Much of the conversation about entrepreneurial growth narrows in on sales objectives, hiring the right talent, and other similar objectives. The importance of the entrepreneurial mindset is often missing from these conversations.
The entrepreneurial mindset is about a certain way of thinking — it is about the way in which you approach challenges and mistakes. It is about an inherent need to improve your skillset and to try and try again.
But why is this important?
The entrepreneurial mindset is what you need to propel yourself forward. This mindset can dim as you get entrenched in the daily grind of entrepreneurship. But by making an effort to embody this mindset, you position yourself to meet everyday challenges and experience growth.
Revisit Your Vision On A Daily Basis
Much of the entrepreneurial mindset involves a steadfast commitment to a very narrow vision. This drive allows entrepreneurs to carry out the necessary steps to accomplish that vision. The problem is that the demands of the day can get in your way, creating a space where your vision recedes. This leaves room for frustration and doubt, which can lead to stagnation or worse.
That’s why it’s so important to make an effort to set aside a specific time every single day to focus upon your vision and your goals — to bring your vision to the forefront. You don’t need to set aside hours to remind yourself of why you’re doing what you’re doing. Even 10 minutes can be enough to create the energy needed to refocus your efforts and propel you to work a little harder the next day. The key, however, is to actually make this commitment concrete. Write it in your planner if you have to. Set a reminder on your phone at the end of every night. Over time, it will become a habit.
Put Yourself In Challenging Situations
As an entrepreneur, you will naturally face new challenges every day. Just because obstacles arise doesn’t mean you should be afraid of making mistakes. If you want to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset, you have to embrace challenges. You have to seek them out.
It all comes down to basic psychology. The more that you put yourself in challenging situations, the more you will find that you not only equip yourself with the skills to handle those very challenges but also the confidence of knowing that you were able to succeed. So, make an effort to put yourself in challenging situations every single day — even in your personal life. And don’t be afraid of making mistakes.
Much of the entrepreneurial life is about trial and error and mistakes are a natural byproduct of that. But more than this, mistakes are an opportunity for growth. Extract all of the value from them that you can.
Read On A Daily Basis
The best entrepreneurs out there are never content with the way things are. That’s exactly what drives them to create in the first place. This also applies to their own skillset. Simply put, entrepreneurs are always looking to improve themselves in some way. This could be adding to their skills or reading motivational quotes to inspire them to take action.
If you want to get into the entrepreneurial mindset, you have to act like an entrepreneur. You have to commit to becoming a better version of yourself. This means nourishing your brain by reading on a daily basis. Learn new skills. Devour books about successful entrepreneurs. The more you read books like these, the more you’ll think like them as well.
Approach Problems From All Sides
If you read a lot about the entrepreneurial mindset, there is a common thread: the idea of approaching problems from all sides. Simply put, the entrepreneurial mindset is about thinking differently than the rest.
Again, the entrepreneurial life is about trial and error. That means that you have to learn to think differently and approach problems from a range of different angles if you expect to move forward. Chances are high that your first solution may not be the best one.
You can take this one step further by daring to do things differently each and every day. Even something as small as changing your environment or going on a walk (a Stanford study found that walking increases creativity by as much as 60% can help you approach things differently.
Always Be In Motion: Provide Value
If entrepreneurs are not thinking about their vision then they are actually putting their vision into motion. Much of the entrepreneurial mindset is to simply do. They have discipline, which allows them to continually reach their goals. But there is a secondary component to this “doing.” The truest entrepreneurial mindset is about providing value. Entrepreneurs are on a quest to help the customer in some way and to continue to make their service better and better. They identify problems and solve them.
So, by treating tasks as problems to be solved — and thinking about how you can provide value at every single turn — you can continually put the entrepreneurial mindset into practice.
Above all, the entrepreneurial mindset is about being committed to your vision regardless of the challenges and obstacles along the way. It is about seeing mistakes as an opportunity for growth and not as something to be feared. It is about approaching problems from a range of different ways. By embodying all of the above, you can strengthen your mindset and equip yourself with one of the most important tools that an entrepreneur can have.
