Entrepreneurs: Change Your Mindset to Achieve Success

As an entrepreneur, there are soooo many things to learn, aren't there?

Skills are pretty easy to gain: you can search on YouTube, purchase training programs or hire someone to do it for you.

Perhaps not so easy though is believing in yourself and your business, overcoming your fears and lack of confidence, or pushing through challenging times when your mindset seems to be enemy number one.

Fears, limiting beliefs, negativity, and insecurities can all slow you down or even prevent you from achieving your goals.

If you want to be successful, change your mindset!

To challenge and change your mindset may seem difficult – but it can be done!

Here are a few common mindset challenges entrepreneurs experience (just so you know that you aren't alone in this).

Fear of Failure:

Who isn't a bit afraid of looking foolish or like a failure? Not many people, I can tell you that! But that doesn't mean you let those worries hold you back from what's possible for you.

You won't know for sure – until you try. So look for teeny tiny ways to move forward when you fear failure or foolishness. And know this. You will recover, even if "it" (whatever that biggest fear is) happens to you.

Fear of Change:

Humans like things to stay the same and your brain is wired to interpret change as dangerous.

When you step outside your comfort zone, your brain creates anxiety in a misguided effort to keep you safe. Understanding this will help you recognize that the anxiety isn't real. And then you can choose to move forward through the new experience and expand your brain's safety zone.

Imposter Syndrome:

When will you be found out? Others know you're a fraud, right? Oh yes, those worries are all about the fear of being an imposter.

You wait for the end to come because you fear that you're not good enough and that everyone else already knows it. This is all too common because it's not easy to strike out on your own as an entrepreneur and have never-ending confidence! There are going to be dips and valleys in your confidence level. But that does not mean you are an imposter!

Fear of Success:

Have you noticed a pattern of self-sabotage when things are going well for you?

Fear of success is very sneaky and lurks in the subconscious mindset of many entrepreneurs. It can be traced back to beliefs we have about money (or people who have it) or fears around losing friends and family if we become wealthier or more successful than they are (or they expect us to be!)

The list of common mindset challenges faced by entrepreneurs can go on and on and on. So let's stop here and breathe. Ahhhh. Breathe.

Let's look at ways you can challenge those mindset issues and create the success you desire.

Reframe Failure!

What if you started thinking of yourself as an innovator? Yes, you. Innovation is going forward with something "new" even though you don't know how it will turn out.

You don't need to know the end result. You just have to try.

Before Roger Bannister ran the four-minute mile, experts said it was impossible. He chose to believe differently and not only did it, he changed a widely held "fact" (which really was only a belief) and opened the way for countless others to repeat the feat.

Allow yourself to think, "What if?" Consider the possibilities without any limitations. Don't think about what you need to make something possible, not at first; just think about what is possible. Don't worry about failure or the end result. Be an innovator and give it a try with every intent of learning from whatever the outcome is.

Embrace Change!

What if you could start seeing change as an opportunity in disguise? It may be an opportunity for more revenue, for business, or inner growth, or it may simply be an opportunity to learn.

When you say yes to change, you expand your boundaries and open up a whole new world of possibilities. This makes room in your life for something bigger.

Taking small steps outside your comfort zone will help you become familiar with change and eventually embrace it. And then ... watch out! The possibilities truly are endless.

Ride the Waves!

What if you could start to relax when you feel your confidence wane? What if that little dip didn't mean anything?! Think about that for a minute. Life is filled with natural waves – ebbs and flows. Our confidence level isn't any different.

Stop struggling to be different than who you already are. Embrace yourself and your gifts. Play to your strengths. Lean into your brilliance. You're not an imposter just because you don't feel 100% confident 100% of the time. Let those doubts and insecurities roll out with the tide. They'll be back – that's normal – but they don't have to dictate how you act in your business or how you present yourself. Your true nature (your brilliance) is there all the time. Ride the waves instead of being pulled under by them.

Believe in the Future!

What if you no longer set your sights on what others think is "successful"? What if you decide for yourself what success looks and feels like for you in your business and in your life? Ah yes! Now that's a future you can get behind. That's a definition of success that you can look forward to. And it won't cause you to look around in fear of what everyone else is thinking or saying.

Bring all your brilliance to your business and step confidently forward into your amazing future. Become the definition of success that matters most to YOU. And watch that old fear of success song-and-dance slip away for good.

Bottom Line: Your mindset is 100% under your control.

Yes, it takes time to become conscious of your limiting thoughts and learn how to change them. But the effort is well worth your time and energy.

You no longer need be held back from achieving your goals by fear, lack of confidence or self-sabotage.

Imagine how empowered you'll feel when you control how you perceive events, how you respond to challenges, and how you interact with others.

Mindset is a powerful thing. It can lead us astray, steer us away from our strongest hopes and desires or ... help us fulfill our biggest dreams.

Taking time to cultivate a positive mindset can change your life and business. It will lead you to the success you desire.