Success Advice
12 Affirmations For The Struggling Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurs are an optimistic lot. Naysayers might say “naïve.” But they have to be. Odds are against their success, but those who do succeed will provide for their families, solve customers’ problems, and possibly change the world in a big way.The best entrepreneur, therefore, has a healthy confidence that “I’ll be the one person in a thousand who makes it big.”
Still, even the most optimistic of entrepreneurs can have a bad day. Maybe the customers aren’t coming fast enough, or investors remain uninterested. Or maybe you’ve just been working for 24 hours straight and need to sleep. Whatever the reason, it’s important for entrepreneurs to get back on the positive side quickly, especially if they have employees looking to them to set the tone.
With that in mind, it’s helpful to have an arsenal of optimistic thoughts handy for those pessimistic moments.
12 Affirmations for the Entrepreneur
1. Go for it. Having something half done is worse than not having it all. Commit to doing everything you can to make it work.
2. There’s always a lag between doing something new and seeing results. Don’t be discouraged if things don’t look up right away.
3. If Plan A doesn’t work, there are 25 more letters in the alphabet.
4. Ambition is good, but don’t always live for the ending. Enjoy the process of building something from nothing, meeting customers’ needs, and providing jobs for your employees.
5. Do you need to look at the situation from a new perspective to find the solution? A coach, a friend, or a walk in the park can sometimes help you see new options.
6. When you fail, you’re one step closer to success.
7. If you’re not failing, you’re not trying hard enough or pushing yourself enough. What would you do if you had no fear? Go do that.
8. Believe in yourself and your vision. Some days, that will be all you have.
9. Related to that, trust your gut. Your instinct can be more instructive than a million books on entrepreneurship. Don’t ignore the small, nagging voice when it wants your attention.
10. Don’t rely only on yourself, though. You can’t do everything. Find a great team and do whatever is necessary to keep them close. The road to success — or failure — is more fun with people who believe and trust one another.
11. Listen to the naysayers just long enough to hear what you need to refine your business. Then, tune them out. It can be helpful to hear criticism, but you should surround yourself with people who want to help fulfill your vision.
12. Be in love with the problem more than you are with the solution. In other words, care more about solving the problem than solving it the way you think it should work. Sometimes, your first hypothesis is simply wrong, and you need to be open to trying new things.
It’s a challenge to start and run your own business. You won’t even imagine most of the obstacles you’ll face until you see them. But, success is 50 percent attitude, and if you give yourself a little pep talk when you’re struggling, you can keep your attitude in check.
Truly creating change requires a lot of work — and just the right amount of optimism.
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ANITRA SINGLETARY
Oct 16, 2017 at 6:21 pm
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND YOUR VISION
Evan
Nov 11, 2015 at 9:06 am
Hey Kelli,
I thought this would be a first-person quote affirmation-type article, but I really like the spin that you’ve taken on it. These are important maxims for every entrepreneur to live by and absorb into their philosophy.
My favorite is number 2 as many people in this world simply don’t apply the necessary effort from the point of starting to the point of completion or even results!
Keep it up…
serenalee98498501
Nov 22, 2013 at 7:55 pm
Great article. Thank you for sharing your expertise!
Justsuj
Aug 4, 2013 at 8:59 pm
The best bullet list I have seen on this topic.
Kelli Richards
Aug 5, 2013 at 4:11 pm
I’m happy to hear that you find it useful!
daniel
Aug 4, 2013 at 4:57 am
Love it.
nippo tippo (@nippotippo)
Aug 3, 2013 at 9:10 am
wonderful thoughts… precise and helpful…
mark weeks
Aug 3, 2013 at 5:21 am
Great thoughts Kelli.. I needed a pep talk today too!
I’ve made the affirmations into a PDF to look at everyday. Some days can be tough as a new start-up. But when you know you’re doing something that will benefit others and feels right you just keep on going; somehow!
Kelli Richards
Aug 5, 2013 at 4:10 pm
Spot on Mark — you’ve got the right attitude!
Lance
Aug 2, 2013 at 10:19 pm
This came at a very opportune time. Excellent list. Needed this.
Kelli Richards
Aug 5, 2013 at 4:10 pm
Pleased to hear Lance!