Mindset – An Entrepreneur’s Source of Power
Ever have days you can’t wait to leap out of bed, and before you know it, 12 hours have passed and you realize you didn’t even eat?
And how about days where, no matter how many hours you sit in front of the computer, nothing positive or productive happens?
How far up the success ladder you climb is determined by your mindset. Mindset is something everyone agrees is important, yet it has a way of tumbling down the list of priorities.
In this week’s episode, James and Dean are diving into what mindset means, exactly why and how it makes or breaks your success, and what you can do to start shifting yours if you still aren’t where you want to be.
Outline of This Episode
- 5:50 How important is mindset, really?
- 9:20 The definition of mindset
- 14:01 Getting a different outcome than the one you have
- 20:05 Why a fixed mindset blocks success
- 26:30 Keep looking for the solution
- 32:10 It’s not a lack of resources, it’s a lack of resourcefulness
- 35:03 If you don’t have the knowledge, go get it
The “Surprising” Secret To Success
On a recent coaching call with clients, a client asked James about one thing that’s enabled him to acquire the success he now enjoys. The client was expecting James to share a marketing tactic, like Facebook ads or this podcast. Instead, James remarked it was his mindset, because without the right mindset, even the best marketing tactics will fail you sooner or later.
Change The Filter
Your mindset is how you perceive and interpret what’s happening, and what you choose to do about it. It’s a collection of beliefs that filters data from the outside world. When your actions aren’t leading to results, the problem is rarely a specific tactic. Usually it’s a belief “hiccup” in your filter that’s leading you to either AVOID the action required to reach your desired outcome, or to take an action that will pull you away from your desired outcome. To change your actions, change your beliefs.
Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset
Dr. Carol Dweck wrote a book about the Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset. The fixed mindset is all about refusing to do things differently, or even believe there’s another way. The growth mindset is about finding that other way. The fixed mindset blocks results, and the growth mindset creates them. If you struggle with the fixed mindset, remember this: You’ve had to evolve to get to where you are. If you’re unwilling to continue evolving, you cannot obtain or keep results you don’t already have. Doing so requires growth. If it didn’t, you’d already have the results you want.
There’s Always A Solution
James shares a story about a group vacation on Lake Powell, where he and his family wanted to stay an extra week, but had no plan figured out to return to civilization. They also had no cell service in most of the area. Figuring out how to stay when the people they vacationed with wanted to return was the challenge, and multiple times his attempts at a solution didn’t pan out. But James kept exploring options until he found one that made everyone happy. The other travelers got to leave, and James and his family got to stay and had a way to return when they were ready to leave. This is an example of the growth mindset in action. Instead of believing there’s no solution and giving up, keep going until you find one.
Lack of resources or lack of resourcefulness?
When somebody doesn’t have the result they want, it’s common to blame a lack of resources. As in, I don’t have the time, the money, the willpower, the help, the training – whatever it is. But when you’re resourceful, you’ll find a way to get the resources you need. Not having results is never a lack of resources. It’s a lack of resourcefulness. When you’re presented with a challenge, are you willing to do what it takes to solve it? Are you willing to get outside your current comfort zone, knowledge, and skills to get the resources you need but don’t have? It’s a question you’ll face over and over in your journey as an entrepreneur.
Music for “Just The Tips” is titled, “Happy Happy Game Show” by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
