You don't have to punch a 24/7 time clock or whip yourself into a networking frenzy to achieve your business dreams. For many great entrepreneurs, factors such as open-mindedness, savvy decision making and emotional intelligence are just as pivotal to career success.

Running a small business is a challenging process that can see you reap big rewards. However, stepping off the daily treadmill and reassessing your patterns can have a seismic effect on how your company evolves. These are five habits worth emulating.

Erase work-life boundaries

Whether it's a forty-hour work week or pressure to limit professional life to the office, we're constantly confronted with maxims that aim to help us keep our careers in check. The smartest entrepreneurs, however, understand that work-life balance is a myth and strive towards productivity and fulfilment instead. Rather than embracing rigid boundaries, why don't you try to weave your passions, hobbies and interests into your agenda each day? Reject the notion that work should be filled with drudgery and start perceiving it as a form of play.

Chase the thrill of the new

Whether it's hot-air ballooning or launching a project that terrifies you, prioritising adventure can help your business grow. Often, the energy sparked by new experiences can create shifts in perspective and provide all-important inspiration when your profits are low. Staying open to new experiences can also foster a sense of humility by reminding you that there's always more to learn. This knowledge can cultivate a sense of agility - an attribute that's a powerful asset if your business takes a sudden turn.

Steer clear of unproductive practices

Wonder why lengthy meetings seem soul-sucking and your morning barrage of emails suddenly make you feel drained? Unfortunately, many widely accepted business practices do nothing more than consume time and resources and unnecessarily increase your business spend. Entrepreneurship is inventive by nature and this applies as much to your business practices as it does to the work you take on. Whether it's virtual meetings or smarter workflows, tailoring your business practices to your working style is a strong step towards entrepreneurial success.

Reevaluate your relationship with money

Smart entrepreneurs don't view money as a reward for effort - they perceive it as an indicator of a healthy business and an important source of growth. They tend to do away with frivolous spending in favour of smart, sustained investments that are likely to create long-term dividends. Money also allows business owners to give back to the community and use their wealth for a greater good. A sense of financial abundance is a powerful professional and personal asset that can spark confidence and see your business grow.

Compete against yourself

Although great entrepreneurs are mindful of their rivals, they are mainly competing against themselves. This quality spans everything from goal setting and professional integrity to the clients they choose to do business with - the most effective business owners know that passion, commitment and motivation are attributes that stem from within.

Making small changes to your behaviour can take your business from good to great. Try doing away with the habits that don't serve you and opt for those that will help you grow and innovate.

What entrepreneurial habits do you most admire?

This article represents the views of the author only and not those of American Express.