Running a business is one of the hardest things you’ll ever do.
It may not be as tough as going to the front lines in combat or rushing into a burning building to save a family, but it’s pretty damn close to the top of the list.
That’s because as an entrepreneur, everything depends on you.
When you miss the mark on revenue, it often means that while your employees still get paid, you may not. It also means your investments into your business may not always return a positive ROI. And it means you have to shoulder 100% of the emotional burdens that come with being an entrepreneur.
The anxiety, uncertainty, frustration, fear, and rage are all yours alone to deal with. You can’t show your emotions because your team is looking to you as the leader. Emotions are contagious, and when you fail to present anything other than confidence, certainty, and optimism, it degrades morale.
That puts entrepreneurs in a tough spot.
Most of us have no one who truly understands our situation, and we have no one we can be vulnerable with. That means we have not one to ask for advice and we have no one to vent to.
Part of that problem is caused by not building a strong network of other entrepreneurs. That’s something I partially addressed in a previous article here, and I also plan to write a comprehensive article about building a network specifically for this purpose shortly.
But there is another component to that problem, and it’s mindset.
This is something we have to be especially intentional about, because every piece of content you consume, everyone you engage with, and every thought you have affects your mindset—either positively or negatively.
That being said, there are a few strategies I’ve used to get out of my own head and build and nurture a strong mindset that helps me to be a more effective entrepreneur.
Stop doomscrolling now!
Look, we all do it from time to time, but the reality is that most of us spend far too much time mindlessly scrolling on social media, and more often than not, we’re consuming the kind of content that will weaken our mindset.
You know exactly what I’m talking about—the news, whether it’s articles or videos, designed specifically to get us riled up, as well as rage bait from random creators. This content leverages our emotions, often focusing on the negative side, to get us to engage.
And the bigger problem is that the type of content we linger on, or worse yet, engage on, is then shown to us more frequently.
That programs our minds in a negative way.
So stop doing that, and instead, use social media more intentionally. Set a schedule for when you’ll go on social media and what you’ll do while there.
Of course you can catch up with friends and family, engage with business associates, and grow your personal network—but skip the doomscrolling.
Focus on gratitude
It’s easy to dwell on all the things that are going wrong or the challenges you’re facing, but that requires your brain in a way that’s detrimental to you.
Don’t get the wrong idea here—I’m definitely not saying to stick your head in the sand and pretend that everything is perfect. That’s a surefire way to get destroyed as an entrepreneur.
But you need to make a conscious effort to think about all of the good in your life.
An approach that’s worked well for me is to make a list of all the things you’re grateful for. This might include:
- Significant accomplishments
- Your family and friends
- Previous challenges you’ve overcome
- Accolades from others
The key is to be specific. It’s not enough to say that you’re grateful for your spouse, for example. Instead, you might say that you’re grateful that you have a spouse who is loving and supportive and believes in you.
You’ll want to write these down, either on paper or in a document, and read them each morning. It can also help to read them anytime you’re feeling down, fearful, or angry, as well as before you make a major decision.
This helps to rewire your brain in a way that empowers you.
Practice visualization
Visualization is the concept of imagining yourself doing something from start to finish, along with the outcome.
This can have a far greater impact on your mindset than you might think, even though it may sound like hippy rainbow mysticism.
In fact, there have been numerous studies conducted by well known and highly respected medical institutions that show even when only visualizing exercise, study participants actually increased in strength.
So invest a few minutes each day visualizing yourself taking on the challenges you’re facing and overcoming them. Imaging the actions you would take, the conversations you would have, and the outcomes you want to create.
You can do this in general, and you can also do it for smaller specific situations, like a tough negotiation, overcoming a setback, or landing a particular client.
This works because while logically you know you’re just imagining these scenarios, your subconscious can’t tell the difference, which rewires your brain in a powerful way.
Like Ben Affleck said in the 2000 movie, Boiler Room, “Act as if…”
If you practice visualization, your brain will subconsciously think you’ve already achieved the desired outcome due to your own actions, giving you a much stronger mindset and helping you to achieve your goals in the real world more effectively.
