5 Mindset Tools To Help You Run a Successful Business This Year

2023goals developcareer mindset successfulbusiness vision Jan 13, 2023

After being an entrepreneur for over 35 years and growing an incredible team of like-minded people, I’ve learned a few things along the way about what it takes to run a successful business.

Having a strong mindset is at the top of my list.

My mindset is something I’ve been developing my entire life and career, and I still find that it’s something I work on every day. And today I will share with you a few tools and perspectives that have helped along the way.

In this blog post, I’ll cover what a business vision looks like and how to create one, a perspective shift for a more resilient mindset, why tracking your habits is such a powerful tool within entrepreneurship, and more.

Have a Clear Vision

This is something common we hear when starting a business – that we should have a ‘vision’ of what our business will look like. And what does having a vision actually mean?

I’ve coached dozens of entrepreneurs over the years, and a recurring theme that comes up when I ask them the question of where they see their business in the next 5, 10 or 20 years is their revenue goals. Revenue targets can act as measurements for where you are in your business, and they shouldn’t be the only thing you consider when creating a vision for your business.

A business vision on its own is much more powerful. If you’re starting to think about this, I recommend reflecting on some of these questions:

What does your future look like?

How do you feel in it?

What will that mean for you, your team and your family?

What kind of legacy will that leave?

Once you’ve reflected on your answers, you can move on to setting some measurable or S.M.A.R.T. goals like revenue targets.

Having a clear vision is essential for everyone within the organization, because it can help create a long-term strategy to know where your business is going, and gets everyone aligned in that direction (1). Your answers to the above questions may change over time, so I’d encourage you to reflect on them often.

Be Prepared For Mess

If you’ve ever undergone a home renovation, you might be able to relate to some of the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.

Before renovations start, you have this beautiful idea of what things will look like. You’ve picked out the floors, the paint colors, maybe even the wall that’s being knocked down and you have high hopes. Once renovations kick-off, things become less ideal and let’s face it – messy. Things aren’t moving as fast as you’d like, and you get discouraged during certain parts of the process.

By the end of it all, once the dust settles, it’s time to adapt to a new normal. Maybe things didn’t turn out exactly the way you thought they would. Maybe you have no idea how to decorate this new space of yours or have any concept of where things will go now. Running a business is very similar to this process. Any time you change or improve something, that always comes with adapting to a new normal – hello, growing pains.

There were points in my career where my business felt like a constant renovation project, and you know what? Sometimes it still does, and I’m grateful for it. Going through changes, no matter how messy, helps me clear out the old to make space for the new. It allows me to see what’s working and what could use some updating and tinkering.

The best piece of advice I could give to any entrepreneur is to be prepared for the mess, hang in there and see it through. I have a feeling you’ll create something really special.

Appreciation is Key

You’ll never hear someone say, “if one more person says they appreciate me I’m going to lose it!”

Whether you’re showing appreciation to your team members, your friends or an audience of a thousand people – it’s one of the best things you can do to improve your communication automatically. Let’s face it, people like to be acknowledged and to feel like they matter. This translates to any kind of transactional exchange, especially within a business. Showing appreciation towards whoever you’re communicating with is how things get done.

I came across an article recently that sparked some discussion within my team, and it got me thinking about the true importance of appreciation in business. Not just from an emotional perspective, also a revenue perspective. The article broke down the consequences of Elon Musk firing over half of Twitter’s employees shortly after buying the company – which led to a significant decline in revenue – the opposite of what Elon thought he was doing when he made that decision.

As soon as businesses start seeing their employees as costs to be cut rather than assets to be nourished – disasters can happen (2). The lesson to be learned here? Showing appreciation for the people that work for you or around you is the best way to drive results (and revenue) in your business.

Recognize The Role You Play

I like to make the distinction between leader and manager when it comes to how a business operates. Both roles are equally important, yet they’re very different – which surprises some people. A leader is someone who’s able to see a path that hasn’t necessarily been defined yet, and inspire people to work towards a common vision.

A manager on the other hand is there to support, and often relay the information from the leader to their team. Managers look at what’s happened in the past and things that are happening right now, and they don’t necessarily have to look towards the future in the same way a leader would.

This means that the communication style will be different depending on the role you’re playing. In your business, it’s important that you define that distinction. Are you leading people to places they’ve never been before or are you managing them?

During your career you might switch between these two roles, and it’s important to know which hat you’re wearing so you can put your best foot forward for your team. I actually created an Instagram Reel dedicated to this topic which you can check out here.

Measure and Report

You’ve probably heard the Karl Pearson quote, That which is measured improves. That which is measured and reported improves exponentially. This principle applies to any of your goals in life, and can be helpful to remember when it comes to mindset in business.

Tracking my practices (things like yoga, meditation, reading, etc) has been a game changer for my consistency and mindset, and has allowed me to reach some of my biggest goals. Before I began tracking using the 201 Day Achievement Principle method, I was an ‘all or nothing’ kind of person. For example, if I went the day without meditating I would feel really down on myself, and it would cause me to fall completely off track with that habit.

Having a strong mindset is key when it comes to entrepreneurship and running a business. By tracking your habits and setting realistic goals (i.e., striving to do your practices for 55% of the year rather than 100% – yep, you heard that right), you’ll be able to get even more done. This will lead to a huge shift in your mindset and confidence, and in turn, your business.

Head to this page to learn more about the 201 DAP. I can’t tell you how much looking at my habits and seeing where my time goes in a day has skyrocketed my productivity, happiness and confidence as a business owner and individual.

Conclusion

Your mindset is your biggest asset when it comes to starting and growing a successful business. When you have a clear vision, you’re prepared for some mess and discomfort, you appreciate your team and clients, you stay aware of the role you’re playing and measure and report on your habits, you’ll be well on your way to thriving through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. If you enjoyed this post and are looking for more tools and tips – be sure to follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook where we post daily insights on communication, presentation skills, and more.

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