5 Tips to Help You Overcome Common Mindset Blocks as an Entrepreneur
When I first started my entrepreneurial journey at the age of 22, I wasted endless hours in spirals of anxiety, what if’s and self doubt. I remember one particular day turning the lights off in my office and quite literally sitting in the corner, wrapped up in the smallest ball I could muster and simply sobbing. Was anything wrong in my business? Did my launch fail? Did all of my clients suddenly drop me? Did I somehow lose money? Did my social media get hacked? Did my website crash and delete all of my content? You guessed it… nope. Nothing was tangibly wrong, but my brain was so stuck in a mental block that it still felt like my world, and business, were crashing down around me.
If you’re reading this, I have a sneaky feeling you’ve been in a similar place (okay, maybe not tucked into a tiny ball in the corner but you never know 😉). Perhaps you just can’t kick self doubt to the curb or notice imposter syndrome taking a seat (despite not being invited) at your desk every single day. Maybe you get stuck in the comparison trap or anxiety spirals or fear of failure. Whatever your particular business mindset block is, I know that it’s keeping you stuck. Stuck playing small, stuck not launching the products or programs, stuck not showing up fully authentically in your business or on socials.
But guess what? You deserve to feel FREEDOM from these business mindset blocks and that freedom is possible for you. Promise.
So as a reformed sitting in a ball in the corner sobbing entrepreneur who is now a confident, clear and grounded entrepreneur (at least 90% of the time… we’re all human), here are 5 tips I wish I could go back and give to younger me at the start of her journey.
1. Nervous System Regulation
Creating and running a business can be, well, stressful as hell to put it lightly. But for so long I saw being burnt out as a badge of honor and got used to the steady hum of anxiety right below the surface. I knew I was exhausted and my physical and mental health weren’t feeling their best, but I truly worried that without the adrenaline rush of being in fight or flight I wouldn’t ever take action. If that’s your own thinking, please know that that isn’t true. You can be a badass business owner, free of mental blocks, without running yourself into the ground. Actually, the ONLY way you can truly embody a badass business owner free of mental blocks is if you don’t run yourself into the ground.
For me, the game changed when I started creating a life that embodied peacefulness and implemented daily habits that helped me regulate my nervous system. It wasn’t until this that I realized I truly had been in fight or flight for years. When you’re in fight or flight or living in the midst of anxiety with an unregulated nervous system it’s harder to deal with daily stressors in a calm way, to regulate your moods and to combat negative thinking patterns. Regulating my nervous system looks like:
No longer drinking my morning coffee on an empty stomach (if you are a menstruating human this is extra important!)
Meditating every morning and harnessing the power of my breath
Getting into nature (especially barefoot) as often as I can
Learning to say ‘no’ to plans when I recognize I need time alone to feel grounded
Implementing lower impact workouts instead of high intensity ones
Avoiding scrolling at night
Not looking at my phone when I first wake up either
Not hopping into work right when I pop my eyes open
2. Create a Nourishing Morning and Nightly Routine
Speaking of not looking at your phone or hopping into work right as you pop your eyes open (or working until you’re ready to fall over you’re so tired at night) - you need a nourishing morning and nighttime routine to get out of the mental blocks that come with entrepreneurship. I noticed, the more I dedicated every second of my life to my business, the less effective of an entrepreneur I actually was. Remember - you have to create a business that fits in your LIFE, not a life that fits into your business.
Taking the time in the morning to be in your own energy and focus inward creates a calmer, more mentally clear day ahead (and therefore a calmer, more mentally clear life overall). It can feel counterintuitive to utilize precious time when you wake up to do something for you instead of jumping right into your business, but that’s a sure way to get stuck in mental blocks. When you have no space from your business, it’s easy to forget who you truly are and what your real ‘why’ is for your business.
For me personally, I wake up early in order to have at least one hour to myself to reflect - on how I’ve been feeling, my visions and goals for the future, what I’m needing more of in my life, etc. - and pour into my own cup through activities like journaling, reading, meditating, sipping my coffee, walking and working out. This allows me to feel so much more mentally clear when I do inevitably hop into work and therefore end up being more productive and reminds me that my best work is done when I’m fueling my life with joy.
If this feels daunting - I created this daily habit tracker and guided journal to help fellow overthinking entrepreneurs like me steer clear of the mental blocks and live in a space of confidence + clarity!
3. Rewriting Your Inner Narrative
Many times I see my clients getting stuck in the same entrepreneurial mindset blocks over and over and over again until they face their inner narrative head on. These mindset blocks don’t *poof* show up out of nowhere, but are oftentimes tied to deep core beliefs we hold about ourselves that need to be dealt with at the root. Working on creating a positive inner narrative, one where you hold yourself to a high regard, is key. But how do you do that if your current inner monologue isn’t too kind? Start by writing it all out. And I mean all of it. Take a piece of paper and write out all of the negative, horrible, self-doubt-drive thoughts that take up precious brain power and continually push you into the mindset blocks that keep you safe. Now, I want you to ceremoniously get rid of this paper - whether you shred it, burn it, whatever (just don’t burn your house down) it doesn’t matter. As you do this, repeat to yourself “I release any narratives that keep me stuck.” After this, I want you to write a new, positive narrative, even if it feels forced. I want you to write as if you already have the things you want from your business - the thriving community, the waitlist of ideal clients, the abundance flowing into the bank, and the life you get to live because of these things. Read this every morning and hold onto it. And for an extra push at rewriting your narrative, I suggest doing the good ‘ol sticky notes on your mirror tactic with positive affirmations to read every day.
Will this one ceremony of sorts change your entire inner monologue? Unfortunately no. But bringing awareness to your personal negative mind traps and narratives (and facing them head on) helps you more easily notice in moments of stress, anxiety and self doubt what’s the truth and what’s just a repeat thought stuck in your subconscious.
4. Getting Away From Comparison
Comparison isn’t just the thief of joy, it’s the thief of creativity too. When building a business, it’s far too easy to start out with what you see as ‘market research’ - poking around on other similar business owners’ websites or Pinterests or Instagrams and then suddenly you feel the mindset blocks rolling in. It’s harder to come up with ideas, you all of a sudden hate your website, you have the urge to archive every Instagram post you’ve ever made and oh my god should I just quit!? Been there done that like 100 times.
As much as market research can be helpful and as much as it’s so much fun connecting with other business owners over social media (community really is everything!), be aware of when neither of these things are serving you. Focus on creating more than you consume and be honest with yourself about what habits aren’t serving you. For me, this looks like rarely scrolling and even cutting back on watching YouTube vlogs. Our minds aren’t meant to absorb that many different individuals’ lives.
Step out of comparison and step back into your own life friend.
5. Give Yourself Compassion and Take a Step Away
And lastly, give yourself some (and by that I mean a lot of) compassion. Entrepreneurship is hard. Running into mindset blocks and self doubt and imposter syndrome and every other murky feeling mixed in with the joy and excitement and freedom of being your own boss is tough. Don’t blame yourself, don’t get angry at yourself when these mindset blocks pop up, don’t go even further down the spiral for the sake of self sabotage.
When you notice the mindset blocks creeping in. Pause, remove yourself and get grounded back into your body and mind. When I personally notice mindset blocks coming back up, I close my laptop and typically do one of the following to disrupt my negative thoughts - dance, go on a walk, do yoga, or do breath work. Even just jumping around to your favorite music is a beautiful way to disrupt these thoughts and get back into your body and out of your mind.
Next time you notice the mindset blocks rolling in, come back to this post and remind yourself that it’s not your forever.
Need an extra boost for your business mindset? I’ve got you! You deserve to feel GOOD.
