These founders don’t always know all the right moves when they get going with a new startup either. In fact, often knowing what to avoid can be just as, if not more important than knowing what to do. This is something that I have learned by interviewing some of the most successful entrepreneurs on the DealMakers Podcast.

Here’s how mentally strong entrepreneurs and successful startup founders do it differently…

1) Avoid Burnout

You can’t keep going if you burnout. In business the winners are typically those who just outlast the others and keep going while others quit.

Burnout is expensive. It can hit you harder and longer than you anticipate. It’s easy to talk about bouncing back and being positive. In reality, it isn’t always that easy. No matter how strong or optimistic you normally are. It’s far easier in reality to avoid burnout in the first place.

Strong entrepreneurs achieve this by avoiding overworking and over booking themselves. If you overbook yourself every day and every week, then you will always feel you aren’t getting enough done, are never hitting your workload, and are always behind and overworked.

Instead, try to underbook yourself. Leave extra white space on your daily and weekly schedule. Then you’re far more likely to be feeling great about blazing your to-do list every day. It will energize you and encourage you. Then if you have spare time you can get done even more than you planned for.

2) Avoid Negativity

If you are going to be a strong bastion of positivity you have to block out the negativity. You can’t afford it in your life, in your workplace, in your office or your mind. It will derail your best work.

This starts with keeping certain types of negativity out of your life all together. That may be some forms of media. More often it is keeping negativity out of your workplace. That means hiring and firing well and choosing your cofounders and investors very carefully.

Put up some defenses. Have a receptionist and virtual assistant to help handle your email. Don’t let yourself step into potential negativity (or even open those emails) until you’ve accomplished all of your most important tasks for the day.

It’s not just outward forces to be on guard for either. If you are going to the top you have to keep yourself in check too. Strive to eliminate negative words in your own vocabulary. Have an accountability partner to keep you in check too. It can be a coach, spouse, cofounder, or one of your kids. Make it really expensive if they catch you slipping.