(from entrepreneur.com)
10 Mindsets That
Will Radically Improve Your Business
Sherrie Campbell
Contributor
Psychologist, Author,
Speaker
January 29, 2015
Success is
something all career-driven individuals desire yet it eludes many people -- at
least at the levels desired. Why are some businesspeople successful and
others not?
It has
everything to do with habits, beliefs, passion, flexibility and attitude.
Often
there's nothing really different between one entrepreneur and another in
terms of ability, as each person can do whatever he or she wants. What it all
comes down to is having the frame of mind to set practical habits and
keep a balance between attachment and commitment and letting things
happen.
Here are 10
mindsets for success:
Related: To
Be a Brilliant Leader, Mindset Is Everything (Infographic)
1. Choose courage over fear.
To be
successful, you have to have courage. And to become courageous, do
courageous things. Much of being successful is about going beyond what you
think you're capable of -- venturing into the unknown. Whether you
fail or succeed, you will learn and grow.
Growth, in and
of itself, means attaining a level of success whether it came from success or
failure.
2. Believe in yourself.
Attitude is
everything. A negative attitude decreases success and a positive attitude
creates success. Without that belief in yourself, you'll lack
a path to success.
Success is
something that's created. It's not something that merely "happens.”
When you firmly
believe in yourself, you can achieve virtually anything: It's within this
belief that you'll find the power to create the resilience and fortitude
needed to keep going when things get tough.
3. Choose good company.
Whom you
surround yourself with is among the most important choices you'll make as
you climb up the business ladder. Negativity is contagious and if work groups,
especially bosses, are negative, there will be a ceiling to your success.
To reach the
goals you desire, be willing to change bosses if necessary. Or if you're
the boss, rid your team of toxic people immediately.
It only takes
one toxic person to destroy the morale of an entire campaign. Further, when you
surround yourself with other successful, goal-oriented individuals, you can
learn from them and take on some of their habits to add to your own as you
proceed along your road to success.
4. Adopt self-chosen goals.
Knowing and
being clear about where you're headed in business is something that must come
from within. When your goals selected by you, you're more motivated to
achieve them.
That's because
by achieving these goals, you attain a new desired piece of yourself. When
your goals arise from your instigation, they carry a deeper meaning
and confer a greater impact on your identity.
Each
self-selected goal realized adds a depth and an internal expansion to you as a
person. Personal expansion is just one of the great gifts to come from
succeeding in your business goals.
5. Have a purpose and a vision.
Visualization
is powerful because actions follow thoughts. A great technique
for nurturing your vision and purpose is to make your goals visual. Some
people use vision boards; others opt for treasure maps. And still others
set goals identifying specific dates for their achievement.
Whatever works
best is a matter for the individual to figure out.
I believe
that anything that's written down is more likely to be achieved than
visions kept only in the head. When you make your purpose visual, you make it
real. When you keep them in your mind, they remain wishes.
6. Accept the challenge.
There are few
easy paths up a mountain and often they're hard to find. Challenge
will be an essential piece in any type of success in business.
And challenge
is what creates your growth along the journey. Each challenge obstructing your
path provides you with the chance to create a more defined direction
toward attaining your dream vendors, customers, managers, employees -- and
numbers. For this reason, bless each challenge. Each one is a compass
directing you toward new business leads, circumstances and opportunities.
7. Be discerning.
Selectivity
creates success. You must think deeply and intelligently about the bigger
picture and what it is you need for each step along the way to continue
articulating and executing your business goals.
Mindfulness
means being aware of all angles and staying sharply in touch with the
present so that you do not have to clean up mistakes in the future.
Be discerning
of group dynamics: which person is the best at what job, which customers or
deals will take you the furthest and what it is that each moment is calling on
you to do or change to be the most efficient.
That's how
selectivity offers you the pursuit of success.
8. Be willing to take risks.
There are no
guarantees on any path to success in life or business. The unknown is always
looming. Therefore, risk and education are often the mechanisms necessary
for knowing more clearly if you're on the right path.
If
you're afraid to risk, you will put limits on your success and stay where
you're comfortable. You cannot get what you want if you don't risk
rejection and go for what you desire.
9. Do what you love.
You're more
likely to succeed in business when you're invested in your passion and making
your career fit your personality. There is a way to find passion about anything
and everything you do in life.
You may
not love every part of your job but tolerating discomforts by looking at the
bigger picture makes your investment of time and energy worthwhile.
Be willing to
love and find purpose in all aspects of what your business requires, commit to
it and see what you're doing as being a benefit to others. When you love the
business you're in, there is nothing that can keep you from wanting to work at
it, nurture it and make it grow.
10. Gratitude.
When you see
life and career in terms of the lack in what you have achieved, you cannot
drive your business up the ladder of success. Then negativity is impeding your
progress.
You must
look at all you have and realize how great what you have is as compared to the
situation of many others.
When you have
this attitude, you stop suffering and complaining about the small stuff.
On each receipt you pay out, write thank you. That's not only to thank the
person, event, vendor or customer for what's provided you but also to give a
private thanks acknowledging that you have the abundance necessary to pay for
the service, product or event.
Habits coupled
with flexibility provide you with a path to success. Success is fluid and so
rigidity will stand in its way.
Developing
these mindsets give you a compass to navigate the ever-changing tides on the
way to business and financial goals. These mindsets allow openness and
flexibility while also providing you precise direction.