Can Bad Habits Lead to Successful Businesses?

‘Why A Students Work for C Students’ is a part of a book title that tells the reason A students wind up as employees working for who used to be C students. Sounds unpredictable, right? Usually, people have higher expectations for neat frontbenchers who always study ahead for next week’s exams. However, the future of those students is pretty much known, unless radical events come in the way. Looking at the entrepreneurs and SMEs’ owners, one will imagine a thriving past full of consequent successes. Yet, you will be surprised to learn that most of the successful entrepreneurs had gone through a series of failures that played a huge role in their today’s success. In this blog, we point out two traits that are widely deemed as ‘bad habits’ but are actually the impetus to the success of startups.

Troublemakers (or, to use a euphemistic term: nonconformists):

Although the term ‘nonconformist’ is usually negatively connoted, it actually means someone who lives and thinks in a way that is different from other people. One of the common challenges that entrepreneurs face on a social level is not receiving the welcome they were hoping for with regards to their concepts and ideas. Successful entrepreneurs are known for being disruptors; not everybody likes that.

The kind of nonchalance (although not always right) such entrepreneurs have is what pushes them to go beyond the boundaries set to them. The courage to take risks is very essential, especially in the initial stages of starting the business. If you feel like your kid or younger sibling is not a good listener and follower of the rules, don’t fret. Instead, try to appreciate this energy and passion and help channel into what might become a smashing successful project.

Procrastinators:

One of my biggest regrets is thinking of procrastination as a bad habit. Many a time the feeling of guilt would keep hunting me while performing any task I was supposed to start doing a long time before. But it doesn’t work like that. Studies have shown that procrastination helps produce more creative work.

This is how it goes: when you have the tasks on the mind and you start doing something different, be it watching a movie or hanging out with your friends, those tasks are lying at the back of your mind. While you don’t realize it, you are still thinking of those tasks. When the time comes to do the task, although it might be late, you will find yourself thinking of many ideas you wouldn’t have thought of had you done the task immediately.

Yet, I am not saying that procrastination is a must. Sometimes, when you wait to finish your tasks on a last-minute note, you will have to rush into it due to your misjudgment of the amount of time you need to finish it.