We seldom need more information to make a change. What we need is the energy and the commitment to make the change. We need to start taking action. The goal is not perfection. It’s progress.
What are you waiting for?
Never settle.
Protect your curiosity.
Nurture your creativity.
Love what you do.
Strive to be a slightly better beta version of yourself every day.
Push opportunities and take action.
Make an impact.
Change the world.
Today I’ve been working on a new concept that will launch later this spring. Got kind of stressed out because I don’t know exactly how I will do this… Obviously time to repeat my mantra: Start before you’re ready! Today, we all act in information-poor, resource-constrained and time-compressed surroundings. No one “knows it all”. We need to use our creativity, be courageous enough to take on a certain amount of risk and commit to progress rather than perfection. As Reid Hoffman said:
”If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late”
Needed that reminder today, maybe you too? 🙂
Some people seem to apply a very reactive mindset to their professional life. Meaning sending their resume to a couple of companies and then…wait. And wait. And wait. Brian Rashid wrote a very interesting article about this on Forbes yesterday and pointed out that this mindset leads to a reactive professional growth. Because the skill set building doesn’t start until you get the job. On the other hand with a proactive mindset where you create the opportunities you need to do inspiring work you’ll start build your skill set right away. This is what the freelance economy is all about.
Start exploring and expanding your entrepreneurial mind and take advantage of all the great possibilities out there!
If you’re anything like me, you probably have a whole bunch of things you think you should do. Expectations from yourself, family and friends, your community… Regarding what you should do, how, where and when you should work, who you should associate with.
What if we stop “shoulding” ourselves and instead ask: What do I want to do? How, where and when do I want to work? Who do I want to hang out with?
Put yourself in the driving-seat and create the opportunities you need to take the lead in your field of work. You can do it.
This story is from a friend of mine who had been talking to a friend of his, dreaming of starting his own business but facing resistance.
My friend asked ”So what’s the worst-case scenario?”.
His friend replied, ”That I have to find another job”.
My friend: ”How’s that different from your situation now?”.
Silence. The to-be-entrepreneur realized he was living his worst-case scenario and it wasn’t that bad. Meaning aiming for the best-case scenario isn’t that scaring.
No matter what change you’d like to make in your professional life, ask yourself if it might be that you’re already living your worst-case scenario. And then…GO!
Why is an entrepreneurial mindset important in today’s and tomorrow’s professional life?
To me, having an entrepreneurial mindset means you’ll create opportunities to do work that inspires you. When you’re inspired you’ll inspire others. And there’s nothing you can’t do.
An entrepreneurial mindset will nurture your creativity; you’ll see things as they can be rather than as they are. Earl Nightingale said “Creativity is a natural extension of our enthusiasm”, I think that’s perfectly true. When you see new ways of doing things you can work smarter and support the lifestyle you desire.
You know, it’s always enough to know the first step to get started. Might sound like a cliché but then I think it is a cliché for a reason 😉 I was reminded of this yesterday when working on my business and what I intend to do this year. I have some really exciting changes I will make. But I don’t have a clue exactly how it will be done. Though, what I do know is the first step. So: all I have to do is take it. And the rest will follow.
The same goes for you and the changes you would like to make this year.
I speak a lot about entrepreneurship. It’s something I love and think is key in today’s and tomorrow’s professional life 🙂 What I speak about is the ”new kind of entrepreneurs”. Entrepreneurship used to be equal to starting and growing a business to make a successful exit. Today the definition is rather about mindset; seeing and pushing opportunities. Today’s entrepreneurs run their businesses not necessarily to grow in terms of number of employees and profit (making money is of course still essential – it’s business, right). Instead it’s about being able to do inspiring work, have the freedom to decide when, where and with whom to work and support the desired quality of life.
What would you attempt this year if you knew you couldn’t fail? Fear of failure is one of the most common reasons for not taking action. Ironically, the cure of fear is…action. No matter if it’s fear of failure or fear of something else. So what if we decide that today, we’ll all do something to get one step closer to that dream in spite of fear. Could be a great way to start the year, right?