The truth is you don’t have to actually be an entrepreneur nor own your own business in order to benefit greatly from adopting an entrepreneurial mindset.
There is no denying that for the majority of people these are uncertain times. Industry shakeups are common, as is career change, either of our own choosing or those outside our control. We can go on and on about how unfair it is, or we can do something that can actually have a positive impact in our life.
So let’s spend the remainder of our time here in this article giving you an actionable plan you can put to use that will move you from feeling out of control in your life — to an understanding that through your willingness to adapt and grow in spite of the curve balls and challenges which life inevitably throws your way that you can emerge better than if you simply follow conventional wisdom, or adopted the role of victim.
I realize what I am saying is going to ruffle some feathers. Sadly, it is far easier to sit back and accept the line that others are selling us. That things aren’t fair. That we can’t possibly move past life’s negatives and pick ourselves up and if necessary begin again. Of course we can. And friend, unless we get back to fully embracing that we can do just that life is going to continue to be filled with difficulties and more tough times.
Assuming you are are willing to take responsibility for unleashing your greatness the next important step is for you to adopt the mindset of an entrepreneur.
Understand that to do this I am not saying you have to ever actually begin your own business. Here I am talking about having the mindset of one, as opposed to actually having to be one.
How does that work you ask?
The entrepreneur understands that they have the ability to take an idea and either breathe new life into it, or they can improve upon an existing idea. Typically they do this through businesses they start, or buy into. There are a number of empowering advantages the entrepreneur has over their counterparts. Not the least of which is that they realize they are in control of their own destiny — and doing certain things are likely to give them greater odds that they will be successful. Things such as treating their customers well and delivering the highest quality service all lead to a greater sense of security for them. Likewise they know they aren’t going to fare well if they neglect doing those things.
Here are some shifts you can make in your thinking which will lead to your acquiring an entrepreneurial mindset…
1) Treat your employer as your biggest customer.
Even though you might have a traditional job, you can still adopt an entrepreneurial outlook by doing the same things you would if your current job was your most important client or customer. This may seem strange, but if you can shift your thinking it will really serve you well. The entrepreneur knows the client is their financial life blood. They are always looking for ways to deliver value to their clients. They understand that if they cease to be valuable then that leaves room for others to come in and replace them. This is also true in your career or job. Gone are the days where we can hope to land a job and just move through it, getting promoted based on our time with the company. We live in a time where opportunities go to those largely based on results and the measurable production they bring to the work they do. We can either try to fight this reality and complain about it, or we can accept it and move forward and make it work for us.
Think about it. If you were in business for yourself, wouldn’t you treat your most important customer with kid gloves? Wouldn’t you go above the call of duty to keep them happy? Sure you would, because you know if they decided to take their business elsewhere then it could have a direct effect on your income. Well, I hope you can see that’s not a whole lot different than how it is with your employer right?
Believe me if you begin going above and beyond in your career, treating it as though it is your most important customer you are going to see more opportunity and advancement come your way.
2) Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Hint, having only one client or customer is the equivalent of having only one basket. This one is pretty self explanatory. If you only have one source of income or one primary set of skills you aren’t near as secure as the person who has options. Consider having a side business or taking on freelance work occasionally. If that doesn’t interest you at least make a point to develop additional skills. Even if you never use them professionally they can still serve to make you more effective in your current job or day to day life. Honing your skillset gives you added confidence which only helps you. Make it a point to take inventory of your skills. Actively develop them and don’t be afraid to acquire new ones. Don’t wait until life throws you a curveball — instead invest in yourself through personal and professional development before you need it. Then if you never do all the better, but at least you’re prepared either way.
3) They are relentless in their pursuit.
This is self explanatory. Things that are worthwhile take effort and stick-to-it-ness to achieve. Certainly you want to course correct as needed, but understand that you need to put forth effort in your pursuits. It is during the pursuit that we grow and figure out how to overcome and ultimately reach our intended destination. Life’s challenges teach us to grow through them.
4 ) They know there is more than one way to go about achieving their goal.
As we discussed above, they are willing to course correct as necessary rather than quit on their idea if their initial plan doesn’t work out.
5) They develop and follow a plan.
Yet they also know that taking action as quickly as possible on their plan is imperative. They bridge the gap between the time it takes to think up and plan the idea and how long it actually takes to take action and execute on the idea.
6) Smart entrepreneurs delegate to those who are the most qualified and talented in given areas.
They don’t try to do everything themselves. Notice, I said “smart entrepreneurs”, not all entrepreneurs. The reason is that a lot of entrepreneurs mistakenly try to take care of everything themselves. This is the last thing you want to do because there will always be a point where you’re no longer able to scale or grow your efforts effectively.
7) Avoid stagnation.
Strive to learn new skills and improve. We touched on this above, but it is worth digging into more deeply. Be a student of personal and professional development. No matter where you are in your professional life commit to learning new things. Growth is absolutely essential if you want to live up to your full potential.
Developing or changing a mindset isn’t something you can do by simply reading this once and hoping it sticks. It is done through repetitive actions and applying the ideas above and integrating them into your daily life. If you’ll do that, and are willing to apply these ideas you can expect to fully develop the entrepreneurial mindset. As a result of adopting this mindset you can expect it to serve you in a powerful way. It is an ongoing commitment, but with it comes many lasting benefits ranging from increased security to a more fully lived life journey.
Print off the ideas above and review them on a regular basis. Each day as the opportunity presents itself look to apply what you learn. If you will do so I am confident you’ll be infinitely better off for having done so.
It’s Your Life, LIVE BIG
Josh Hinds
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Author: Josh Hinds
Josh Hinds is the founder of GetMotivation.com where he inspires people to live intentional lives. He is the author of It's Your Life, LIVE BIG
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