Today we’re going to talk about a subject that is very important. It is the deadliest beginner trap you can have when starting a business: your own mind. I’m going to tell you, very specifically, how your mind gets in your way when you’re starting a business for the very first time.
I have a saying in my programs: “the map doesn’t appear until the car starts moving.” Most people approach business when they’re first starting out like a cross-country road trip. They plan their trip ahead of time, they print out directions, and they want to make sure everything is perfect before they get started. They then get in the driver seat and start thinking about what could go wrong along the way, like “what if there’s a traffic jam in Kansas? Shouldn’t we figure that out before we leave?” Their friend in the passenger seat, or rather, their friend who already has a business, says “what are you, crazy?”
Even though the driver has a map, they don’t know what the full journey is going to look like. Their mind can’t quiet down, and it’s not their fault; it’s just that they’ve never been through a process like this before. The process of entrepreneurship is one where the plan you started out with isn’t going to get you where you want to go. When you start, your mind will go crazy with “what ifs.” In business, you need to have faith that the outcome will happen if you put your foot on the accelerator and keep going.
To summarize:
1. Solve one problem at a time. Focus on the one right in front of you and don’t even worry about the other problems. You’re going to go insane if you try to solve future problems.
2. “What ifs” will paralyze you forever. Wait until “what ifs” happen, and then solve them.
If you want to be a successful entrepreneur (or take a road trip from New York to LA), you need to have faith. Some things will go wrong, some things will go right, and you just take it all as it comes.
To learn more about overcoming mental barriers in entrepreneurship, visit https://www.christianmartin.org/podcast