How to cultivate an entrepreneur mindset
Introduction
Becoming an entrepreneur is a big change, and it takes time to adjust especially when you’re trying to carry your employee mindset into business. The biggest difference between an employee mindset and an entrepreneur mindset is that you need to take responsibility for your own success as an entrepreneur. If you want to be successful, you'll have to change some of your thoughts and feelings while working on both the internal and external aspects of your life.
Your thoughts and feelings drive your behavior.
The entrepreneur's mindset is a set of beliefs, attitudes and assumptions that drive your behavior. This includes:
You believe you can make a difference in the world and that you are capable of doing so.
You believe there is a right way to do things, which is different from the way most people do them.
You have faith in yourself and your abilities, even when others don't share your vision or support it.
Your thoughts and feelings drive your behavior, but they can be changed if you want to change your behavior! You can change your thoughts by changing what information you focus on (i.e., being mindful), or by changing how certain situations make you feel (i.e., mindfully seeing the bright side). Likewise, if an external factor such as social norms or economic conditions prevent entrepreneurial behavior from being rewarded by society's institutions (e.g., banks), those institutions must be challenged for their lack of inclusionary practices so that entrepreneurs can thrive with their creative solutions for problems facing society today—and tomorrow!
Figure out how to get comfortable with taking responsibility for the success of your business.
The entrepreneurial mindset is about ownership and accountability, not blame. It’s about taking responsibility for your own success or failure and not blaming others for either of those outcomes. If you want to succeed as an entrepreneur, you must learn how to accept responsibility for your own actions and decisions instead of pointing fingers at everyone else when things don't go exactly as planned—and they won't always go the way you expect them to!
You may be thinking: "But what if my employees aren't doing their jobs?" Or maybe even: "What if I'm working hard but my customers don't appreciate it?" Well, guess what? That's not really any of your concern; it’s theirs! And if they're willing to give up their money in exchange for something that doesn't really reflect their values or needs, then that's on them too. Don’t waste time blaming others; spend more energy focusing on actions that will help increase sales or improve customer satisfaction levels so that people do choose to do business with you again (or recommend others).
Work on building your self-esteem, because it will help you deal with criticism better.
Here are some strategies for building your self-esteem:
Set realistic goals. If you set goals that are too high, or will take too long to accomplish, it's easy to feel discouraged and give up when they don't happen immediately. Also try not to let yourself get caught in the trap of setting unrealistic expectations only to be disappointed when they aren't met. This is a great reason why it's important not to compare yourself with others—you may be setting yourself up for failure by comparing your progress with theirs!
Practice self-acceptance and compassion towards yourself. It's important not to put pressure on yourself in order achieve an unrealistic goal or deadline; this can make you feel inadequate if you fall short of the mark (which leads us back into our previous point). Instead, focus on what matters most: having a healthy relationship with yourself. Accepting who we are and being kind towards ourselves is one of the first steps towards building self-esteem because it helps keep our minds off negative thoughts about ourselves as well as negative situations we experience in life—it puts us back into a positive mindset where we can tackle challenges head-on instead of feeling defeated by them!
Be grateful for the resources that you have at hand.
The next time you feel frustrated with your current situation, take a moment to be grateful for what you have. Gratitude is one of the highest energetic frequencies you can vibrate at and I have learned that when I practice gratitude I put myself in position to receive more things to be grateful for.
I'm not saying that we should ignore our problems or pretend they don't exist—but instead of focusing on them, why not focus on the things that are going well? Think about the resources at hand and how they can help. Take some time to appreciate the fact that you have access to these resources in the first place; there are many people who don't have such access.
It's easy for us entrepreneurs to get caught up in thinking about all of the things we don't have compared to other people (e.g., money, connections). But this type of thinking only leads down a road toward frustration and self-doubt—it doesn't help us move forward with our goals or change anything for the better! Instead of dwelling on what could be different if only...focus on what is possible now: everything from having great relationships with others (which will help make work more enjoyable), through finding new ways around obstacles or making use of existing resources more creatively (which will allow entrepreneurs like yourself make better decisions).
Have to’s before want to’s
I have been leveraging this habit (Have to’s before want to’s) with my daughters and its been a game changer. To sum it up we have to prioritize our have to’s and when we do- we create room to do our want to’s. Show up every day and do what you need if not want to do--the latter often falls by the wayside when you're an entrepreneur. Be willing to do the work that needs to be done and don't procrastinate because it's hard or uncomfortable, even if everyone around you is telling you that it is. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it, and don't wait for someone else to do it for you. Don't wait for someone else to give permission before starting something new, either--just start! And finally, don't be afraid of failure; learn from your mistakes (and your successes).
Learn from your mistakes instead of berating yourself for making them.
Mistakes are a necessary part of learning and growing as an entrepreneur. Make mistakes, learn from them, and then try again! There is no shame in making mistakes—in fact, it's how you learn. Don't be afraid to make mistakes; they are just another step on your entrepreneurial journey towards success. I tell my clients all the time that failure is feedback. When we fail it’s an opportunity to begin again more intentionally.
Changing from an employee mindset to an entrepreneur mindset takes work but is possible
The most important thing to remember when shifting from an employee mindset to an entrepreneur mindset is that it's a process. You can't expect to change your entire mindset overnight—or even in a week. It's going to take time and diligence, but if you're willing to put in the effort, there's no doubt that it will pay off.
As you start working on changing your mindset, remember that one of the keys here is adjusting how quickly you can make these changes. When I was employed at my previous job, I had two weeks between meetings with clients and when we were allowed access to their data—so if they needed something right away (and some did), then sometimes there wasn't enough time for me or my colleagues who also worked with this client during those two weeks before they could get it done.
In other words: We had very little flexibility when it came down to timelines because our employer dictated them for us! As an entrepreneur though...well...there are no restrictions like this! If someone asks for something tomorrow but needs it next week instead? No problem! Just tell them what day would be best for both parties and move forward accordingly."
Conclusion
In the corporate world, everything has to be done "perfectly".
Not so in the entrepreneurial world.
People don't connect with you or buy from you just because you mirror and match everyone else. People buy your authenticity, your transparency, your story.
As an entrepreneur, building the belief, resilience, and motivation that enables you to succeed requires an entirely different approach.
After going through the list above and trying to implement it into your life, you will notice a difference. You’ll be more confident, more productive and you'll feel like things are finally falling into place. Remember that this is just the beginning—you don't have to be perfect! If you keep working on yourself every day by working on these habits then eventually they will become second nature for you.
