This post is based on Episode 45 of the ProBlogger podcast.
How many times have you heard or read about the latest opportunity and thought from an entrepreneur? How lucky were you
And yes, in some cases, maybe luck gave them the opportunity. A simple case of being in the right place at the right time and bringing all the planets into harmony.
But while some people believe that happiness is random or based on personality, I believe that by creating conscious habits, you can increase the chances of happy things happening to you. And today I want to talk about some of the habits you can develop to increase your own happiness as a blogger and entrepreneur.
My own taste of happiness
That doesn’t mean that I’ve never been lucky myself. In fact, I might not even have become a blogger if I hadn’t been a little lucky.
I received an email from a friend on a rainy Friday afternoon in November 2002. And that email was basically four words: “Check out this blog”.
At the time I had no idea what a “blog” was. Out of curiosity, I clicked the link that took me to a blog called tallskinnykiwi.com.
I found the blog very interesting. But what really caught my attention that day was the medium. I started my own blog that day, which completely changed my path in life.
Create happiness
Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to speak to many entrepreneurs (something I may never have been able to do if I hadn’t opened this email). When I ask them if they attribute their success to luck or strategy, a lot of them say something like, “You know? There was a little luck “. After that, they worked hard and used strategies to achieve their success.
But there’s one more thing I’ve noticed about the people I’ve spoken to: they all seem to share similar traits, qualities, and habits. And they tend to do things that make happy things more likely to happen to them.
Here are seven of those traits, qualities, and habits.
1. They are avid learners
All of the entrepreneurs I’ve spoken to appear to be avid learners. Not all of them have a high level of education (some don’t), but all of them gather information and knowledge by reading, listening to podcasts, attending conferences, asking questions, etc.
Many of them also have mentors. They are often part of mastermind groups and put themselves in situations where they learn new information. And as the Roman philosopher Seneca once said: “Happiness is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”.
How can this improve your chances of happiness? Well, when you have all of this knowledge and information, you have a better chance of making educated guesses that are correct. It is more likely that you can connect points that have not been connected before.
So take some time to study. Not only do you have more raw material for your posts, but you also improve the odds of getting lucky.
2. They accept problems
Most of us are wired almost from birth to avoid problems at all costs. We see them as roadblocks from which we can run away (or take a shortcut) and then complain.
But “happy” entrepreneurs see problems far more positively. They see problems as a stepping stone to opportunity. One entrepreneur even calls them “signals for solutions”.
How do you react to your own and the problems of others? Do you even notice other people’s problems? Perhaps you should notice because each problem could be an opportunity for you to help them on your blog.
3. You are curious
As soon as they encounter a problem, “happy” entrepreneurs get very curious. They look at it from different angles and come up with different scenarios that they could try. What if we try What if we try What would happen if we did that?
And because they are just playing instead of focusing on solving the problem, it is much more likely that they will have the “lightbulb” moment when a solution appears in their minds from nowhere.
The next time you run into a problem, be it your own or someone else’s, don’t try to avoid it. Instead, take some time to play with it a little and ask some of these “what if?” Ask. Who knows? You may have your own “lightbulb” moment.
4. You experiment
Unfortunately, many people stop once they have their “lightbulb” moment. To turn your ideas into reality, you have to get them out of your head. And this is where “happy” entrepreneurs stand out because as soon as they come up with their idea, they experiment with it.
Looking back on all the products, eBooks, courses and events that we created in the ProBlogger and Digital Photography School, almost all of them can be traced back to a tweet, a Facebook update or a blog post. After getting the idea, I tested it by telling my readers and followers about it and seeing how they react to it. It’s my way of experimenting with the idea.
So, if you have an idea that you think might work, experiment with it. That could mean building a prototype, building a part of it, and getting feedback from people (e.g. a chapter of an eBook), or simply bouncing the idea off other people.
5. You take the time to look for sparks
While ideas are worth experimenting with, it is a good idea to take the time to see how they develop. Otherwise, it doesn’t make much sense to do it at all.
But putting that time aside can be quite a challenge. We all tend to live very busy lives and it is difficult to take the time to observe and observe these sparks of opportunity.
Very often when I go to conferences someone will ask, “What’s the next big thing for you, Darren?” It’s a great question, but now I realize that the greatest things I’ve done always started out as little things. They usually start with an idea that I get at 1am and that I then test with a tweet or blog post to see what happens. And the positive reactions and suggestions I get from my readers turn into little sparks of energy that help me set them ablaze.
Your ‘next big thing’ might be a little thing waiting to be noticed. Do you take the time to notice the sparks?
6. You spend time creating and designing
Many people spend their time responding to other people’s agendas, demands, and expectations. You may work for someone else or spend a lot of time replying to email. And there’s nothing wrong with that. I even have to learn to do it sometimes.
But the best entrepreneurs I’ve come across spend a lot of time creating and designing. They always do what they think necessary and that is what sets them apart from the rest of us.
Do you spend most of your time responding to other people’s agendas? If so, you may need to reserve some space for building and engineering.
7. You can pan
Success seldom happens in a straight line. Almost every successful entrepreneur I’ve ever met has talked about panning. Some were 180 degree turns while others were just a subtle change of direction. But even a slight change in direction can take you to a completely different place in the long term.
Is what you do with your business what you have always done? If you’ve been doing the same thing for three or four years, it could be a sign that you’re in a little bit of trouble and need to turn a little. Remember: change is a sign of health.
Ready to be lucky
How many of these seven habits have you already incorporated into your life and business? Are there any others that you will be trying out soon? Are there any habits that I haven’t even covered here? Let us know in the comments.
Photo by Macau Photo Agency on Unsplash