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=eb93024985ad2442f4091f1a19d156b9" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>What Got You Here Won’t Get You There</em></a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Leadership-Executive-Strategies-Tough/dp/0446394599/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=e8e8456a0bf9e7dc763c3772b583c029" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Lincoln on Leadership</em></a>. The first is a great read on retooling one’s thinking as an entrepreneur and manager who must constantly evolve in a leadership role. The author, Marshall Goldsmith, writes on personal development as the key to better management. Again, focusing internally on changing behavior patterns is crucial to finding the means to overcome trying times and ultimately improve as an entrepreneur. The book on Abraham Lincoln emphasizes the powerful lessons of leadership to be gleaned from one of the most remarkable leaders in modern history. Talk about a leader who went through tough times!</p>

<h2><strong>5. Talk to your mentors.</strong></h2>

<p>People love giving advice, so take full advantage. Think of <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/10-ways-to-find-your-ideal-mentor">your network of mentors</a> as a personal board of directors who you can consistently reach out to in search of support and guidance. Some of them might even be able to offer material support in the form of investment, referrals and key introductions to influencers. Your mentors are an opportunity to expand your reach and broaden your thinking.</p>

<h2><strong>6. Write it out.</strong></h2>

<p>Whether it’s a blog or a personal journal, some of the most thoughtful leaders and entrepreneurs in the field <a href="https://hbr.org/2016/01/want-to-be-an-outstanding-leader-keep-a-journal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">keep a record of their experiences on the road to success</a>. Many of them turn these snippets into <a href="https://www.thegentlemansjournal.com/books-by-business-leaders/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best-selling novels</a> when they make it big—Bill Gates and Richard Branson, to name a few. At the very least, use writing as a way to process what you are going through, to strategize, and maybe even to build a following of peers who share ideas and support each other. Although it can be hard to find time for writing, schedule it into your workday (at least 15 minutes) because, in the end, it will add value.</p>

<h2><strong>7. Keep calm and do what you do.</strong></h2>

<p>Take this moment to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/do-these-5-things-to-actually-stick-to-your-goals">recalibrate your goals and stick to them</a>. The path to entrepreneurial success is never a straight one. It is a winding road full of thorns, thickets and all types of obstacles. That is part of the fun! But in the frenetic pace of an entrepreneur’s life, sometimes you will need to pause and reassess how you are approaching those micro-challenges.</p>

<p>Remember that you are where you are for a lot of good reasons. The success you seek ultimately lies within you. You’re just doing the work right now to let that even better version of yourself shine through. <em>You’ve got this.</em> Enjoy the ride.</p>

<p class="rteindent1"><em>Related:</em> <strong><a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/top-of-mind-what-does-it-take-to-be-a-successful-entrepreneur">Top of Mind: What Does It Take to Be a Successful Entrepreneur?</a></strong></p>


The success you seek ultimately lies within you.

The success you seek ultimately lies within you. | SUCCESS

7 Ways to Keep Yourself Motivated for Entrepreneurial Success

7 Ways to Keep Yourself Motivated for Entrepreneurial Success | SUCCESS

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5 Things Successful Entrepreneurs Do on the Weekends

If you’re like most people, you probably want to spend your Saturday and Sunday sleeping in, only to roll out of bed and onto the couch to veg out in front of a little mindless TV—but just until it’s time to change out of your sweats and into real clothes for dinner and a fun night of drinking. Right? Yeah, that’s most people, but not entrepreneurs.

They use their time a little more wisely—because they realize if they want to be successful, they have to go <em>do</em> something about it. Follow their lead and you can become more productive, too… even on a Saturday.

Here are five things successful entrepreneurs do on the weekends:

<strong>1. Wake up early.</strong>

Savvy entrepreneurs know that if they sleep in on Saturdays and Sundays, their sleep schedule will be thrown off for the rest of the week. They also know that the most productive hours of the day are usually in the morning—and if they have work to do this weekend and want time left over for some recreation, they have to set their alarm clock earlier.

Try <em>5:30 in the morning</em>. Twitter co-founder and Square CEO Jack Dorsey rises at 5:30 a.m. to go for a six-mile jog and then <a title="6 Tips to Be a Productive Procrastinator | SUCCESS.com" href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/6-tips-to-be-a-productive-procrastinator" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">catches up on any business he didn’t get to</a> during the workweek.

<strong>2. Indulge in exercise.</strong>

The only thing that entrepreneurs choose to indulge in on the weekend is exercise. Because they often don’t have the time to fit in a good workout Monday through Friday, the weekend is the perfect time for some much-needed cardio.

Even more efficient, make your exercise something recreational with the family. Activities like kayaking, hiking, biking and friendly sports skirmishes all help relieve some of the tension and monotony of the workweek.

<strong>3. Socialize and network at community events.</strong>

Human beings need social interaction to lead healthy, productive lifestyles, which is something entrepreneurs recognize. On the precious days when these successful people aren’t working, they take the time to interact with friends and family—or take the opportunity to meet someone new.

And the people truly seeking success never write off a bake sale, 5K, theater performance or arts fair as a silly waste of time. They see it as an opportunity to <a title="8 Ways to Expand Your Network Today | SUCCESS.com" href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/8-ways-to-expand-your-network-today" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">make connections</a> and grow their presence. Because there are always influential people to meet at these sorts of events, and a savvy entrepreneur will make the time to recognize and meet the people who make up a community.

<strong>4. Work on and outsource projects.</strong>

Quiet weekend mornings are an ideal time to make headway on some of your more important work projects, to pick up the slack on projects before the busyness of weekday life filters in.

“Focus on outsourcing projects so that you can enjoy the rest of your weekend,” Mabbly.com suggests. “<a title="7 Little-Known Benefits of Content Marketing | SUCCESS.com" href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/7-little-known-benefits-of-content-marketing" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SEO and social media interaction</a> that weren’t completed during the week can be outsourced to individuals or agencies that specialize in that kind of work.”

<strong>5. Pursue a passion.</strong>

<a title="Top of Mind: How Do You Wake Up Your Creative Side? | SUCCESS.com" href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/top-of-mind-how-do-you-wake-up-your-creative-side" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Exercising creativity</a> is one of the biggest secrets to maintaining a productive and successful lifestyle. The most efficacious of people will set aside some time for creative pursuits, like writing a novel or biography, enrolling in art classes or tinkering on old cars. Whatever the project is, it usually doesn’t involve work. It’s just a healthy hobby that feeds the passion and creativity entrepreneurs use throughout their workweek to reach the top.

Leisure time is a precious commodity for successful people, and if you’re willing to use it the right way, it will lead to a healthy balance between success and recreation.

So, <em>what are you doing this weekend?</em>

<a title="4 Secrets of Insanely Successful People | SUCCESS.com" href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/4-secrets-of-insanely-successful-people" target="_self" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Check out 4 secrets of insanely successful people (or are their habits not-so-secret)?</strong></a>

If you’re like most people, you probably want to spend your Saturday and Sunday sleeping in, only to roll out of bed and onto the couch to veg out in

If you’re like most people, you probably want to spend your Saturday and Sunday sleeping in, only to roll out of bed and onto the couch to veg out in | SUCCESS

5 Things Successful Entrepreneurs Do on the Weekends | SUCCESS

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Personal Development

Personal Development Archives

Personal Development | SUCCESS | What Achievers Read

<p>You use other people to gauge your success, or failure. We all do it—compare ourselves to other, maybe more successful, people. Without seeing what others around you have achieved, how else would you know what’s possible, right? But as you progress in your career, that benchmark effect can actually lead to professional jealousy, which can hamper <em>your own</em> success and lead to unnecessary stress if you let it build.</p>

<p>So it’s important to acknowledge jealous feelings, because the time and energy you expend worrying about what others are doing could (and should) be put into <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/my-top-10-the-best-career-advice-ive-received" target="_blank" title="My Top 10: The Best Career Advice I've Received | SUCCESS.com" rel="noopener">building your own career</a>, your own business, instead.</p>

<p>You can take steps to recognize and reduce professional jealousy. Try these four:</p>

<h2><strong>1. See the full picture.</strong></h2>

<p>Pastor and author Steven Furtick once said, “The reason we <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/the-business-of-self-esteem" target="_blank" title="The Business of Self-Esteem | SUCCESS.com" rel="noopener">struggle with insecurity</a> is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.” This is especially true in a social media-driven era where everyone boasts about their accomplishments without revealing the details behind them. That award your competitor brags about winning might have been handed over by a friend. The major successes you see other entrepreneurs achieving likely came after years of failure, none of which they tweet about.</p>

<p>When you find yourself feeling envious of someone else’s successes, reread your own biography or scroll through your social media feeds. Consider how your own successes might look to someone else and congratulate yourself on all your achievements. It’s easy to forget how much you’ve accomplished when you’re constantly working toward your next goal.</p>

<h2><strong>2. Congratulate them.</strong></h2>

<p>You might notice that as your colleagues achieve great things, their circle of true friends tends to diminish. The number of congratulatory responses to their tweets will probably dwindle as the awards, funding rounds and media attention increases. By being one of the few in the industry issuing congratulations, you’ll not only look gracious, but you’ll be networking with someone who has accomplished big things and might be able to help you along the way.</p>

<div>
<p>Part of congratulating your industry colleagues and competitors is recognizing that a win for them is a win for everyone. Instead of seeing someone else’s win as a loss for you, recognize that there’s room for more than one person at the top and these successes actually <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/do-you-have-a-good-idea-avoid-the-8-things-that-can-kill-it" target="_blank" title="Do You Have a Good Idea? Avoid the 8 Things That Can Kill It | SUCCESS.com" rel="noopener">pave the way for other ideas</a> and growing businesses.</p>

<h2><strong>3. Redirect your focus.</strong></h2>

<p>Instead of turning green with envy, turn the focus back on yourself and ask what you can do to achieve what others have achieved. If someone else wins an award, is it an award you wanted? If so, what can you do to put yourself in line for it, as well as other awards, next year? If a friend just landed major funding or a raise at work, <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/10-steps-to-achieve-any-goal" target="_blank" title="10 Steps to Achieve Any Goal | SUCCESS.com" rel="noopener">what can you do to work toward achieving that goal yourself</a>?</p>

<p>As your friends, co-workers and colleagues achieve success, it can serve as a to-do list for growing your own career. Chances are you first decided to go after your current goals because of the things you saw over the course of your life. If you can return to a place where you <em>observe</em> the accomplishments of those around you and strive to achieve the same things in your own career, you can turn a detrimental emotion into something that’s healthier—motivation.</p>

<h2><strong>4. Look away. </strong></h2>

<p>If you find yourself focusing far too much on other people, just stop. Unfollow them on Twitter and drop the alerts you’ve set up for them. While it’s important to keep up with the activities of people in your field, spending an unhealthy amount of time and energy on them is more harmful than helpful.</p>

<p>By the same token, if people are jealous of <em>your</em> successes, distance yourself from them, too. If those around you constantly denigrate your accomplishments to make themselves feel better, you’re probably better off without them in your life. These people bring a toxic, negative energy to your interactions, and that can impact your self-confidence.</p>

<p><a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/6-easy-ways-to-sabotage-your-career" target="_self" title="6 Easy Ways to Sabotage Your Career | SUCCESS.com" rel="noopener"><strong>Professional jealousy can sabotage your career… and so can bad first impressions. Find out what 6 habits can ruin the impressions others have of you—and avoid them.</strong></a></p>
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[node:summary] - How to deal with professional jealousy

You use other people to gauge your success, or failure. We all do it—compare ourselves to other, maybe more successful, people. Without seeing what others | SUCCESS

4 Steps to Stop Comparing Your Success to Others’

4 Steps to Stop Comparing Your Success to Others’ | SUCCESS

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Drew Hendricks

Latest Articles

How to Start a Business in a Day

7 Ways to Keep Yourself Motivated for Entrepreneurial Success

5 Things Successful Entrepreneurs Do on the Weekends

4 Steps to Stop Comparing Your Success to Others’