How To Shift Your Mindset When You Are In A Rut

Is your business in a growth phase? Are you starting to feel overwhelmed and a little less than enthusiastic about your business since you started it?

If the answer is YES then it might be time to do a mindset shift. First, let’s define the word mindset. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Mindset is “a mental attitude or inclination.” Sources of Insight say it this way, “Mindset refers to a particular way of thinking, a set of beliefs, attitudes, and perspectives that shape how we interpret and respond to the world around us.”

The world around us as business owners is our business. I am guessing when you first started your business your mindset was filled with positive dreams, goals, and aspirations. You probably had so much excitement around being your boss and ditching your 9 to 5. Now years later you might find yourself in a rut.

Ideas to shift your mindset

1. Turn to art to inspire new thoughts. This could look like reading a good book about other successful entrepreneurs like Mark Cuban, Oprah, Madame C.J. Walker, and the list goes on.

2. Get moving and listen to a podcast. I like to go for long walks and listen to a business podcast on different topics to shift my thoughts. Entrepreneur on Fire is one of my favorites.

3. Get quiet and think. This is huge. Dr. Eric Thomas always says that making time in your schedule regularly to just think through scenarios is key to being a successful entrepreneur. 

4. Give yourself a new goal. If you have accomplished a goal then it is time to give yourself something new to strive toward and set a new goal. 

5. Reward yourself. Setting daily or weekly rewards for yourself after completing a goal will help to motivate and inspire you.

6. Rediscover your reason for starting a business in the first place. If it was to gain autonomy, money, or status then you should create goals that are deeply tied to your purpose in life. Having a purpose, and a mission statement for why you do what you do will help to keep you motivated and help shift your mindset when you are in a rut. 

Suppose your business is in a growth phase that is a great place to be. However, if you are starting to feel rundown with a lack of energy then it could be time to shift your mindset by using the tips above. Fall in love with your business by discovering your purpose for doing what you do. 

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What Is On Your Mind?

Photo by Monstera Production: https://www.pexels.com/photo/positive-black-mother-with-kids-meditating-together-with-closed-eyes-at-home-7353051/

We often get inundated with images, chatter, and endless distractions that fill our inboxes. There is noise coming from every direction and it can be hard to get clarity to think. As business owners we carry a lot on our shoulders: making sure customers are happy, making sure our team is happy, and making sure we are happy. Yes, this might seem overwhelming, but it is reality, so we must do all we can to protect our mindset. What do I mean?

According to Forbes.com, “Mindset is everything.”Success should no longer be thought of in terms of job title, money in a bank account, and how many degrees are completed. Today's leaders understand the most critical component of career and life satisfaction is their mindset.”

You are a leader. You are a business owner who contributes and influences the community that you reside in. Every time you show up as a representative of your business how you display yourself is a reflection of your business brand. So yes, mindset matters. I won’t give you a ton of tips to review but I will give you 3 tips that might prove useful. 

1. Find something inspirational to re-energize your focus toward goals. This could look like reading or listening to an audiobook about someone you find interesting to see how they overcame some challenging moment in their life. I love listening to motivational speakers and faith-based sermons. 

2. Focus on the small practical goals that you can accomplish and then reward yourself for completing them. For me, this might look like setting a timer to complete a small project and then once I am done I reward myself with a nice stroll outside and a delicious dessert treat later.

3. Get quiet and practice gaining clarity around your thoughts. Yes, this means turning off your phone, TV, and any other distractions. I know this might seem easier said than done but give it a try. If you can’t find quiet in your home then leave for a nice walk outside and enjoy the fresh air. I love putting on YouTube soundscapes of nature sounds or just turning everything off and listening to my thoughts. Do what works best for you.

The world is full of distractions and chatter. It is so important as business owners that we diligently and deliberately carve out moments to regain clarity. When you feel drained and frazzled try finding something to get inspired about, set small goals that have rewards attached to them and finally get quiet to collect your thoughts for the journey ahead.

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It All Starts With A Dream

“The danger in dreaming too small is that you might achieve it.”

Mark Wickersham

It all starts with a dream. There was a time when I wanted to be everything in the world. I remember when I was little someone would ask me what do I want to be when I grow up? I would respond with 50 different occupations and believed that I could be all those things. There was a time I wanted to be a veterinarian until I worked at a vet hospital and became squeamish when I saw a cat getting surgery. In another instance, I wanted to be a teacher and would carry around my folders with papers that needed to be “pretend” graded.

Have you ever been asked that infamous question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

I bet you have. What was YOUR answer? Are you doing that now? Maybe yes or maybe you discovered like I did that what you once thought was the right answer turned out to be the wrong occupation for you. That’s completely fine. We all have a tendency to go through a few iterations of career options before we settle on something that is a good fit for us.

What Is Your Dream?

Are you living your dream life right now? Have you ever asked someone how they are doing and they respond with sarcasm in their voice, “I am living the dream.” My hope for you today is that you take a different approach and start dreaming like you once did as a kid and put action behind those dreams to make them a reality. To help you get in the right frame of mind I have included this link to Simon Sinek’s Ted Talk about Start With Why.

It all starts with a dream but first you need to get motivated by discovering your reason for deciding to become an entrepreneur in the first place.

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3 Tips To Help You Develop An Entrepreneurial Mindset!

Photo by Gerd Altmann from Pexels

What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur? A slew of thoughts come to mind BUT the single most important attribute that you must have in my opinion is an entrepreneurial mindset. What does it mean to have this type of mindset?

According to Inc.com, “It starts with becoming more mindful and connected with what you want and believe in. From here, your business will have a clear direction, you'll be able to sell from an authentic place, and you'll connect more easily to your clients, team, and community.

Building a mindset is the process of taking beliefs that don't serve you and replacing them with ones that do. 

Here are 3 tips to get you started in the right direction:

1. Develop a Positive Attitude - Yes, I know this might sound like a no brainer BUT it is necessary. Things will get tough along your journey and sometimes the only person who is there to cheer you on is yourself. It is natural to get down from time to time and that is why developing a positive attitude will come in handy to help pull yourself out of the dumps and propel forward.

2. Remember your “Why” - Put your vision statement in a place where you are able to review it often so you can remember why you are doing this entrepreneurial journey in the first place. If you need some help with figuring out your “Why” check out Simon Sinek’s TED Talk about this.

3. Surround Yourself With Great Entrepreneurs - Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” So who is in your circle? If you have a bunch of negative nelly’s in your circle then you are shooting yourself in the foot and your friends who are not entrepreneurs are great to have but will not understand what you are facing on this treacherous entrepreneurial journey. So what can you do to fill in the gap? Join business groups online or in person and listen to entrepreneurship type podcasts. My favorite one to listen to on Stitcher is Entrepreneur On Fire by John Lee Dumas.

I hope these tips help you to develop an entrepreneurial mindset that will bring business success!

Keep IT Sunny~