Entrepreneur- there is some innate attraction in this word. Even as you pronounce it you feel the luxury and literally so (have you ever noticed how luxurious it sounds J ). However, being an entrepreneur takes lots of courage. You need a perfect blend of best qualities to succeed as an entrepreneur. But that’s not all. You need to make all those qualities so concrete that they are not influenced even through trying times. You must have heard the saying “when the going gets tough the tough get going.” In this article we are going to mention some of the major qualities of entrepreneurs that will allow them to sail smoothly through tough waters:

Self-discipline: The best weapon to keep failures at bay

Self-Discipline is the key requirement for becoming successful entrepreneurs. Disciplining yourself will enable you to program you for success. You can fine-tune your routine, habits, skills, and even socialization preferences to match with your entrepreneurial targets. It enables you to make steady progress and achieve success within a reasonable time. 

Start with a sense of responsibility and treat your entrepreneurial dream as a tangible investment product. Cultivate the habit of self-control and be strong enough to direct yourself in the right way.

 One of the secrets of self-discipline is that you won’t like it in the starting and there would be hundreds of reasons (read excuses) not to stick to it. The keyword here is- don’t think, just do. 

· Create a checklist to determine your daily schedule

· Define specific tasks and allocate time for the same

· Use an alarm to remind you for doing those tasks daily without fail

· Review your progress every week and if you find it difficult to follow the scheduled routine then ask someone you trust the most- it may be a family member or a friend or colleagues.

· Request them to help you maintain your schedule by creating a logbook of your daily tasks and at times if needed, compelling you to follow the schedule – even if you don’t wish to. Let them be you’re “Tough Taskmasters” for some time before you can take complete control of yourself.

Honesty is the best policy for entrepreneurs

 Integrity is another major trait for any enterprising person who sees himself as a future entrepreneur.

Start by being honest with yourself.

• Are you committed to the high standards you set for yourself?
• Are you working for achieving the goals that you have set for your self for the future?
• Is your entrepreneurial passion being nurtured well by fuelling the right type of resources (training, mentorship, and required skills)?

People who are not honest with themselves can not learn the value of integrity. Entrepreneurship seems to be a one-man show in many cases when we talk about the sole entrepreneurs. However, it is not possible to start or continue your entrepreneurial journey without the help of the entire society- starting from your own family and friend to the financers, investors, buyers, workers, mentors, and all those who help you in your entrepreneurial journey- even your competitors. Remaining grateful to all of them will intuitively cultivate integrity into you.

Also, always there is a chance of some thought to spring up that may compel you to compromise on integrity and gain quick benefits. Don’t be attracted and don’t be afraid either. Just treat such thoughts with indifference. If such thoughts keep buzzing in your brain then better to disclose those thoughts to your closest acquaintances who have high standards.

It will make you feel guilty and uncomfortable and instantly a message will pass through your mind “How can I do something that I am not even comfortable discussing verbally with others?” This guilt factor will act as a boundary to safeguard your integrity.

Persistently strive to achieve your goal

 Persistence is extremely important for any entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs’ journey is filled with a zigzag graph of success and failure. Don’t treat failures as a blind alley but just look at it as a speed breaker where you just need to slow down and rethink your strategies, regain your confidence before starting again.

Start by training your mind for initial failures. Many people just think that they would soon be showered with success after starting there entrepreneurial journey. The reality is different though. They may have to go a long way before gaining success. Before you even treading the entrepreneurial path tell your mind that there would be setbacks and failures waiting for you so be ready for an “adventurous” hike… not a “generic journey on a predictable road”. Learn a lesson from every failure and turn them into an opportunity to become a better entrepreneur.

 Tell yourself that no matter how many troubles and trials come, you would never drift away from your decision of becoming a successful entrepreneur. This persistence will eventually establish you as an entrepreneur.  

 While we talk about persistence, some people may even confuse it with “stubbornness”. There is a great deal of difference between the two. Stubborn people stick to the same strategy and follow the same routine practices even if does not yield any result. In persistence, you don’t compromise with your main objective but constantly improve your strategy to achieve it. Stubbornness is to make errors and feel no guilty while persistency is to learn valuable lessons each time you make errors.

Think big and don’t be sidetracked by tiny everyday hurdles

 By observing the successful entrepreneurs you would understand the role of far-sightedness and clear direction in their success. Several daily challenges will make your journey difficult. While it is important to overcome them, you should never allow those challenges to usurp the exclusive space of your ambitions.

Follow a straightforward direction to realize your aim. The daily hiccups keep on forming and melting and the same holds for immediate benefits. The final aim, on the other hand, is tangible and strong. It remains concrete. So, instead of getting overstressed on daily challenges or feeling complacent on short term profits, always have your eyes set on the target and constantly keep on programming yourself and your enterprise to achieve that target.

One of the easier ways to do this is to slice your main target into smaller, manageable parts of achievable milestones. It will help you feel encouraged during each phase of your journey. Additionally, it will also help you in giving a clear direction to your entrepreneurial journey.

Don’t stop enjoying your life (Very Important)

While all the above qualities are important for any aspiring entrepreneur, you need not stop enjoying life. Many people make their schedules so strict and stiff that there is no breathing space for them. They stop enjoying the small casual moments spent with their family and friends. They no longer think about their hobbies or interests. They stop socializing outside of their business interests. That’s the wrong way of following your entrepreneurial dreams.

Just like a plant needs water, sunlight, air, etc. to enjoy a wholesome growth, you also need to have a healthy schedule to grow as an entrepreneur. What you need is to just quantify and regulate the different activities so that they should not disturb your entrepreneurial efforts. You can use those hobbies as a day end activity to reward yourself after an entire day of hard work.