You may have read many articles on what makes an entrepreneur successful. Oh, they worked hard to be where they are. Therefore, they are successful and happy. But, guess what? Working harder and longer will not necessarily make you happy or successful.

In fact, it’s the other way round – happier people are found to be more successful. In other words, happiness comes before success! So, here are five habits on how to live a happy life.

 

Live in Day-tight Compartments

Dale Carnegie shared, “It’s not our goal to see what lies dimly in the distance but to do what clearly lies at hands”. When we focus on what’s at hand within that day, work becomes more manageable and enjoyable.

Instead of wasting time and energy worrying about the future (and regretting about the past), you get to live in the present. And that is an important aspect of a happy life.

 

Plan for Happy Activities

As entrepreneurs, we are experts in squeezing time for more and more work and appointments. There’s a remarkable sense of achievement ticking off the to-do list. But to live a happy life, use your superpower to plan for idleness or non-work-related activities that make you happy.

What do you enjoy doing? It could be spending time reading a book you always wanted or jungle-trekking in the Amazon. It’s not about duration but make time for it. Use this to mediate and recalibrate. You’ll find a new sense of energy and creativity when you get back to work.

 

Be Somewhat Stoic

Known to hustle against all the odds, entrepreneurs need to learn when to stop to remain sane and happy. That means, identifying and accepting what is within and out of control. Knowing the latter is important. So, you can say, “I have done all I can with the information I have”.

When we have this state of mind, we’re releasing ourselves from the stress and guilt we have for uncontrollable matters. Because we’ve decided beforehand of our response, we become stronger emotionally to think clearly. We’re also more prepared to bounce back from any setback.

 

Forgive and Move On

Unforgiveness or chronic anger puts our body into a fight-or-flight mode, which increases the risk of depression, heart disease and diabetes. Put, forgive for health and happiness.

No matter how legit your feelings are, we must learn to forgive. Firstly, acknowledge your anger to the person. Then, choose to forgive and release anger. You don’t need to say this to him or her. But writing it or declaring it aloud has a powerful effect. It may not be a one-time practice, but several times. Seal the deal by an act of kindness to the person. Fight hate with love.

 

Get Enough Sleep

Quality sleep is non-negotiable. Research has shown that lack of sleep can reduce efficiency and productivity, and cause more errors and accidents.

So how many hours of sleep do we need? It is recommended that we have seven to nine hours a night. Try to get away from your electronic devices before you sleep. The blue light emitted has been found to cause wakefulness.

Also, make sure your bed is conducive for sleeping. That means darkness and quietness. Good sleep means good health. And again, health and happiness are an inseparable twin.

Being happy in your work makes perfect sense. Why be happy only when you’re successful when you can be happy on the way to success? With these habits, we believe you will live a successful and happy life as an entrepreneur.