Success Through Daily Habits

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier

In my work with clients, it’s not uncommon to hear people say they’re having a bad day, a bad week, a bad month—or even a bad year. When we start digging into why, I often find the same root cause: they haven’t been consistently doing business-building activities.

The two most common reasons they give?

1. “I had a lot of business come in, and I was busy.”

2. “I don’t like selling.”

Most of us love the technical or creative side of our business—that’s usually why we started it. But we can’t be truly successful as entrepreneurs unless we embrace client attraction as an essential part of what we do.

Notice I say client attraction, not sales. That distinction matters. It’s about knowing what kind of client relationships you want to build and then developing daily habits that help you connect with those people.

For most of us, the best way to do that is through direct, personal contact. As a former sales manager of mine used to say, “Get belly to belly with the people you want to work with.” But don’t approach people with the sole intention of selling—do it to build genuine, mutually beneficial relationships.

Start with people you already know. It’s easier, more natural, and generally more enjoyable than reaching out to strangers. Here are a few ways to connect:

• Warm calling – Reach out to people you know with the intention of catching up and seeing what’s happening in their lives.

• Coffee, meals, or happy hours – Great for staying in touch and getting to know each other on a deeper level.

• Attending events together – You’ll likely meet others too, but you’ll also find quality time to connect.

• Personal letters or emails – Most effective when they’re truly personal and followed up with a phone call.

Here’s the truth: most of us won’t do this consistently unless it’s on our calendar. Make business-building a scheduled habit, not an afterthought. I’ve found early in the day works best—before the chaos begins.

Treat outreach with the same level of importance as serving your clients. Otherwise, you’ll end up on that stressful roller coaster of feast or famine—again.

Ready to break the cycle? Try this for the next 90 days:

1. Identify the business-building activities that are most effective for you.

2. Schedule them into your calendar—like any other non-negotiable appointment.

3. Keep your commitment. Make these activities a habit.

4. If something comes up, reschedule—don’t delete.

5. At the end of each month, assess: Are you doing too much? Too little? Just enough? Adjust as needed.

6. Keep building habits that lead to your success.

One common misconception about being self-employed is that we can do whatever we want. While that’s partly true, if you want to be successful, you must develop strong habits. Identify your revenue-producing activities, schedule time for them, and follow through. Consistently.

Here’s to your success—and to working with clients you truly love!