50 Habits That Prove You Were Born to Be an Entrepreneur

Most aspiring entrepreneurs feel it in their bones -- they were born to be an entrepreneur, to the point where nothing else in life could satisfy them. They’re dissatisfied as employees, followers or consumers. They want to create, build and grow their own enterprises, and they’re filled with the passion of their own ingenuity.

Here are 50 habits that born-to-be entrepreneurs can’t help but show. How many do you possess?

1. You can’t sit still. You’re always itching to come up with something, and do something great.

2. You’re always coming up with ideas. Good or bad, the flow of ideas never stops.

3. You can pinpoint flaws in other ideas. It comes naturally to you.

4. You marvel at successful business owners. Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates are just a few of your heroes.

5. You get excited when you see a successful business in action.Whether it’s a local bar or a supermarket franchise, you can’t help but smile when you see a good business.

6. You constantly think of ways to improve your employer’s business.When you’re at work, you only think about how it could be better.

7. You hate being told what to do. You’re resentful of taking orders.

8. You love to learn new things. How tos and tutorials are what you’re all about.

9. You take things apart to see how they work. Remotes, toasters, phones -- you love to see the inner workings.

10. You dream of wealth. Money isn’t everything, but you can’t help but have it on your mind.

11. You don’t give up easily. You face tough challenges but keep going.

12. You’re disciplined in your habits. You have set routines that don’t get broken easily.

13. You aren’t afraid of hard work. You give everything in your life 100 percent.

14. You have a high threshold for risk. You don’t take blind risks, but you don’t stay complacent either.

15. You meet as many people as you can. You aren’t afraid to branch out and meet new people.

16. You talk to everyone you meet. Strangers aren’t intimidating to you.

17. You bounce back from failure. You’ve experienced crushing failure, but it’s never stopped you from coming back.

18. You like calling the shots. You like the sound of being a director.

19. You set goals for yourself. Big or small, goals fill your life.

20. You help people whenever you can. You’re interested in the greater good.

21. You find challenges in everything you do. You seek out opportunities to challenge yourself.

22. You find ways to inspire people. You’re inspired by inspiration.

23. You plan everything down to the little details. Plans are a prerequisite for any activity.

24. You’re proud of yourself. You like who you are.

25. You help your friends solve their problems. You’re great at problem analysis.

26. You effectively delegate tasks and assign resources. In household chores and business operations alike.

27. You set deadlines for yourself. No excuses.

28. You like telling stories. You love to tell people about your experiences.

29. You’re hyper competitive. You can’t even play a board game without flipping that switch.

30. You get involved with things. If you see a car on the side of the road, you get out and ask if you can help.

31. You cut out things in your life that don’t work for you. If it’s inefficient or bothersome, it’s gone.

32. You negotiate whatever you can. Flea markets and salaries are just the beginning.

33. You see the potential in people. You don’t see people for who they are. You see them for who they could be.

34. You’re calm in a crisis. When stuff hits the fan, you still think logically.

35. You follow up with people when you want something. You don’t let opportunities go.

36. You avoid things that waste your time. You’re immune to mobile games and idle social-media time.

37. You persuade people to your side. You’re a natural rhetorician.

38. You make rational decisions, not emotional ones. For the most part, you trust your logic over your emotions.

39. You don’t forget people’s emotions. Still, there’s great sympathy in you.

40. You lose track of time when pursuing passion projects. Time seems to fly when you’re heads-down working on something.

41. You frequently start new passion projects. Every week, a new idea is transformed into a hobby.

42. You constantly upgrade your house (or car or anything). There’s always something to tinker with, replace or improve.

43. You’re crazy about new technology. You’re addicted to learning how new technologies can improve your life.

44. You read the news every day. It’s an ingrained habit.

45. You read books voraciously. Every book offers something new.

46. You listen to that internal voice. You trust your instincts.

47. You listen to others’ advice. You make your own decisions, but listen to others’ opinions too.

48. You don’t dwell in the past. When bad things happen, you keep moving forward.

49. You make sacrifices for what you want. You know you have to give things up to see greater success.

50. You never write off your dreams. You take your aspirations seriously. They’re a part of you.

Were you born to be an entrepreneur? If these habits sound like you, it’s time to start pursuing your true calling in life. For help, grab my ebook, The Modern Entrepreneur: How to Build a Successful Startup, from Beginning to End.

Looking for reasons to start a business? See 50 Reasons to Start Your Own Business.

Jayson Demers

Here's what 13 successful CEOs think their employees should do before they turn 30

Turning 30 can be a turning point in a person’s life, and career.

It’s the point where career goals start setting in and the hunger to land a spot in the corner office increases.

So we asked some CEOs what they would want their employees to have done before they turn the big 3-0.

From saving money to travelling the world, starting your own business and taking risks, here's some advice from CEOs who have done it all before.

Business Insider Australia

Aaron Smith, CEO and founder KX Group.

The first thing I would say is to travel the world. There is nothing more eye-opening than travelling the globe to broaden your thinking and excel your communication skills with other people and cultures. Worldly experience is priceless. It's also about becoming more relatable to people which will only reflect positivity back in the real world. By 25 I had travelled to over 40 countries and had lived overseas for 5 years. It was amazing.

Be selfish, risk everything and live life on the edge. Before you are 30 you have no real responsibilities and possibly no mortgage/family that you need to support. Be daring and risk it all for huge success. You're young, motivated and have plenty of time to regroup if you fail so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. The older you get the more excuses you will find and the more you will regret not having a crack. I lost my life savings on my first business at 18 and succeeded on my second at 26. Fail forward.

Business Insider Australia

Taichi Hoshino, CEO of Monetise.

Build good habits. Whether it's time management, work ethic, setting work/life boundaries, exercising, eating well or being disciplined with your personal finances, habits are your baseline. When unexpected moments interfere in your life, it is long established habits that are your saviour. Form them young and they'll be with you for life.

Jo Burston

Jo Burston, founder and CEO of Inspiring Rare Birds.

Learn how to manage up as well as down. Most people I meet in their 20s are busy fulfilling the notion of managing less skilled colleagues, when the real skill is managing up to more skilled and experienced people. The art of conversation and public speaking will take you everywhere in life.

Find your passion and then aim to be the best on the planet at what you do by having a ferocious hunger for learning. Both formally and through experience.

Find a mentor that has walked the pathway you wish to walk. Then be totally reliable, honest and respectful with your time with them. They learn from you too!

Save money every pay. Learn how to budget and get out of home and stand on your own independent feet. Nobody owes you anything. Lose the sense of entitlement. It's not yours to take.

Start and run a business. No matter how small. If you can learn these skills early, you will learn how to fail with low risk or repercussion. Basic accounting and business skill will support and future endeavours.

Finally, travel and get out of your bubble and get uncomfortable. It will help with acceptance, tolerance, and patience, and show you how incredible our world really is.

Business Insider Australia

Dean Ramler, CEO and co-founder of Milan Direct.

Learn the art of going above and beyond and doing more than what you are currently expected to or paid to do. The typical employee does the old 5 o'clock shuffle because that is when the typical work day ends. Everyone has the right to do this. Yet there are a select few high achievers who understand the value of going above and beyond their current pay grade and always look to provide the most service to the company, often staying back as late as I do.

As a CEO you come to rely on the select few who really go above and beyond, it becomes a habit to call on these high achievers to assist in core tasks when everyone else has left for the day. It is no surprise that these same people end up becoming the senior managers of the company, and are the most compensated with promotions and pay rises.

Business Insider Australia

Philip Weinman, CEO of Locomote.

Start your own business while you still live at home. It’s a good time to experiment with a business idea, while you don’t have any real expenses. Find a mentor or someone you that you trust to give you advice - outside of family - who has no financial agenda.

You will learn from your mistakes during this time, and if you decide that you want to move into a corporate environment, you'll already know what works and what doesn’t. Along with business experience, you'll learn to make and stand by your decisions - a trait that is highly regarded by Locomote.

Christian Mischler, COO, CMO and co-founder of Hotel Quickly.

Travel the world! Explore new regions and cultures, it creates independence and gives you experience that will have lastingly positive effect on the rest of your life.

Business Insider Australia

John Winning, CEO and founder of The Winning Group.

Get as much experience as you can - it's important to have a good mix of valuable life and work experience. Whether it's a part time job and/or work experience at school, try to immerse yourself in different industries and roles within a business. I drove trucks, worked in a warehouse, did door-to-door and in-store sales.

Be sure to gain a further education that interests you. It doesn't have to be university, even if it's just reading books it's great to have an interest in learning, and curiosity is an amazing motivator. I never attended university after school however the years that followed shaped how I approach my work and how my business operates. From practical work experience within the retail industry, to personal achievements such as competing in many sailing championships and eventually winning a world title, every experience has enriched my thinking and ability to tackle obstacles and grapple opportunities in business.

Business Insider Australia

Zach Johnson, CEO of atmail.com

Having worn a mohawk in a variety of colours, scuba dived, completed a tour of duty with the US Army and lived in Germany, among many other crazy things, the one sage piece of advise Johnson has is: 'Live as much as you can and embrace all experiences as they come—fully and completely.'

Charlie Wood, country manager for Dropbox.

I'd recommend people should get a few years experience at an established multi-national during their early 20s. The experience people will gain at these companies will set them up nicely for future endeavours. Those who are entrepreneurial in nature, should follow their dreams and bring their ideas to life by starting something on their own or with a team. One of the most important things someone should do before they reach 30 is to travel, they will meet new people and will create new adventures! These experiences will broaden the mindset of any individual to help set them up for their 30s.

Business Insider Australia

Bevan Nel, MD of Helping.

Be disciplined in your management of money, keep a budget...and stick to it!

Secondly, if you're going to take a business risk, do it before you're married with kids and mortgage. You'll be more scared and less gutsy once you have a family and advancing and progression is important early on in your career. Lastly, it's important to keep in touch with past business associates.

Keep business cards, make a spreadsheet, do whatever it is to keep your contact list ongoing and up to date. Networking is key and you never know when you might need to reach out to someone.

From a non business perspective...travel. travel. travel! That's what I always tell anyone who is young. Travelling is great for developing confidence, meet business contacts and also a great way to refresh and restart your body and mind.

Business Insider Australia

Kevin Lynch, Chief Marketing Officer at Open Colleges.

#1: Learn from your team: As we progress through our careers in our 20s, we need to learn not just from those above us, but also from our broader team. This can ensure that you build a strong foundation by your 30s.

I learn most from my team, the people who surround me. These are the people who make the magic happen, they are far smarter than I am. Our people are what makes us. We aim to ensure that we continue to build on the terrific culture here and ensure it is a great place to work for our staff where people believe in the company’s mission of changing lives through education.

Levi Aron, GM of Yumtable.

Seize the moment, set personal goals early in the game, keep them in check and strive to achieve or surpass those goals. Always remember to reward yourself as you reach each milestone. It's great for personal recognition. Work hard to push boundaries but don't forget to smell the roses every now and then. Remember, no goals = no drive = mediocre life, and who rates that?

Business Insider Australia

Nicholas Smedley, MD of Steller.

As we are in the real estate game I think it is important that our employees understand the market. There is no better way than getting into the property market yourself.

My advice would be to start saving as early as you can - whether that is through shares or a varied investment portfolio. There is nothing better than compound interest. This gets you into the frame of mind of saving and buying your first property before 30 would be a great start. 

Sarah  Kimmorley