How to Build the Right Mindset for Starting and Growing a Business

Brilliant ideas are so common that for any idea that comes up in your head, someone else has probably already thought about it. This means that ideas don’t mean much, but the execution of them is everything. There are a number of reasons business ideas don’t pick off well or small businesses expanding. These reasons include difficulty accessing funding, difficulty building a team, a shortage of skills or understanding of the idea or business and most importantly lacking the right mindset and drive to build and sustain a business. 

In this post, I will share some great ideas on how to build the right mindset and attitude for building and scaling a business. These ideas are at the foundation of how I have been able to drive the progress we have made so far with my ventures. If you go online in Cameroon you will notice that there are thousands of businesses and brands but most of them are just a name and a logo. Most of these ideas never really pick off or grow to pass the initial stage. Equally, I have seen a lot of people who had access to huge sums of money but still could not pull off the idea and make it work. To an extent, I’m convinced that money is not the most important thing you need to start and grow a business. For me, it’s what drives and motivates you that matters. Having a growth mindset, grit, and staying consistent even in the face of serious setbacks. Below are some simple individual factors I think account a lot for your ability to start and grow a business. 

1. Set and cultivate high-level values:

Your values or more precisely your core values are like the engine that drives you towards your goals. My core values that have helped me a lot are a propensity for excellence and high-level accountability and responsibility. Whether rationally or irrationally, you must find a way to convince yourself that you are made for the best and that you can attain the best possible. This is very important because once your mind assimilates this, you will find instant motivation when faced with challenging tasks that are always present when running a business. You must equally quit playing blame games. Take full responsibility and be accountable to yourself, the people you work with, and the general public. When you take full responsibility, your mind is forced to stretch itself to do even the most difficult tasks. As a leader, you must be at the forefront, you must take full responsibility for yourself and everyone else and act accordingly.

2. Make high-quality friendships and relationships:

There is a common saying that, show me your friends and I will tell you who you are. There is another which equally asserts that you are the average of the top four people you hang out the most with. Equally, if you are the smartest person in your circle of friends, you are probably not in the best circle. Whether you agree or not, people closest to you consciously or unconsciously shape remarkably who you are. So, carve your friendships carefully and seek people who know more than you and people who are empathic and willing to share and grow with you. 

Have a growth mindset: A growth mindset basically means – I don’t know but I can know, so I will put enough effort to know. The opposite of a growth mindset is the fixed mindset. Someone with a fixed mindset thinks they are who they are and cannot change. Oftentimes, people with a fixed mindset think they are not as intelligent. I really love how my mentor insists that “It’s okay not to know, but it’s unacceptable not to want to know”. For everything you can learn, there is always that big resistance, and it’s very normal. This is because your mind is not yet familiar with that information. Be patient with yourself and have some delayed gratification as you push for your long-term goals. 

3. Learn to forgive yourself:

Business involves a lot of risks. Starting or growing a business involves a lot of uncertainty and risk-taking. You will make mistakes but that is part of the process. Just ensure that you learn very fast from your mistakes and move. You will step on some toes and ruffle a few feathers. But if that’s the only way forwards, then you should always remember that you can’t eat your cake and have it. There is always a price to pay for everything. Sometimes you will make tough decisions and that bites you deeply, but you need to pull yourself together and move. So be quick to forgive yourself and others.  Forgive yourself and let go,  Kristin Neff has the aptest quote on self-forgiveness” When we give ourselves self-compassion, we are opening our hearts in a way that can transform our lives.

4. Embrace failure:

Failure is actually an option. Failure is part and parcel of the success journey. I kind of feel like there is no true learning without one or two failures here and there. The key idea is to fail forwards. Be quick to realize why you failed and to learn fast from it. 

5. Find passion and motivation:

When you identify the thing you want to do somehow effortlessly, do not hesitate to start. Along the line, there will be moments when you don’t feel like continuing. Those low moments, especially when faced with challenges, you just wanna give up. Many young people easily give up at this stage. The real skill of an entrepreneur is managing these kinds of moments, which are very natural, and finding ways to sustain your drive and motivation. One way that I manage to keep my head up, is to think about the big picture (I loveeee it!) and why you started it in the first place. Be grateful for all the achievements you have made so far. Realize that if it is doable, you can do it. You need to believe that you’re born great and for something bigger than your current self.

The key idea of this post is that the most important factors that really determine whether you will succeed or not are intra-personal. If you want to change your life, look within first. Build the right mindset, habits, and attitudes, and watch how your life changes for the best. You can become anything. The greatest obstacle is inside you, drive and motivation to sustain such a high demanding journey like that of an entrepreneur. There are my insights, I will love to read yours, please drop a comment below. Tell me what you think about this topic and share with me your point of view in the comment section below.