Want to be successful? Check your mindset!

I have been on this entrepreneurial journey for at least 10 years. I didn’t realize it until now, but I have been. The only difference is that back then it looked like a car battery: struggling to come to life, stopping and starting, sputtering to life, and then suddenly dying. The one thing that has changed is my mindset.

Every time there was a novel idea that sparked my interest, I would go all gung-ho: did all the research, saw if it would fit in with my personal goals, and ask a bunch of people to join the project. Next thing you know, it was shelved. Interestingly, I always asked the same bunch of people, so no wonder it never took off. It’s not their fault, not everybody can or wants to become an entrepreneur, and that’s OK!

Fast forward to today, and there has been a lot of changes. Life has a way of doing that to you. But it was looking at my business idea from a different perspective, that made it look doable and exciting, and adventurous. Here’s where my mindset has always played a part.

I have been an optimist for as long as I can remember. Always looking at life from the bright side, which is probably the reason why my desire to do something on my own never diminished. How was this mindset different than before? Why it made things look easier? Welcome to your reptilian brain.

What is the reptilian brain?

It is the part of the brain that is concerned with self-preservation. It wants to keep you safe so it won’t allow you to take any risks and keeps your mindset stuck in its own ways.

Look at the environment around you and ask yourself whether it encourages you to try new things.

How to assess your mindset:

Think about these questions for a while. Are you…?

• Surrounded by a fail-forward mindset?
• Encouraged to try over and over again?
• Under pressure to always deliver a perfect product on time?
• Shamed for making mistakes, and even if you do make mistakes, do you recover quickly?

Here’s how you can change your mindset:

• Attach a feeling to your goal
• Think about it with intention
• Visualize your goal: your subconscious does not realize that it hasn’t happened yet
• Take action: start doing all those things on your list

It’s not like I didn’t know what a mindset was. I have known it as visualizing and positive thinking. What is scary is we’re not used to seeing results so quickly.

As a self-proclaimed procrastinator, it’s scary to see things that you imagined come to life so quickly. What I realized, is that I can change my mindset when I start listening to or watching other people do positive things. Seeing things happening for them makes me feel encouraged and the need to pursue things. This has forced me to be outside my comfort zone, so then I began to see results.

When you stop worrying about what other people will say and focus on your action list, you begin to see results. As you put yourself out there and not take everything personally, you begin to see changes. And, when you keep on taking action, let go of fear, and start to enjoy the process, you´ll begin to see results.

That voice in your head that tells you that you are not worthy, you are not capable or you cannot handle it – tell it to shut up. You CAN handle it! You ARE capable! You ARE worthy! Now go out there and just do it!

Share this on Facebook and be a source of inspiration to those who might need a mindset checkup!