Karen Repoli March 9, 2021 Do you still have dreams of a lifestyle you’d love to attain or a business you’d like to start? Do you remember how to dream big like our kids do?
I was in your shoes over 14 years ago. I was stuck in a 9 to 5 job that didn’t allow me to live my life according to my priorities. With two small children, my values told me family came first. My pocket told me I HAD to work to support that family! My dream was to work from home as my own boss and create a balance. After a particularly traumatic event with my family while working for an unsupportive company, I took that leap. I have never looked back.
As we grow, we often grow into the mindset that we have to work hard and we can’t take chances – or chase dreams – because we have to be responsible, especially if we have a family to support. Mindsets can also be established unconsciously during childhood, when we hear parents or other adults continuously saying either positive or negative comments regularly. During my childhood, working “virtually” was unheard of!
Mindset simply refers to “the established set of attitudes held by someone”. Not everyone has the same mindset and if one person is a risk taker in one part of their life, they may not embrace the same risk in another part of their life. Ultimately, one’s mindset plays a huge part in whether they follow their dreams or not.
Here are 3 ways mindset can sabotage your ability to dream big and chase those dreams:
You think you’re too old. Age is just a number and in your mind, if you think you’re too old to do something, then you won’t do it. Of course, if there is a physical limitation or risk of doing an activity, then err on the side of caution, but if you think you’re too old to start a business, think again.
Need some inspiration? Ray Kroc was 51 when he stumbled upon a small chain of hamburger stands run by the MacDonald brothers and he pitched them on expanding the chain into a corporation. In the fashion world, Vera Wang’s name is synonymous with the ultimate in bridal couture, but did you know that the famous designer did not even begin designing clothes professionally until the age of 39? I have personally worked with coaches who didn’t start their business until after retirement for their 9-5 job. These ladies are crushing it in their 70’s! Oh, and me? I was 45!
You’re afraid to fail. Failing and succeeding are two inevitable results in life, two opposite ends of a spectrum. If you’re afraid to fail, you’ll never know if your idea was a good one or not. You may be haunted by the “What would have happened if…?” questions for the rest of your life.
As the famous Thomas Edison is quoted as saying, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Edison is one of the preeminent inventors of our time and if he didn’t overcome the mindset of giving up or not being good enough, we probably wouldn’t have the lightbulb, phonograph, or motion picture cameras today.
You lack confidence. You’ll always have the little devil on your shoulder telling you to give up because you’re not good enough or there’s someone better than you. No one is perfect, however, and competition in business is a sign that there’s money to be made in that market. No matter what business you want to start, competition is a good sign; you just have to figure out how to stand out above the other competitors to win your customers.
Did you know that Walt Disney was fired from his first animation job at the Kansas City Star newspaper because they said he lacked imagination? Now the Walt Disney Company assets are worth over 98 billion dollars. So much for “lack of imagination”!
My point is, you are your own worst enemy. If your mindset is holding you back from starting a new business and achieving the lifestyle you want, there are ways to change those negative mindsets into positive ones. These shifts won’t happen overnight but when they do start, you’ll relish in the new freedom.
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