6 Essential Mindset Shift For Successful Entrepreneurs to Make

The most important thing you own as a business owner is your mindset. And it’s, arguably, one of the easiest things for you to control. As a counselor, I frequently talk about changing your mindset or changing the way you’re thinking about something. In this post, you will learn what a growth mindset is, what an entrepreneurial mindset is, and the 6 essential mindset shifts entrepreneurs should make to become more successful entrepreneurs. 

To become a successful business owner, you need to have the right mindset, hard work, and determination in order to reach the next level. The top entrepreneurs out there don’t just work on marketing their products, they also work on their minds and how to shift their mindset to break away from what is holding them back. 

What is a growth mindset? 

A growth mindset is when you believe that ability and intelligence can be achieved through effort. Many, including myself, believe a growth mindset is an invaluable asset in the entrepreneurial world. 

Simply believing that if you don’t currently have the knowledge or skills necessary to succeed, you could learn any skill or gain whatever knowledge necessary is all a growth mindset is. Viewing every challenge or obstacle as a learning opportunity is a powerful tool. 

What is an entrepreneurial mindset? 

An entrepreneur mindset is someone who has an entirely different approach to motivation, building beliefs, growth, and adaptivity. An entrepreneurial mindset relies heavily on positive thinking and resiliency. They can overcome challenges, help derive solutions to problems, and can also be action-oriented. Entrepreneurial mindsets don’t just have a mindset of growth; they see new opportunities where others may see risk; they are constantly generating new ideas, and sometimes they are great ideas to help solve everyday problems. 

In this post, I will talk about 6 mindset shifts entrepreneurs should make to become successful entrepreneurs. I have had the exact quote on a sticky note on my laptop for years… and when I decided to make changes to my mindset, I started to notice and actually read this quote a lot more. 

1. Get out of your comfort zone. 

Change is hard people generally shy away from change. It’s also why we have a definition for the phrase “comfort zone”. I think that if you talk to anyone who has ‘stepped’ out of their comfort zone can tell you that that’s when you grow and learn the most. 

The first step to shifting your mindset as a business owner is to get out of your comfort zone and step fully into the unknown. The only way to attain an entrepreneurial mindset or a growth mindset is to take the leap. Starting a blog is the same as starting your own business, an online business. However, I didn’t treat it that way when I first started out. I didn’t cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset from the start. 

For a long time, when I was first doing the blogging thing, I was stuck in a perpetual state of consumption thinking there was a limit to what was out there. In other words, I had a scarcity mindset. The shift from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance has been one of the most fundamental mindset shifts for my business. 

I had, and still have to, reframe my way of thinking. I am constantly working on reframing my employee mindset into one of believing there is an opportunity for everyone to be successful. This different way of thinking is what has allowed me to take the next steps which caused a significant shift in my business. I have always had the “other people can do it so why can’t I?” mentality. That positive mindset only got me so far. 

My daily work life is a typical, standard workday. This dramatically impacts the time I have available to put into this business in order to gain entrepreneurial success. The true shift happened due to personal growth and consistency. I slowly started to get over the constant feeling of imposter syndrome and decided the best way forward was to just do it. 

2. Take Action.

One of the other key mindset shifts I made was to take action. I was so caught up here, in the inability to take action, that I just was paralyzed by inaction. Last year, I joined a writer’s group where a group of creatives working on various writing projects got together once a month to share what they were working on, get inspired, or be held accountable. It was in this group where I received the most practical advice I had received to date when it came to my blog. And it is applicable to any creative project you may be working on. 

The moderator of our group said, “just put it out there in the universe for people to read”. Essentially, he was telling me to stop worrying about what others may think and to just finish my article, book, or whatever you were working on and put it out for the world to see. You won’t know until you put it out there and it gets easier and easier each time you do it. 

This was one of the necessary steps for me especially because you get better results with your blog the more you publish your work. And when it comes to blogging, the truth is that an ugly blog can be profitable and the most aesthetically pleasing blog can be unprofitable. 

Everyone is on their own path when it comes to their entrepreneurial journey. My goal is to have an attractive blog, but not at the expense of being useful. I have used this last year of experimenting as a learning opportunity. I have worked really hard over the last couple of months to develop an imperfect action mindset. I am always reminding myself that any action is better than no action. 

3. Consistency, consistency, consistency. 

You hear it all the time. Whether it is in sports, at work, or potty training a toddler; successful people are all great at being consistent. 

The more consistent I have been with content creation, the less imposter syndrome I have felt. This learning process has alleviated a lot of the fears I previously had. The fear of failure can keep you from reaching your full potential in anything you set out to try and accomplish. Time is a precious resource when it comes to the success of your business so being able to set realistic goals, 

The cure for imposter syndrome is consistency. You have to stay committed to the business and have that burning desire to succeed.

4. Trusting the Process. 

The first time I heard this was from my college coach. It was a team saying that we repeated over my four years there, “trust the process”. Shifting your mindset from being destination-focused to being more about the process and entrepreneurial journey you are on is hard. I would say that this is one of the harder things for me to do because I want everything to happen instantly. 

I am constantly hit with new ideas and I have to remind myself that sometimes trusting the process and journey you are currently on, is right where you should be. It is important to remember what you are working towards. Trust the process, and remember where the process is leading you to. 

5. Focus on your Journey.

Great leaders know that over managing the destination without recognizing the journey they’re on, can lead to toxic management. Since I am my own management, I work hard to reward the small wins I have at the end of the day. It is difficult to remember when you are in the midst of your business journey that you are right where you should be at that moment. 

It is easy to get distracted by social media when you see someone else hitting a big milestone goal. Witnessing someone else reach their goal can sometimes take the wind out of your sails. Just to make sure you know, you aren’t running a race with anyone. Everyone has an opportunity to reach their own goals in their own unique way. It is challenging to keep a fresh perspective that there isn’t a need to compare yourself to anyone. 

Focusing on your journey and making sure you are heading in the right direction for you and your business is the best way forward. Everyone has their own trajectory, goals, ambitions, and priorities for their own business. We should be able to celebrate with each other while cheering the other one on. There is a lot to learn from those who are in different parts of their journey. 

6. Inspiration or Convincing? 

As a mom lifestyle blogger, I aim to inspire others to transform or create the life of their dreams. Whatever that may be. 

I recently read a LinkedIn post about inspiration versus manipulation. The famous Simon Sinek quote about influencing behavior is listed at the top, and the overall principle being that inspiration is more potent than manipulation stuck with me. When it comes to human behavior, “You can manipulate it or you can inspire it” it really is that simple. When you look at a successful entrepreneur, they-most likely- are all inspiring their employees, not manipulating them. 

Inspiration is a never-ending process, not a one-and-done kind of thing. As many creatives know, inspiration is the lifeline of creativity and personal growth. Inspiration knows no boundaries or limitations- you never know when inspiration will strike, and what once inspired us may take on new meanings as we change and evolve. Embracing the journey of inspiration is key when you are an entrepreneur. It is a strategic choice to embrace the inspiration to help drive innovation. 

The good news… 

There is enough for everyone looking to join the online entrepreneurs out there. While there may be competition out there, there are still a variety of opportunities available. 

The mind is a powerful thing, and practicing and implementing these essential mindset shifts will help with growing your business- whatever it is. It’s important to remember that mindset shifts often take time and  consistent effort and attention. 

For deeper motivation, check out my list of motivational quotes here.