The Key to Being a Resilient Entrepreneur

As I was catching up on my reading with Inc. Magazine, I noticed a familiar quote in the article, 50 Inspiring Quotes on How to Start a Company from Scratch by Contributing Editor, John Brandon.

"8. The problem is that many entrepreneurs start with good intentions to create a new mindset system but then slack off. The solution is to make that system part of your daily routine." --Lisa A. Mininni, president of ExcellerateAssociates.com

While it is always fun to see your own quote, it wasn't the first encounter with the topic of mindset systems. In various interactions, a similar theme kept presenting itself.

Not only did I see my quote in print but similar conversations with my second-stage clients came up as we were discussing their Business Blueprint. It’s not only a map that assembles all of their ideas and how they will reach their big contribution and goals, but it’s a systematic review process.

Like any system, you need to cultivate it. It’s not enough to set up a system and forget it. I recommend a consistent process to get focused on your daily priorities.

One of the important systems of the Business Blueprint is a mindset system. For each person, they have affirmations that reinforce what they want to focus on and grow.

It’s easy to get started with a mindset system but many business owners get distracted on the urgency of the day. Your mindset system is like exercise: If you make it a daily priority and habit, you get results. If you don’t, you won’t.

For example, a second-stage business owner and I met about her Business Blueprint. As she opened up her Blueprint, her plan was beautifully organized and laid out complete with metrics, timelines, and resources. She even had a regular way to review it each and every day.

Yet, she was in a self-proclaimed funk. After listening to her for a few minutes, I realized there was one important part of her system either missing or inconsistent.

After inquiring about how she starts her day, she recognized that her thoughts were consumed by an employee-related matter that she addressed four weeks earlier. This event consumed her thoughts and through her off of her game. For weeks she focused on the breakdown with the employee rather than what she did want.

As the saying goes, what you focus on grows and increases. As we reviewed the seven profitability systems, she quickly realized that she had forgotten one: The Inner Entrepreneur System. By forgetting to be consistent with her mindset system, her focus was on the employee event rather than what was most important.

As every entrepreneur experiences, breakdowns will happen. When you’re playing inside of a really big contribution, they happen frequently.

The key to being a resilient entrepreneur is to acknowledge a breakdown then persevere in spite of the setbacks and challenges. By setting a daily success-minded ritual, you will increase your ability to more quickly shift from an internal dis-empowering conversation to bold and courageous leadership.

The bigger your contribution in the world, the more important it is to look at each day as a new beginning, no matter how long you've been in business. It’s important to take on a fresh perspective and a daily mindset habit and ritual will quickly refocus you on that big contribution again.

Try setting in motion a consistent mindset system and see what happens.