10 Mindset Shifts Every Entrepreneur Should Make

Being in business for yourself and forging your own path is pretty exciting, isn’t it? It takes creativity, curiosity and action-oriented individuals to dive into the world of entrepreneurship. Now, success looks different for everyone, but it is not just about the bottom line. Seriously.

As an entrepreneur, have you ever thought about how your mindset is impacting your business? If not, now is the time to do a reset and implement some simple yet impactful shifts into your business. Taking the time to focus on your mindset and do some deep inner work and reflecting can make your path to success the one of least resistance, and one that you can actually enjoy and learn from in the process.

Jumping straight from idea to action can actually create a ton of unnecessary stress and negative emotions. There is opportunity in that space between idea and action that you can take serious advantage of, and place yourself strides ahead of others. Here are 10 tips and shifts you should make and understand NOW as an entrepreneur.

1. Recognize that change is hard

Know that any change you make starts internally and guess what? Our brains hate it. This is neuroscience, and there is comfort and security knowing that any change, even when it’s happy and exciting for us, can cause physiological discomfort. Knowing this can help you be more patient with yourself as operating a business means there is A LOT of change happening, and will continue to happen. Don’t try and ignore these feelings—acknowledge them, and understand why they are there, then KEEP GOING.

2. Deal with imposter syndrome

This is undoubtedly something that all entrepreneurs experience. So let’s shift ourselves out of this mindset right off the bat. Here is the thing—imposter syndrome is cured by consistency, but consistency is one of the hardest things to work through when you are experiencing these feelings. You end up in a cycle that feels SO hard to break because your inner imposter is providing you with negative feedback and doubt, which makes it difficult to remain consistent in your content, and you end up in this constant loop. What can you do? Separate facts from feelings, focus on the positive, try visualization techniques and lastly—celebrate every win and milestone along the way.

3. Trust the process

We must accept that we will face frustrations, hardships and even complete disasters along our journeys. Trusting the process means we can take these as lessons and have faith to keep moving forward anyways. The reality is, we are ALWAYS in process. This is never ending. Trusting this will help in resilience, confidence and patience. Being persistent and positive can take you a long way, when a lot of people would otherwise quit.

4. Live with intention

Time is a precious resource and one we need to be intentional with. You need to dream big, pay attention and set goals (we will get to this). Whenever you are doing something, ask yourself if it is bringing you closer to your goals or further from them. By making this shift, you are empowering yourself to not pay attention to or spend time on anything that could pointlessly drain your time and resources.

5. Embody a growth mindset

When we perceive challenges as learning opportunities, and value the process over the result, we are more likely to stay positive, motivated and productive. When we open ourselves up to growth, we stop comparing ourselves to others, and instead start learning from them. We stop seeking external approval, and start being curious about improvement. Remember—it’s about progress, NOT perfection.

6. Know your why

As Simon Sinek says, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” I cannot stress how important this mindset shift is. This is so integral to what you are doing as a business owner. I highly recommend watching his TED talk on this and reading his book, Start with Why. Knowing the WHY behind what you do informs our purpose and decision making. By tapping into this deeper motivation, you will help clear a much easier path forward for yourself in life and in business.

7. Remove your fear of failure

Failure is not personal. When you believe this, the word failure will never again be a part of your vocabulary. Instead, reframe these instances as learning opportunities and a chance to practice that growth mindset. How can I do better? What can be improved? What was learned from this? Again, focusing on the positive and understanding that this is part of the process (see how this is all connected?!) will help you through to the next steps. Don’t sit in it too long—analyze, learn, improve and move on.

8. Set SMARTER goals

Goals are essential to your success. They focus our attention on desirable outcomes, and in business, that equates to profitability and success. There are proven methods to setting up goals that will make them more attainable. One of those methods is creating SMARTER goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-based, ethical & rewarding. Not sure how to do this? I can help you come up with a plan to execute your goals with ease and success.

9. Aim for quality over quantity

You cannot master every aspect of your business, whether it's product- or service-based, all at once. Slow down. It is much better to execute a few things flawlessly than to try and do it all, and have it all come out of the pipeline being nothing more than mediocre. Go back to tips 1 through 8, and narrow your goals down to a few things you can completely master before moving onto the next.

10. Step into your power

We all have innate strengths that are naturally ingrained in us, yet most of us spend our time focusing on our deficits and weaknesses. This is a real disservice to yourself. Instead, focus on what you are REALLY good at, and find ways to leverage these traits and skills in your life and business. This mindset shift will encourage productivity and can be incredibly influential. YOU are powerful. This also means that sometimes, you might want to outsource help to certain experts when you need it. Seeking help is a sign of strength, and getting it with the areas of your business that you may not be the best person for is a real mindset shift you need to embrace.

By taking the time to work on your mindset with your business and what you want to achieve with it, you are providing yourself with some essential tools to keep in your tool belt that will ultimately propel your business forward with more ease and success. If you are not entirely sure how to implement these tips and shifts in your business or life, visit my website or Instagram to book a free consultation, and let’s get you started!

About the Author

Hi! I’m Vicky, owner of Victoria May Coaching. I help women and leaders build strong inner foundations and prosperous mindsets to live through in our lives and businesses. As a certified life coach & trained leader, I now place my attention on my fellow woman, showing them how to be the best version of themselves, set masterfully thought goals and teach them true self care.