Young entrepreneurs sometimes tend to forget about the purpose of their ventures, and distractions tend to drag them away from the big picture. When you’re on your entrepreneurial journey, there are a few principles you can abide by to stay on track and get everything done without being sidetracked.

Principle 1: Like Likes Like

Surround yourself with the doers and the believers. Find a business-minded ally that you are compatible with and keep them around; Masterminds, Seminars and Conferences are a great place for finding like-minded entrepreneurs. Remember: birds of a feather flock together and you are essentially the average of the top five people you spend most of your time with.

Principle 2: Honesty is Key

If you face a problem and some things are just not working out, admit it and take full responsibility so that you can move forward. The worst thing you can do to a business venture in its initial stages is to make the same mistake over and over again. Ask yourself the questions that matter and take notes. Try to diagnose yourself and the situation appropriately to be more self-aware.

Principle 3: Change

Never let previously-used patterns define how things will be done; you have to arrive at the decisive conclusion that you have the power to change. Try to accumulate habits that will train you to stay on the right track and practice adaptability. As people, we all love consistency and try to avoid any changes since they indicate risks or dangers. Remind yourself constantly that what may seem incredibly hard to do today may become a lot easier tomorrow, but what is easy today will only get harder.

Principle 4: Believe in the Done Deal

No matter what your ambition may be, you have to train yourself to believe that it has already been achieved. Try to visualize yourself having accomplished all goals.

Principle 5: Happiness above All

Estimate if you are happy and satisfied with your current routine. If you find yourself compromising, do something about it. Many entrepreneurs unanimously agree that they feel unhappy when things become unorganized and haphazard. Evaluate your daily time table and make amendments to free up some time to get organized.

Principle 6: Make Each Day Count

Get yourself a timer and organize your whole day. Try to find one that has a lot of loud features or vibrates so that it startles you enough to finish up all tasks. Assign time blocks to all different tasks and make sure you don’t spend much more time than allotted. By the end of each day, estimate your productivity and try to set targets for yourself to achieve.

Principle 7: Take Inspiration from Others’ Success

Select a number of businesses that you admire and try to assess how they function. You can try to find nearby companies and incorporate their tried and tested models into your own business for guaranteed growth. Use the leverage of their success to help maintain your own company and develop as an organization.

Principle 8: Understand Your Value

If something doesn’t really work for you, learn to say ‘No’. Initially, you are more likely to say ‘Yes’ to almost anything since you want the maximum number of opportunities for your business investment. Later down the line, try to find a good balance between being uptight and being choosy about what you want to say ‘Yes’ to. As time passes, you will realize it is merely a matter of experience and wisdom, but successful companies are usually selective about their customers.

Principle 9: Take Control

Always remember that you are your own boss and everything in front of you is actually a choice, instead of a responsibility. Take control over your entrepreneurial venture and own it completely so that your new business can flourish boundlessly in the industry.