Being an entrepreneur is far from glamorous. It is often filled with sleepless nights, multi-tasking, stress and overwhelm. From the outside looking in, things may appear as if it is all roses and lollipops, an easy journey that anyone can handle. But entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart.  Ask even the most successful entrepreneurs if it was easy – most will undoubtedly shake their head. 

Some of this overwhelm and stress comes from the self-limiting beliefs that play on a continuous loop in our minds. Your mind can be your best buddy or worst enemy. This outline will help you decide if your brain is really friend or foe when it comes to the success of your business. 

1. The belief that hard work and hustle lead to success

So many entrepreneurs wear this as a badge of honor. I should know. I did this for a long long time. I was one of those people that swore no one would ever out work me. Instead of bringing me success it was a recipe for disaster. All this mindset did for me was run me into the ground. 

So– if you think that “hard work” and “hustle” is all it takes, then I suggest you go out and get a job digging ditches. There will be plenty of hard work for you – and working hard in this arena will probably pay off. 

I am not telling you that you should never work hard, and I am not saying that growing a business does not require “Hard work.”  What I am saying is that there are times in a business when you have to give birth to a new project – a campaign, a product, a launch, a shift or whatever. When you’re giving birth to something big, you will have to put in some long hours and make some difficult decisions. But when you are done giving birth you don’t just jump back into that arena and keep doing the hard work. 

Think about it this way…what’s harder? Learning to walk or walking? When you are learning to walk you fall, and stumble, and maybe even bump your head along the way. But little by little your stride gets smoother and your balance improved, and soon enough walking becomes automatic and you don’t even think about it anymore. 

So where are you in you in your business? Learning to walk or walking? 

2. The belief that everything has to be perfect

I believe it was Harry Truman that said Imperfect Action beats Perfect Inaction  every time. 

Many entrepreneurs suffer from perfectionism. It is usually what makes most of us successful from the get-go. However, continuing with this strategy will surely stifle your growth potential. 

There will never be a perfect time to launch a new product, never be a perfect time to release your upcoming podcast. Your graphics and editorial content will never be perfect. And if you are waiting for things to be perfect you better get comfortable where you are because you will be in this exact same place year after year. 

Taking action will actually create the clarity you need to move the needle in your business. So, show up, take action, even as imperfect as it may seem right now. 

3. The belief that YOU have to do all the things

I used to feel that I needed to have my thumb print on everything that happened in my business. I needed to approve every line of copy, every email, every post, literally everything. 

I thought I was creating consistency and quality. Instead what I was creating was a bottleneck. I was hindering the growth of the company and I was stifling my team along the way. 

You have to learn to let go of the vine (a phrase coined by Gino Wickman of Traction) in order to break through the ceiling in your business. You need to learn to delegate and then TRUST those that you delegate to. You need to learn to act like the visionary and not an employee. Shed that controlling skin you used to wear as an entrepreneur and grow into the new role of being a CEO. 

So, in the words of a famous Zen proverb “Let go or be dragged”

Changing these three beliefs will lead to you opening yourself up to more possibilities and greater success. And remember whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right. 

Want to learn more about how I grew a multiple 7 figure business using systems, strategies and a few mindset shifts? Feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] to learn more about my one on one coaching services.