Business Tip of the Week: Mindset
by Gareth Cotten on 27/05/10 at 12:01 pm
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Apply the entrepreneurial mindset in all aspects of your life. The most successful entrepreneurs are the ones who don’t let obstacles get in their way – they’re committed to a goal and are passionate; they are always open to new options or approaches, and think outside of the box whenever they’re faced with challenges.
Using this mindset in your everyday life can bring about huge changes and benefits. One great example is the thousands of people every day who, when faced with a daunting task, say to themselves: “I can’t do this.” It could be red tape, a current lack of resources, no experience, or whatever the case may be.
The entrepreneurial way, though, would be to ask “How can I do this?” This way, instead of your mind giving up and closing off, you’re kicking your subconscious into a higher gear, where it will work overtime in the background to come up with some possible solutions.
Another way to live the ‘entrepreneurial mindset’ is to embrace challenges. These come up all the time, and can show you new opportunities, broaden your scope, or give you fresh insights into a problem.
An everyday example would be getting stuck in traffic. Most people just sit there and accept their fate, destined to be unhappy behind the wheel. The entrepreneur, however, would relish the opportunity to try a different route home. He could find a faster route he can use in the future, drive past the premises of a potential customer he didn’t know existed, or see a sign or object that inspires a business idea.
He embraced the opportunity to try something different, and was open to the possibilities presented. Truly a defining characteristic of the entrepreneurially-minded…
Gareth Cotten is one of the growing breed of SA entrepreneurs with that ‘world-domination’ look in his eyes. Gareth runs the coaching and consulting practice 'Good Advice'. Gareth is also the 'course convener' for the University of Cape Town (Law@Work) Start and Manage a Small Business course and the University of Cape Town Basics of Financial Management course. View more articles by Gareth Cotten.
Tags: entrepreneur, entrepreneurial thinking, mindset
