How to Think Differently to be a Successful Entrepreneur - Decision Tree

Originally posted on www.ciba.org.in

Being an entrepreneur means starting on an uncharted journey, which definitely requires a mindset that is open to challenges and tackling them in a creative way.

Successful entrepreneurs are not people who do things differently, but those who think differently, right from the start. Any successful entrepreneur will tell you that they succeeded not by copying someone, but by embracing their uniqueness. Of course, it is important to have role models, but don’t follow those who have already made their mark. To be a part of that league, you need to think differently and carve a niche for yourself and your brand…conventional wisdom will not take you there alone, but an unconventional mindset would.

Here are some ways to start thinking differently, now!

Be disciplined – Being an entrepreneur is not about taking a vacation, but the freedom of doing what you want and how you want. Discipline is most important when you start on an entrepreneurial journey. Being disciplined should be ingrained and not require any extra effort – it is easy to lose focus and let things slip out when there is no one to answer to. However, to be successful, you need routine, patience and discipline in your daily life to achieve targets you have set down for yourself.

Accept Failure – Failure is not the end, but only a beginning. Everytime you fail, you learn a new lesson that prevents you from committing the mistake again. Challenges, failures and obstacles are common parts of an entrepreneurial journey – the key lies in your attitude. Embrace challenges and accept failure, but don’t give up… because trial leads to perfection.

Work-Life balance – Entrepreneurship is a mindset, it is a lifestyle, which means, it becomes a part of you and you end up carrying your business everywhere with you. Accept this change and stop making excuses. There will be late night calls to take and meetings to attend, sometimes at the cost of personal obligations, sometimes not. But don’t make this a habit; strive to create a balance because a happy mind always thinks well!

Communicate – As an entrepreneur, you must develop good communication skills. It is easy to be caught in our own line of thought and grow rigid. However, in order to build a successful business, one must be open to ideas and communicate with others, including employees and clients, to continually challenge one’s own perspective and learn new things.

Time over Money – Time is money, but money can’t buy you time. Successful entrepreneurs value their time over everything else. This means staying away from meetings, events and opportunities that mean nothing for your business. There is no harm in socializing but when you are building an empire, every second is worth a lot.

 Anyone can be an entrepreneur. But what defines successful entrepreneurs from the rest is their ability to think out-of-the-box. Everyone is not born with an entrepreneurial mindset, but with patience and discipline, anyone can develop the right mindset and thought pattern, that is prerequisite to success.