“The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.” – Frank Lloyd Wright
Belief, when it comes to work, is everything. Whatever you believe to be true, will influence and dictate whether you meet with success or failure. All successful solopreneurs have realized this and it’s why ridding your mindset of self-defeating beliefs is so crucial to the upward trajectory of your business.
The great entrepreneurs of our time have harnessed indomitable belief in their abilities and the work they bring to life. While it is human nature to think of the negatives, these pioneering businesspeople have overcome these tendencies and forged ahead with the belief they can and will succeed.
Without such belief, many of the technological advances and cultural realities we depend on today, would not have materialized. And it’s exactly the same for you, as a budding or experienced solopreneur looking to turn your dreams into reality.
Core self-defeating beliefs of solopreneurs
The trouble is, you may currently have a number of self-defeating beliefs holding you back. But without recognizing and understanding what these are, you’re likely to repeat these damaging thoughts over and over again.
So what are the most common self-defeating beliefs that negatively affect your chances of business success?
- Things need to be perfect
One of the most common causes of distress in people is the desire for things to be perfect, or to at least go their way without any pushback. This is especially present in the business world. Unfortunately, the reality is different and things are never perfect.
Whether it’s the unveiling of an updated product or the development of a brand new service, there will be flaws and bugs somewhere. Demanding perfection will simply result in excessive delays and frustrations.
The key is to do things as well you possibly can and accept things will never be perfect. A great product or service is better than a perfect product or service, because it’s actually out there, being used.
- Fate is conspiring against me
While people may not consciously and logically believe fate is conspiring against them, they often let their emotions and reactions suggest otherwise. As human beings we have a tendency to feel defensive when things go awry, especially when these problems can have painful financial consequences.
It’s easier to blame fate for the mistakes we make and to fall back on blaming outside influences. However, successful solopreneurs and business people intimately realize that it’s your reaction to problems which dictates whether you will move forwards in a positive or negative direction.
Fate really has nothing to do with your success or failure. Your belief, does.
- I work best alone
“Great things in business are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people.” – Steve Jobs
No man is an island, so the saying goes. The same message applies to solopreneurs. Despite the solo nature of your work, you still need the help and comradeship of fellow professionals if you’re truly to succeed.
This doesn’t mean you need a business partner or an office filled with staff. For solopreneurs and freelancers, it can simply mean embracing the benefits of collaboration and delegation. Or working in a co-working space.
Trying to do every task in your business – from invoicing and admin to client projects and product development – all by yourself will more likely result in stagnation and burnout rather than growth and success.
- Discomfort must be avoided
For people with a low tolerance level for discomfort, the world of entrepreneurship is very painful indeed. In fact, it’s also short-lived. Discomfort and fear are part and parcel of developing and running your own business and this can be magnified when you’re in sole charge of decision making.
The great entrepreneurs feel discomfort and fear on a regular basis but they accept and analyze these feelings for what they are – signals to make adjustments and course corrections. They let these uncomfortable feelings be rather than trying to avoid them.
And this is essential if you’re to persevere over the many bumps on the solopreneur’s road.
- I’ve made too many mistakes
“One thing is certain in business. You and everyone around you will make mistakes.” – Richard Branson
Are you carrying your past mistakes around with you in a mental equivalent of knapsack? If so, you’re putting a big strain on your present mindset. Too many businesspeople have very good memories when it comes to past failures and errors.
These mental images and associated negative emotions are never far from the surface when they’re working on their current business. As a result, their present actions are infected with negativity and self-defeating beliefs.
Allowing your past mistakes to influence your current actions is a recipe for disaster. These can lead to both anxiety and depression. Work on letting go of past events and actively cultivating positive thoughts and feelings. After all, everyone has a history of failure somewhere in their careers.
Failure is often essential to get you where you really need and want to be.
- Other people are better at this
Something you quickly realize when you market your business online is that you have many, many competitors. A lot are poor, many are average, and some are amazing. The best rise to the top and when you’re just starting out on your solopreneur journey, it can be very disconcerting seeing people who are quite simply better than you at what you do. Your self-doubt skyrockets.
But taking too much notice of this fact can be extremely damaging. In reality, it doesn’t matter if other people are better than you. And there will always be those who are more skilled and experienced, in whatever field or industry you enter.
What matters is that you provide the services or products your target audience want, need, and love. In so doing, you fulfil their wishes, as well as your own income targets.
There are plenty of customers or clients for everyone, and with the right marketing and sales strategies you can reach them.
Tackling damaging self-defeating beliefs
Outside forces beyond our control – such as the economy, changes in customer demand, or just plain bad luck – do indeed play a big part behind whether we succeed or fail. However, the biggest factor influencing how we do actually comes from our own self-belief.
Self-defeating beliefs, attitudes, and mental habits can render us immobile to change and blind to possibilities. Successful entrepreneurs rely on speed, agility, imagination, and bravery to react to the fast-moving pieces inherent to creating a strong and lucrative business.
Your success depends on self-improvement
To succeed in business as a solopreneur it is essential to first recognize the above self-defeating beliefs – among others – and to then work on changing them to their positive polar opposites. Each day, modifying your mindset for the better, needs to be considered as important as any business task.
By doing so you’ll also raise your emotional intelligence level which will benefit both your business and life as a whole. To fail in essential self-improvement, is to consign your business to failure right from the start.
