5 Mindset Tips before starting a business
You don't have to start a business to be successful or happy! Most people will never do it, and there’s nothing wrong with that. However if you’re inclined, this decision making period in your life will be some of the most fun you can ever have. You’re in the right place just by reading this.
Sometimes it's hard for me to go back to the basics like this, these principles I engrained in myself when I was 19-22 have become part of me, and they are deeply rooted in my subconscious. But I am passionate about other young entrepreneur minded people out there.
I remember sitting reading ‘Think and grow Rich’, among other books, and feeling the most incredible shift in my soul. This period of intense learning for 2-3 years shaped me, inspired me, and that was I call the honeymoon period. The 5 mindset tips are for people in their honeymoon stage, it does wear off once you get going. But it's also a reminder to people who may be past the honeymoon stage who need a reminder. It’s easy for these principles to be removed slowly from your mind & actions if you don't work to keep these 5 mindset principles ingrained in your mind.
1. Your Business is more Important than You.
You’re asking for something with a 1% chance of success, act accordingly. You need to put the business a level higher on your personal hierarchy of needs than where you put your own comfort. You’re asking for something special. You need to act like you will die if you don't make this start working, FAST! You will be broke, you will have to make sacrifices. Again, the business is more important than you. You will have No money. You will run into problems right away. You’re going to be bad at it. It's going to be draining. This is all the short term expenses, the costs, of asking for something above average in your life...
Your business.
When you start, you have to say no to social obligations. Only minor ones, you’re really not missing anything that important. You’re in the hole. You’re broke and all your financial and emotional energy is being used. Remember however, after a shorter period of time, say 4-5 years, you will be back in the position where you can afford to go to these if you want to financially. With the effort you put in, you may have not reached your goal yet, but you will have the business processes in place & income stream to be right at the same level as your peers. But for you, the ceiling is the fucking moon! You're the one with unlimited potential.
When I started, I couldn't afford to hang out with my friends. I couldn’t spend a day getting ready for a night of drinking. I was in the hole I had nothing. I moved. Eventually I got to the point where I could afford that
So understand this principle, that when you start, your business is more important to you. It’s a newborn infant that is shitting everywhere and will die if you leave it alone. You need to treat it more importantly than you treat yourself.
2. Identify your inner lies, and then call them out.
Most of the times when you hear someone say they don't have the time or money for something, it just means it's not a priority for them, and I mean for anything. Like if you ask a friend to go on spring break to Cancun with you, and they say they don't have the time or money- It means they aren't able to make it a priority. They may want to go but can't get the hours of work, that's what I mean. If they knew the world was ending in 6 month they would go! Of course keeping their job is a higher priority.
A big lie people tell themselves when being close to the honeymoon stage*, is that they are definitely going to start a business, just waiting for the right time. Clear those cobwebs out of your brain!
Timing is all about prioritizing, and you need to prioritize your business over everything. Most of the time, the excuses you tell yourself are valid. But life is going on everyday, you have to be able to say inside your own head; “you’re lying to yourself that you're going to start a business or else you'd do it by now. Right Now!” If you think about it and you’re honest with yourself and you’re FINE with not starting your entrepreneurial journey, that’s okay! Just be truthful with yourself, it's a key mindset principle.
These are the most common things that people will tell themselves as an EXCUSE not to get started: No Money, No Business plans, Waiting for the right partnerships.. All of these are just excuses and you're lying to yourself.
Learn to call yourself out when you’re making excuses to yourself about starting. Especially when you’re not starting because of money, a business plan, or waiting for a partner. Understand you have to force starting your independent life over everything else. If it’s truly your TOP priority, you will ignore your own excuses.
3. Make personal responsibility your initial INSTINCT in all situations..
To have your own business you have to take an unreal amount of responsibility. If the website is down, your fault, the road is closed.. your fault, can't get somewhere because you’re snowed in... Still, your fault! You have to be THIS extreme when it comes to responsibility. Nobody is going to appreciate it.
Responsibility needs to be an INSTINCT. Become responsible for everything in your life. Why?
You have no real safety net with your business, so you don't have time for your brain to default to think “this isn’t FAIR!” This thinking is worthless, especially in a time of desperation where something is going wrong. No, everything doesn't happen for a reason.. You make things happen for your reasons. So when these shitty unexpected setbacks happen, as they always do in business, train your gut reaction to accept that it's somehow your fault. And YOU are strong enough to accept the blame, and work right away to fix the problem. This victim-thinking isn’t worth the energy, it’s useless.
Additional Tip: Don’t have a hater mindset. Hating other will only hurt your brains ability to take personal responsibility
4. You go to work everyday. You’re always in work mode.
When you don't have a boss, nobody is checking on you, there’s no time clock to punch into. You can sleep an extra hour, nobody will know or care. You need to hold yourself accountable. You need to have a routine, get dressed and be at a certain work spot every single day, including weekends. Hopefully, running the business is so invigorating that this shift will be easy. If you feel this, it’s a great sign that this is what you’re meant to be doing. I went from sleeping as long as I could whenever I had the chance, to becoming a 5:00am gym person every morning. It’s easy to just get up and go because I love what I am doing.
Adapt this mentality; You are always working. You’re a master and in full control of your time. You work hard...Even if you're hung over you force yourself to get up, slap on some clothes, and get to your work spot. Go through the motions like you would for school or a job. YOU are somebody who goes to work every single day.
5. Be a Try Hard.
It’s cool to try hard. If you Imagine back in school the stereotype where people would ‘make fun of nerds’ for trying too hard and getting straight A’s. The thought that “partying is cooler than studying, stop trying so hard.” Any type of that silly mindset like that needs to be eliminated from your brain…
It’s cool to try hard. It’s what the mark cubans, garyvees, and even elon musk’s of the world illuminate. Hustle, enjoy the grind, business is a sport played 24 hours a day & 7 days a week… Be the sweaty kid in gym class who went all out, preach hard work, go after it all the time.
Why is this guy so competitive? People may say that about you and you laugh understanding it's a compliment. You’ll have to be comfortable ruffling some feathers, dealing with conflits, and constantly putting yourself out there without shame. That’s the final mindset tip that makes this all work.
Try Hard, become comfortable in the skin of a person who is making moves in this world.
Develop these 5 mindset tips early in your entrepreneurial honeymoon stage!
Your Business is more Important than You.
Identify your inner lies, and then call them out.
Make personal responsibility your initial INSTINCT in all situations..
You go to work everyday. You’re always in work mode.
Be a Try Hard.
It’s fun to try hard in life. Adapt these 5 Mindsets and your life will be so fun and rewarding.
*Honeymoon Stage: The time in your life when you start to develop these mindset, and make them part of yourself. Noticing their power feels so freeing and incredible- this euphoria is the honeymoon stage.