Being in control of your thoughts will influence how you live your life.
As an entrepreneur coach, the people I work with who are able to control their mindset are always the ones who are more successful.
Things will always happen that are out of your control, and every day will have its own set of challenges. You’re not going to have a great day every single day. You can, however, control how you respond to whatever each day throws at you.
One of my favorite quotes is from Napoleon Hill, author of the book Think and Grow Rich:
“If you fail to control your own mind, you may be sure that you will control nothing else.”
When you train your mind for success, you’ll have the ability to overcome any obstacles that come your way.
I’ve watched this scenario play out a hundred times: A talented, smart entrepreneur with all the tools they need to succeed except a positive mindset, and a less talented person who lacks some of the resources they need to succeed, yet they have a positive mindset. Who do you think comes out on top? The person with a positive mindset, because they believe in themselves and will do whatever it takes to succeed.
We’ve all been around people who are Debbie Downers, looking at life through a negative lens. These people can suck the life out of you if you let them. Have you ever found yourself complaining along with them without even realizing it? That’s what happens when you surround yourself with the wrong people in the wrong environment.
I recently met with a coaching client who has everything she needs to succeed. She’s built a personal brand and has an amazing following in a private Facebook group who love her content. The group is active and they want what she has to offer, but she still let self-doubt creep in, causing her to stop engaging in the group. She let the negative thoughts in her mind take over and allowed them to impede her progress and derail her momentum.
Things like this will happen in your career from time to time, and it’s totally normal, but you can’t let it throw you off the path you’ve worked so hard to pave for yourself. When mental blocks arise, something goes wrong or negative thoughts start to creep in, you have to get back up, put a smile on your face, and retrain your mind to visualize the potential positive outcomes. You have to picture yourself at the top of your game, making the money you want to make and living your best life.
It might feel unnatural at first, but you have to start shifting your mindset to reflect the belief that you were made to succeed. After all, someone is going to succeed in your niche market, so why shouldn’t it be you? I don’t wake up every morning feeling like a rock star who is going to conquer the day, but I do know how to get myself into that state of mind: By creating a great morning routine that sets me up for success.
My morning routine involves waking up early, working out, and then getting ready and listening to an uplifting podcast or music. I get to the office early so I’m not stressed about my day and I make a plan for what I’m going to do first. I find that the busier I am, the more productive I am.
It’s important to create an environment both at work and in your personal life that’s supportive to your growth. Negativity breeds negativity, so pay close attention to your environment and the people you spend your time with. Are they uplifting and supportive of your endeavors, or do they tear you down or complain about life? We all have people that we’re forced to be around that may be negative (a family member, neighbor or mom at your kid’s school) and there’s no getting away from them. What do you do when the negative talk starts? Don’t feed into it, instead, change the subject or say something positive about the situation. If you always turn a negative into a positive they will start to realize it and won’t complain around you anymore.
Why do some people seem to have it all? The successful business, the perfect family, the perfect body – it seems they have everything they want in life while others can’t catch a break. It all comes down to their mindset: If you think you can accomplish greatness, you will accomplish greatness. On the other hand, if you think you will lose, you probably will.
I never launched a business thinking it might not be successful. I knew my businesses would take off because I knew I would do whatever it took to make them succeed. Self-doubt can ruin your dreams, and while I failed many times and made mistakes, I always pivoted and got back up and tried again, knowing I would eventually succeed.
My daughter’s high school soccer team played in the state finals a few years ago. I had a talk with my daughter and some of her teammates before the game. Both teams were incredibly talented – any given day one could win the game over the other. It was ultimately going to come down to who wanted it more and who had the winning mindset. We’ve all heard stories of professional athletes visualizing themselves winning before tey ever step foot on the court or field. I gave my daughter that same advice: Visualize yourself playing the absolute best game of your life, running as fast as you can, stopping every ball that comes your way – and that’s exactly what she did! They won the state title 3 to 2, and the skill level shown by both teams on the field was equal, but her team wanted it more. They fought hard and had a winning mindset before the game even started.
What a great lesson in life: Visualize it before it happens!
Visualize yourself living in your dream home with financial freedom, getting to do the things you love to do. This is the most important step in becoming a successful entrepreneur.
Here are 5 proven ways to keep a positive mindset:
- Embrace your existence in the present moment instead of always thinking there is something better or you will be happy when you reach a certain milestone. As an entrepreneur, you are never finished. Celebrate all of your successes along the way.
- You can be your own worst critic or your biggest fan. You are in control of your thoughts! Don’t let other people’s comments shape the way you view yourself. Try to avoid harping on:
- What your parents or other kids in school told you growing up
- Comparing yourself to others who are successful in your field
- Things you tell yourself based on past rejection
- You become what you think. If you are constantly thinking negatively, you will become that. Start every day with positive affirmations about yourself, your career, your family, your life! We all have so much to be grateful for so instead of thinking of all of the things we don’t have, think of all of the positive things we do have! Enjoy the journey!
- You can create a positive state by controlling your thoughts. If you have a negative thought enter your head, cast it down with a positive thought until you train your mind
- Turn failures into opportunities to learn and improve for next time!
Visualize success – It activates the law of attraction, thereby drawing into your life the people, support, and circumstances you will need to realize your goals! How do you create the winning mindset every day?
Visualizing success activates the law of attraction, thereby drawing into your life the people, support and circumstances you’ll need to realize your goals. How do you create a winning mindset every day?
10 ways to have growth mindset:
- Be accountable for yourself
- Don’t be concerned with what others are doing or with what they have
- Develop a personal brand by becoming the expert in your field, the go-to in your industry
- Don’t focus on your failures. We all fail. Use them as an opportunity to grow
- Be willing to put in 100% of your effort until you scale up your business
- Work with the niche that you love, those you can solve a major problem for
- Focus on creating raving fans vs. making money. If you have raving fans (customers and employees) the money will come.
- Don’t be perfect, be fast! If you wait on perfection your customers will pass you by.
- Be grateful for the season you are in. Don’t think that happiness only comes when you reach your goals. Celebrate the small wins along the way!
- Know your purpose! Be aware of your skills and your purpose in business and in life!
