10 Ways to Develop an Entrepreneurial Mindset

1. Give yourself permission to THINK BIG. 
I love hanging with entrepreneurially-minded people because they THINK BIG. It comes naturally to them and it’s contagious! When I encourage clients to think BIG, they immediately tell me they already do. Yet, when we really look at their thoughts we see how much they hold back. If you want to grow this year, go for it! Let yourself THINK BIG—don’t hold anything back. Thinking BIG requires we throw aside negative thinking, limiting beliefs, and the lies we tell ourselves. Give yourself permission to think without limits.

2. Ask QUESTIONS.
We don’t know all the answers and we NEVER will. By asking questions we find out what we don’t know and what others do know. We may even identify the next GREAT idea. Asking good questions is a skill we can develop and once we ask good questions, we must shut our mouths and LISTEN.

3. Be IN the moment.
I love watching new entrepreneurs live in the first months of their business. One of the things that happens is that they begin to focus and live in the moment. Prior to their idea coming to life, they may have been chasing shiny things, but when the right idea surfaces they FOCUS and get present IN the moment. There’s always a shiny thing we could chase, something else we could be doing, and yet when we constantly focus on what’s next we miss the moment. Be present in your growth, be IN the conversations, and be “RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.” This present moment has so much to teach us. Opportunities are present—don’t miss them. 

4. Take ACTION every day. 
I have heard it said a million times—entrepreneurs and successful people do today what others aren’t willing to do. We don’t grow by talking about doing stuff. We have to DO stuff, and we must do the right stuff. To grow a business or ourselves, we have to be people of action— doing the things that move the business forward every single day. Don’t put off what you must do to grow today. Do it NOW!

5. Get FEEDBACK regularly from people you trust. 
Most entrepreneurs have a coach or advisory board to help them grow. They know they can’t see their own blind spots and they reach out for help. Getting honest feedback from people we trust will help us avoid pitfalls and setbacks. It is not always easy to hear what others have to say, but it is valuable. Let other people into your growth, share your ideas with them, and listen to what they have to say. The key is choosing wisely who you listen to. Surround yourself with positive, action-orientated people who have what you want.

6. Downsize the EGO. 
Entrepreneurs (and human beings) struggle with their egos. They can be too big or too small and they can easily get out of whack. Our ego is getting in the way whether we think we’re “all that” or if we think we’re “less than” the rest of the world. To downsize our ego, we must choose to see ourselves as we are—not better than or less than everyone else. Doing so allows us to work with less distraction and opens us up to all the world has to teach us. When we accept we’re part of something bigger and we embrace our own area of brilliance, we can set the world on fire.

7. Seek out INSPIRING people.
Entrepreneurs are often forced to begin hanging out with new people because they get negative feedback from the current people in their lives. Entrepreneurs intentionally seek out inspiring people. If we want to be inspired or challenged, we need to surround ourselves with people who are inspiring and challenging. This seems like a no-brainer, yet too often we don’t do it. It’s hard to let go of relationships that no longer serve you and to distance yourself from people who’ve been your go-to’s for a long time. But when I see people take off in life or business, it’s usually because they purposefully decided to hang with people who were heading where they wanted to go. Who we spend our time with matters a great deal.

8. READ things that are outside your area of expertise. 
We get so tunneled into our own discipline areas, and that’s a good thing. Yet if we want to grow and open ourselves to new opportunities, spending time learning things outside our area of expertise will help us to grow. Read new content, listen to podcasts, and attend events that discuss topics or are in industries you normally don’t hang in.

9. Break some RULES. 
Entrepreneurs are willing to break rules and take risks to do things differently. It’s scary to step outside the norm. You may feel fear and others may try to squash your dreams. Yet the magic lies in breaking the “rules” we have set for ourselves or that others have set for us. To do great things we must break from the status quo and go beyond normal.

10. Go all in! 
I remember starting our business. It was the scariest thing we ever did and the best thing we ever did. We did not take a foolish risk, but when we calculated the risk we were about to take and did the math, we decided to GO ALL IN. It was the best decision of our lives. Going all in means I get off the fence. I stop saying “someday” and I DO IT. Now is the time. If there is something you feel you MUST do, then do it NOW.