3 Mindset Secrets to Achieving Small Business Success
Recently, I read a piece in the USA Today on the 11 secrets to small business success. There are all kinds of articles like these online, ranging in number count and content with the “secrets” as largely common knowledge to small business owners such as taking time to unplug or hiring a good team. In this particular listicle, I appreciated the last tip about believing in what you do. As an entrepreneur, the going does get tough and when things are difficult, it can be tempting to throw in the towel and give up. It’s what you do next—how you approach and handle the situation—that makes all of the difference.
Some of the best-kept secrets to success all have to do with your mindset. Rather than leave it up to making the right moves or connections, here’s how you can shift your mental state right now to put yourself on a path to victory.
“You become what you believe you will become.”
This is a phrase that my parents taught me when I was growing up and it still rings true to my life as an adult. You can achieve so much in your life if you believe in yourself, surround yourself with positive, like-minded individuals, and work hard. Reaching your dreams doesn’t happen overnight, so you must practice patience and stay focused on the task at hand. The combination of believing in yourself and hard work will ultimately pay off—and usually, what you become will be far better than you could have imagined.
Go all in with your team.
Some CEOs go golfing in the middle of the workday, take a nap or extended lunch, or don’t show up to the office at all for long stretches of time. Others are right there on the ground floor with their employees. I’m in the latter of these two types of CEOs, sitting out on the floor and working alongside my team. It’s inspiring to see a boss working just as everyone else with an attitude that they’re here to get the job done. There’s no workload that is too “beneath” you to tackle. If you’re not already rolling up your sleeves and of the mentality that teamwork makes the dream work, get there ASAP.
Taking the time to breathe.
I practice Pilates, where breathing is one of the fundamental core beliefs of the exercise. Pilates teaches you how to inhale to move and exhale through the exertion. It gives you a whole new perspective for the act of breathing, which admittedly most of us don’t stop to think about all that often.
Consider what your behavior is like during stressful moments when you pause to breathe versus when you don’t. If you pause, you are able to take a moment of time to yourself to regain clarity. If you don’t, you are more inclined to start panicking and might even struggle to breathe entirely. Try not to sweat the small—or big—stuff as an entrepreneur. If you accidentally forget and let it slip, remember that you can always take time out to breathe and calm and collect yourself.
