Mindset Shifts: Why do They Matter?

Entrepreneurship comes with its own set of challenges. If you’re new to owning a business, it’s a bit of a culture shock. It’s a completely different animal than being an employee for someone else. To accommodate for the change in priorities and work, it helps to shift your mindset.

Mindset shifts replace one set of beliefs with another. The set of beliefs you're shifting from doesn’t serve you or your goals as well as the new mindset shift. Mindset shifts help you deal with the challenges that come with entrepreneurship. It helps you have a stronger, healthier frame of mind.

Read on to hear about some of the most beneficial mindset shifts for entrepreneurships. If you’re looking for more information on mindset shifts, you can check out my writing course.

Consistency

Consistency was one of my biggest mindset goals as a new business owner. It’s hard to find the time to run an entire business when you have a full-time job, too. When I thought of it as a big picture, it became overwhelming. My mountain of tasks were always high and my time to complete them was low.

So instead of focusing on my to-do list, I made a mindset shift to focus on consistency. I broke my larger tasks into smaller tasks. I blocked my time through small windows. I listened to creator podcasts on my commute. I wrote deliverables on my lunch breaks. I had my meetings at night.

I focused on completing one task at a time, month after month. By the end of the year, I had finished my writing course, had multiple clients, and was doing well on LinkedIn. All while working full-time. The key was a mindset shift towards consistency.

Rejection

Writers have to deal with a lot of rejection. There’s no way around it. As a new writer, you’ll get rejection after rejection letter. And those are the polite ones. Sometimes, you won’t even receive a rejection letter.

Rejection hurts. It can make you question your self-worth. You start wondering if you’re even cut out to be a writer. Or if you should just head back to the bedside where you belong.

Instead of getting caught up in rejection, shift that mindset. Remember that they aren’t rejecting you as a person and you’re self-worth. You may have been the runner-up or they may have been over-run with applicants. Instead of internalizing rejection, just let it roll right off your back.

Learning Mindset

The learning mindset will serve writers well. With this mindset, you accept that you will likely be a lifelong learner. Learning won’t stop after your academic years. This is particularly true as an entrepreneur.

I’ve taken two university level writing certificate programs in the past few years. I listen to courses in the car. Creator podcasts while cooking. I’m learning about marketing, sales, and even advanced pharmacology.

As a business owner, you’ll be in charge of plenty of tasks outside of your wheelhouse. So, you’ll have to find the educational resources to succeed. Embracing the learning mindset will serve you well in that journey.

Growth Mindset

Jumping off of the learning mindset, there are two other types of mindsets: the growth mindset and the fixed mindset. The fixed mindset believes intelligence is static. People with a fixed mindset don’t want to be challenged and they often ignore feedback. They stick to what they know, and they give up when they feel frustrated.

People with a growth mindset are the opposite. They see intelligence as something that can improve with time. Failure is an opportunity and challenges help them grow. These people like to learn new things, and they appreciate constructive criticism.

As a business owner, you will face your fair share of challenges. You will face feedback and be expected to adapt. You can choose to resist it, you can see it as an opportunity for growth.

Opportunity Mindset

The opportunity mindset focuses on being proactive. Instead of waiting for things to happen, you make them happen. People with an opportunity mindset reach out to those editors directly. They use their famine periods to work on their business.

The opportunity mindset will serve you well as a business owner. You’ll be responsible for finding clients, new relationships, and driving your market forward. Seeing opportunities in every corner can help you.

Summary

Entrepreneurship is tough. But the right mindset shifts can help you look for the sunshine on the gloomiest of days. Try to focus on growing your business instead of stopping at every roadblock. See opportunities where you can. Be consistent every day with little tasks to meet larger goals later on in the year. Don’t take rejection personally. Keep these mindset shifts in mind, and your first few years of being an entrepreneur will be much smoother.