9 things entrepreneurs of character do differently

Recently, I discovered something remarkable that changed the trajectory of my entrepreneurial career.

To begin, I noticed there was an obvious tension at work in my life. It was the tension between my career and my character. Simply put, when I focused on growing my career and building my resume, I ended up becoming more stressed out and I neglected other priorities in my life like family.

Now, I know it’s very important to have a sustainable career. That’s what Essential Hustle is built on—helping people build their careers online! But while it is important to build your career, it’s not essential to life.

Essentials to life are loving your family well, providing for your loved ones, living our your core values, helping people, etc.

Fame, wealth, abundance, and being able to afford luxuries are non-essentials.

Here’s what I’m getting at:

Our careers become damaging when we prioritize these non-essentials to life. But on the other side of things, character is the result of prioritizing the essentials to life.

And that’s how I define character: the result of having a strict focus on what matters most in life.

With that being said, I don’t want to be the entrepreneur who is primarily focused on his career. The more I do that, the more I end up with non-essentials to life.

I want to be the entrepreneur of character—or, the entrepreneur with a strict focus on what matters most.

I say all this because many entrepreneurs become hyper-focused on building their careers and then forget what’s actually essential to life. These entrepreneurs do life and business an entirely different way than entrepreneurs of character. In fact, entrepreneurs of character do business and life simply.

To show you exactly what I mean, consider these 9 things entrepreneurs of character do differently:

1. Entrepreneurs of character know their priorities.

When we prioritize our careers, it becomes easy to overwhelm ourselves with busyness, so much so that our priorities get skewed. This is what you see happen in many entrepreneurs. There are so many entrepreneurs who “hustle” so much that they forget what’s most important in life.

We should never let the “hustle” skew our priorities in life.

Focusing on our character will ensure this never happens.

2. Entrepreneurs of character view failure as stepping stones.

When you’re overly focused on your career, failure becomes dead ends. But when you’re focused on your character and who you’re becoming, you see failure as a shaping force in your life.

The truth is, behind every great entrepreneur is a story of failure.

Failure shapes us more than it destroys us. Entrepreneurs of character see this.

3. Entrepreneurs of character live to help people.

Many entrepreneurs go into business because they fool themselves with the prospect of making it rich. Many entrepreneurs pursue the fortune rather than the opportunity to help people.

Prioritizing character keeps people at the front of their agenda. This means, they’re not satisfied if they’re rich but help nobody.

4. Entrepreneurs of character focus more on quality over quantity.

While many entrepreneurs focus on building their email list up to the thousands, I focus on nurturing the small numbers I have. The truth is, you don’t need to speak to thousands to make a difference. Some of your best work can come from speaking to a handful of people. Entrepreneurs of character see it’s about quality over quantity. This is how we make an impact.

5. Entrepreneurs of character desire a quiet life.

Entrepreneurship is by no means a quiet life. It’s bold, exhilarating, and exciting—but only if we grow it to chase after the fortunes. If we keep our business intentionally small and focused, it can lead to a quiet life—where we only focus on working hard and doing good.

I’m not saying entrepreneurs can’t build big companies. I’m just saying that entrepreneurs of character don’t feel the need to build big companies every time they go into business because they realize they don’t need a bold and exciting life.

Let’s not chase after the bold and exciting just because much of society tells us to do this. Let’s have the courage to slow down and quiet our life, so we can focus on what matters.

6. Entrepreneurs of character wake up early or stay up late.

Many entrepreneurs wake up before the sun or stay up late. But the difference between entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of character is their motivation in waking up early or staying up. Entrepreneurs of character wake up early or stay up because they don’t want to take any more time apart from their family than they have to. They work while their family sleeps. As a result, their home life is solid.

Now, this doesn’t mean entrepreneurs of character don’t sleep. On the contrary, because they’re aware of the essentials in life, they prioritize sleep.

7. Entrepreneurs of character don’t try to prove themselves.

When you’re an entrepreneur, it can be easy to fall into a habit of trying to prove yourself to the world. They struggle with this insecurity, and as a result work hard to show the world what they’re capable of. But this is exactly what keeps entrepreneurs overly busy and stressed.

Entrepreneurs of character still struggle with insecurity, but they don’t give into it.

Instead, they focus on working hard and doing good.

8. Entrepreneurs of character admit their faults.

Entrepreneurs of character prioritize who they are and their integrity. So when they mess up, they own it. But entrepreneurs who prioritize their career and moving up the ladder focus more on maintaining their image. As a result, they don’t admit their faults. They pawn the blame on someone else.

This isn’t how we should run our businesses.

9. Entrepreneurs of character show up.

Finally, entrepreneurs of character are present. They don’t run away from hard work, nor do they neglect responsibilities. They show up and do the work.

To give you an example, I have a Facebook group of entrepreneurs that I love to talk to. I’ve been in many groups where entrepreneurs set up these communities so they can have another avenue to market their business, but I wanted to start this group so I could create community. Entrepreneurs who care only for marketing their business only show up when they have something to promote. They neglect their responsibility to keep up with their group, and don’t show up.

I want to be the entrepreneur who is known for showing up—who doesn’t neglect people because I have more important things to do. I want to show up and do the work, not neglect it.

So by now you’re probably wondering: how can I develop character in my life? How can I be the entrepreneur of character?

Well, it’s simple to say, but hard to execute. To be the entrepreneur of character, we need to know what’s most important, and always choose it.

That’s it. In the overwhelming sea of choices, opinions, and excess, we need to always prioritize what matters most in life. The more we choose what’s meaningful and important in life—like matters of family and core values—the more we’ll develop character.

It’s time we stop focusing on becoming the most successful entrepreneur. That’s a non-essential. Instead, let’s focus on attending to what matters most in life. The reward is priceless.