Do you wake up and jump out of bed, ready to seize the day? Or do you think “I can’t do this” and bury yourself under the covers? (You would not be the first small-business owner to admit this.)
Anyone that says running your own business is a breeze, is lying! Or at least, not admitting to the 101 times when it all just feels “too much”. However, these limiting thoughts and limiting beliefs about yourself and your capabilities actually restrict your progress and success. They do more harm than good.
The mindset we bring to work and to our day, every day, is the single thing that affects whether we are surviving or thriving.
It’s all about you
Impacts and outcomes in your business, your relationships and your life all start and end with you. If you aren’t aware of yourself, and the attitude you’re bringing to work, how can you effectively lead yourself? If you’re not effectively leading yourself, then how can you effectively lead others?
Remember, your people are your biggest asset when it comes to the success of your business. As American businesswoman Mary Kay Ash once said, ‘A company is only as good as the people it keeps.’
This begins by gaining awareness of the thoughts, beliefs and values that drive your decisions, behaviours and actions. What are your motivators, passions and goals in life? How do you respond to triggers, stressors and difficult situations?
It is important to achieve clarity about why we do what we do in our business and in our lives. If we have a clear vision of purpose and meaning, we are more likely to maintain our mindset, negotiate challenges and make good choices.
Continual self-growth through learning and education is another key component of successful leading yourself. You’ve got to actively search for the right support and solutions, educating yourself in the areas you identify as gaps.
Identifying these areas for growth, then connecting with the right professionals to fill those gaps will accelerate your success, as well as continuously maintain your health and happiness.
What you focus on
Cultivating a growth mindset could be the single most important thing you ever do to help you achieve success. When things go wrong (and, inevitably, they will), you’ll have the internal resources and resilience to see these challenges as opportunities.
As Carol Dweck explains in Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, “The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset. This is the mindset that allows people to thrive during some of the most challenging times in their lives.”
So some questions to ask yourself now include:
- Is my current mindset serving me well?
- Is it positive, confident, inspiring and encouraging?
- Or does it need some work?
Creating a positive growth mindset takes real work, which requires real courage. It takes commitment and investment into education, practice and the right support.
As author Roy T. Bennett said, “There are no limits to what you can achieve on your journey through life, except in your mind.”
Believe that you can implement the actions required to move forward because you absolutely can.
Anastasia Massouras, CEO, Work Happy and Founder, Pure Insights
