6 Ideas For a Daily Routine For Entrepreneurs

You are probably hoping that this post will provide you with a scientifically proven daily routine for entrepreneurs that will bring you wealth and success as a freelancer.

Sorry to disappoint.

You see, we can’t give you a one-size-fits-all daily routine because there isn’t one. While routine is important for cultivating discipline and turning yourself into a factory of success, it has to be  your routine. There are too many different factors at play to find a silver bullet.

Maybe you’ve got kids, maybe you don’t.

Maybe you go to the gym, maybe you don’t.

Maybe you work well before the sun’s up, maybe you don’t.

So rather than publish a daily routine for entrepreneurs that’s not going to work for you, we are going to offer something more like a buffet. In this post, you’ll find all sorts of different ideas that others have found success with. We hope you can take a few of them, work them into your own routine, and make yourself a little more productive and a little more successful.

But first, let’s talk a bit about…

Why Daily Routine Matters

Interestingly enough, one study found that people who stick to a regular routine day in and day out perceive themselves to live more meaningful lives. While that might be surprising, it’s because routine habits fulfill one of the three key ingredients that science has attributed to happiness: coherence (the other two being significance and purpose).

In other words, a regular daily routine makes our lives more coherent. And when our lives are coherent, our businesses can be too. Routine creates structure, stability, and familiarity.

It’s the difference between going to sleep in the same cozy bed every night and not knowing where you’ll be bunking down from day to day. When you’ve got a routine established, you’ll be less stressed and more productive because every aspect of your day will be more predictable.

So, let’s take a look at some winning ideas that might find a place in your daily routine for entrepreneurs…

1. Wake Before The World

If you have a lot of distractions awaiting you every morning, consider the benefits of regularly waking up before they have a chance to disrupt your flow. Maybe they come in the way of children, phone calls, or just a really full schedule. But whatever tends to add chaos to your morning, you can approach it with a calm mind by having some peace to yourself before hand.

You can use this quiet time for meditation, planning, exercise, gratitude journaling, or anything else that helps you start off the day with a little win. Benjamin Franklin rose every day at 5:00 AM, and among other routines, always made time to consider the question What good shall I do this day?

2. Set Daily Goals

If you’re used to getting so caught up in your work that every day seems like a series of waves crashing down on you, short term goal setting could be for you. It’s a daily routine for entrepreneurs that many find useful for always ensuring they are progressing forward.

Some people end their day by setting goals for the next day. Others make it their first piece of “work” in the morning. And others set aside one day a week to set all of their daily goals for the rest of the week.

However you choose to make time for this, the important thing is to keep in mind your long term goals as part of your daily goal setting. For example, if you are planning to launch a new service within the next three months, you could incorporate small milestones towards that big goal every single day.

3. Tackle The Hardest Task First

Most of us can relate to the woes of procrastination. There always seems to be that one task on our to-do list that we’ll do anything to avoid. Sometimes it’s a big order. But sometimes it’s just an email or a phone call that we are dreading for one reason or the other.

Whatever your hardest task is, make a habit of tackling it first. Or, as a quote often attributed to Mark Twain puts it:

If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.

In other words, if you take on the biggest challenges first, the rest of the day will seem like a breeze to you.

4. Start With an Easy Win

We’re doubling down on our assertion that there is no one-size-fits-all daily routine for entrepreneurs by immediately following that last tip with the complete opposite.

Some people won’t benefit as much from swallowing the big frog first. Some people need little wins to start the day off with immediate success. Instead of tackling the biggest task first, consider knocking off a few that are necessary but simple.

Here are a few common ones that most freelancers have to find time for:

• Following up with client inquiries
• Clearing your email inbox
• Delivering work that is complete
• Assigning tasks to your assistants

5. Make Time For Stimulating Your Brain

Most freelance jobs require some form of creativity. And if your work relies on creativity, that means you are at risk of slumps. You know, those long dry spells of zero inspiration. The doldrums of art, writing, design, and creation that make every moment of your work a chore.

Consider keeping yourself fresh by spending at least 20 minutes every day doing something that stimulates your brain and forces you to think creatively. For some, this might be doing a crossword puzzle. For others, it’s writing for themselves. Still others find stimulation in creating art.

Whatever keeps your mind fresh, be sure to make time for it.

6. Practice Gratitude

It’s easy for us to fall into the habit of thinking negatively, focusing on our setbacks, or envying others who have more success. But none of those things are going to lift you up and help you make the world a better place (for yourself and others).

That’s why an increasingly popular daily routine for entrepreneurs involves carving out time to express gratitude for things that are going well. In fact, research has shown that people who mindfully practice gratitude experience better mental health than those who don’t.

Even just 10 minutes at the start or end of your day is enough to reap the benefits. Consider using the time for positive practices like these:

• Sending an email or letter (gasp!) to someone to say thank you
• Logging in a gratitude journal three things you are thankful for today
• Connecting one person in your life to another in order to help someone out
• Enjoying one of life’s simple pleasures extra mindfully (such as your morning coffee)

Find The Routine That’s Right For You

Remember, your routine has to be your own. It has to work for your personality, in your life, in your particular environment. What matters most is creating a routine and sticking to it, day in and day out until you make a habit of success.