The life of an entrepreneur is like riding a roller coaster blindfolded. You must first overcome the mental challenge of making the decision to get on the roller coaster and becoming fully committed. The blindfold is then almost autonomously put on as you begin to develop your idea and prepare for launch. Finally, as your product releases, you begin the blindfolded roller coaster ride; unaware of which direction your company or associated emotions may turn next.
Idea
Thinking of the idea is one of the most difficult steps in a startup. Coming up with a great idea that provides value and bringing it to the market are skills that only a select few have. The reason this skill is so special is because when coming up with a unique idea, it requires a more rigorous understanding of thought. You must separate your thought process from the thought process of those in society. This step strongly relies on separating yourself from the social scene, staying up late nights, and focusing solely on your idea.
Formation
The formation phase is one of the most exciting yet most stressful stages of transforming your idea a reality. As you begin to launch your idea, you push your thinking further outside of the way society thinks. Your mind begins to have different thought patterns. One day, you are on top of the world, thinking that your startup is going to dominate its industry and the next day, you are down in the gutter thinking your idea is crashing. In a period of mixed emotions, you must be able to overcome your negative thoughts and push past your own boundaries to achieve success.
When you finally get to the point of launch, you must change your mindset again. To market your product, you must begin to think like a consumer to understand the reasons they purchase your product. Although having to change your mindset can constantly can be challenging, keeping a flexible mindset is an important skill. For those entrepreneurs experiencing these challenges, do not worry, there is a solution.
Solution
I have personally been able to overcome a lot of my own mental and physical struggles through the use of affirmations and incantation. An affirmation is making a statement about yourself and believing it is real, even though it is currently not in existence. An incantation is putting your whole body’s energy into that statement and believing it fully. These practices have allowed me to break through many of my mental barriers and create a successful mindset.
Staying focused and having faith on your end goal is a great way to increase confidence in your startup. For example, one of my favorite affirmations is, “I am calm, confident, and collected. I believe that greatness is flowing into my life and I am thankful for all that I have. “ This affirmation, repeated throughout my mornings and nights, has boosted my confidence and allowed my to conquer my fears.
Although the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur are something many people will face, there are ways you overcome the mental struggles. By using affirmations and incantations, you can begin to attract greatness and success into your own life. Take a step in the innovative direction. Think different.
Michael Austin Jacobs is a passionate 20-year-old entrepreneur and student who is following his dream. He is presently a Senior in the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona, (Tucson, AZ) and planning to graduate Summer 2013 with a B.A. in Business Management. His previous venture was CollegeReg.com where he looked to provide value to college students who were in need of a place to share private information. His current venture is SociaLink, a mobile application that simplifies the way people networking. You can find SociaLink on the Apple iTunes App Store for free. Also, Michael is the author of the eBook title, ‘Make Your Idea an App Store App – 8 Secrets Behind Creating a Successful Mobile App’ which can be purchased at multiple locations. Michael will be releasing a new eBook soon on becoming an entrepreneur.
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