Crossroads In Your Career? Time To Harness That Entrepreneur Mindset!

So you’ve arrived at a crossroad in your career. Now you face the daunting task of choosing a path forward. A path that may be different and looks uncertain at best. What do you do? Where do you turn to for help and advice? Do you play it safe knowing that you’ll probably be at a similar crossroads in the not too distant future? Do you try your hand at something perhaps a little different to test the water? How do you make these decisions in a safe and rational manner?

These questions have plagued us all at one point or another and if you’re at this point now, well, you need to take stock of everything and make some good decisions to ensure you put your best foot forward.

So where should you start?

In my experience having worked personally with hundreds of people in similar situations, and having gone through this scenario myself a few times, the first place I would recommend is to look at the big picture and work out what it is you want to achieve.

• Do you have a vision for your life over the next 5 years?
• Have you got things you want to do and accomplish?
• Is it written down with some sort of roadmap to get there?
• What provisions and support system have you got in place to navigate the rough challenges ahead so that you don’t get derailed?
• Are there skills you need to develop and strengthen for you to move from where you are to where you want to be?

It sounds like a lot to take in at once, especially if you’ve never done this type of introspective work before on yourself, however this is precisely the type of mindset that entrepreneurs harness in order to succeed in life.

Thinking like an entrepreneur opens up doors to possibilities. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be in business, however, being entrepreneurial allows you to take advantage of triggers in the marketplace so that you can share your unique skills and talent in ways that will separate you from 99% of the crowd, or your competitors, even in an unstable market.

Having come from a strong corporate background over 10 years and having a fixed mindset for many years and then doing the 180 as an entrepreneur and having been in business for over 12 years working with hundreds of other entrepreneurs, here’s what I discovered.

Entrepreneurs look at the world in a very different way to most people. For a start, they are forever optimistic about the future and have a strong self-belief. This is a critical trait for success no matter what you do.

Entrepreneurs are always looking for better ways to improve and do things, move ahead and are never satisfied with settling for the status quo. It’s just not good enough to be average. They are always looking to learn and grow.

When faced with overwhelming odds and uncertainty, entrepreneurs look for inspiration in other successful entrepreneurs or leaders and maintain a solution-oriented attitude, similar to that of Thomas Edison for example, who reportedly failed 10,000 times before he succeeded at the light bulb. It’s this ‘never say die’ attitude that often sees them push further in life, than the average person.

Why is this relevant to you? Well, whether or not you intend to go into business one day, or are looking to change paths as you face that crossroads in your career, the mindset you adopt will play a crucial role in determining your level of success.

Albert Einstein famously said the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. And he was spot on. We get caught up in our daily lives playing rinse and repeat, week after week, month after month and unfortunately in many cases, year after year. It’s no wonder many of us never seem to get ahead in life, when we operate well within our comfort zone.

Mahatma Gandhi famously once suggested that we need to BE the change we wish to see in the world. So in order for change to happen in our life, WE need to change first!

It’s imperative that we think and act differently to how we have in the past, if we are to have a different outcome in our career, business and life in general.

Here are 3 simple ways you can put this change into motion today:

1. Develop your own vision over the next 3-5 years and set some goals over the next 90 days leading up to 12 months, so you can track your progress. It’s important to ensure your long-term plan is carefully aligned to your short-term goals. Design a vision board and have these goals written down where you can review them regularly. Your future should inspire you and get you emotionally charged every time you look at it.

2. Discuss your plans with a trusted mentor, i.e. someone who has been down the path you are going and is further along the path you wish to travel. If you don’t have a mentor, then find one. They will help you clarify what is important to you in life and chart out the best path for you to travel to achieve your goals. This type of advice is invaluable, as you can leverage a mentors’ experience, which will help you avoid flying blind into the unknown. A good mentor or coach can also hold you accountable for your actions, which will dramatically increase your chance of achieving your goals and being successful.

3. Dedicate time in your busy schedule to work on your personal development by making a conscious effort to filter through information that will help you move forward. Reading the right books, listening to the relevant podcasts, watching inspiring and educational videos and attending the seminars and courses that will develop your skills can help you achieve this. Ignorance is not bliss and simply not knowing the answer is not an excuse in this day and age where information is all around you and technology is making it more accessible than ever before. Take advantage of the times we live in and skill up in your downtime, so that you can become more valuable to the marketplace in the future.

These steps will help you develop the mindset and fortitude of a successful entrepreneur, which will open up opportunities you may not be aware of right now both in your career, or in business or both – it’s entirely up to you.

What did you discover from doing this exercise? Did it reconfirm what you already knew or did you now reach a sense of urgency to do something that you’ve been putting off for a while? Reply below to leave a comment. We’d love to get your insights as this can help many others in a similar position as yourself. Best responses will get shared on our Facebook page. We look forward to hearing your feedback!