Whatever you are pursuing in life, and whatever your goals are, you need to believe in yourself, be confident about your ideas no matter how crazy they might seem, and simply make a move.
The best way to learn about success is from entrepreneurs, as most of them went from rags to riches because they had a vision, a dream, confidence and conviction. So, take a chance in life. After all, if you don’t make your dreams come true, someone will hire you to build their dreams.
1. Look your fear in the eyes
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt
This quote, although it does not come from a traditional entrepreneur, tells the real truth about fear. Remember what you were afraid of when you were little, and what your attitude is towards that now. Take for example, the fear of the dark. Back when you were little, turning off the lights at night meant letting all the monsters out. Now that you are older, turning off the lights means one thing, that it’s finally time for some silence, a good night’s sleep. The same goes for any business you are pursuing. Whatever fear you have, know that more experienced people find that an advantage.
What distinguishes an entrepreneur is that they looked their fear in the eyes, and made a move. They certainly aren’t fearless, they are humans after all. But at the beginning of their career, they feared they can lose everything, that they were not competent for something, and that they were simply not good enough to become successful. However, they didn’t let all that stand in the way of their dreams. When it comes to anything in life, fear the fear itself, because it is your biggest enemy, and will keep you down if you let it.
When you make a move, and fearlessly step into the business world, later on you might also be scared of some challenges. Don’t let fear stop you. Because, as Richard Branson said “Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.” Make a mistake, and learn from it. Be confident in your knowledge and goals, so you can work on solutions, and not problems. Only this way can you achieve something worthwhile.
2. Self-doubt prevents success
“When in doubt, dare.” Robin Sharma
Having self-doubt means that you lack confidence and have almost no conviction. Whatever you want to achieve in life, don’t doubt your skills and knowledge. What doubt does to you, is prevent you from succeeding in something. Doubt takes you one step back, and makes it impossible for you to actually do something. Moreover, if you have partners or clients, be sure that they will notice your insecurities, which will only lead to not trusting you with their money. Learn how to deal with your insecurities, so you could guarantee yourself a long-term success. If you don’t believe in yourself, other people won’t either.
Therefore, whenever in doubt, dare, try and stick to your dreams. This is when confidence and conviction play their important role. They are the ones that will keep you going, and help you achieve everything you ever wanted. Even if you fail, you will learn a lot, which will lead to inevitable success.
3. Growth mindset and believing wholeheartedly in yourself
“My biggest motivation? Just to keep challenging myself. I see life almost like one long University education that I never had – everyday I’m learning something new.” Richard Branson
Your whole life is a path of knowledge, and everyday you are making mistakes and achieving some goals. Those might be unimportant and small tasks, but they develop your skills. For example, in everyday communication with people, you learn what attitude you need to have when speaking with some people, when to just listen, and how to have a discussion without becoming nervous. Every step in life, and a business move, is a chance for you to learn.
When you realize those small situations that shape you, you’ll start asking yourself how you can get better in something. This means having a growth mindset, which makes you work on yourself, your skills, and improving your knowledge. The opposite of a growth mindset, is a fixed mindset, which you can easily recognize when speaking with people who constantly ask themselves how good they are.
A growth mindset means learning from mistakes, failures, and not being affected by negative feedback. Make sure you wholeheartedly believe in yourself, constantly try to improve and don’t doubt your every move. Only this type of mindset can achieve something, while a fixed mindset will constantly be lost in the past, negative things, and stay at the bottom because of a lack of confidence, courage and conviction.
4. Conviction gets you into business, and keeps your enemies away
“If you are working on something that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.”- Steve Jobs
Only when you have overcome your fears and became courageous, can you do something big. However, for all that you need to believe in yourself and what you are doing. When you strongly believe in those two things, there’s no one who can bring you down. People who just merely hope, can easily stray away from their path to success, or even be tricked into deviating from it. When you do something, put your heart into it and don’t let anyone tell you different.
Conviction will put your fears behind and make you brave enough to take the first step towards fulfilling your dream. And when you’re running a business, conviction will be there to make it all possible and, more importantly, make it all happen.
5. Stick to your code of ethics and morality when faced with adversity
“Your reputation is more important than your paycheck, and your integrity is worth more than your career.” – Ryan Freitas, co-founder of About.me
When you face an unpleasant situation, where you might be tempted to question your morality and ethics, the best thing to do is remember who you were at the very beginning. Ask yourself what that person would do, and you’ll have the answer. Never risk your reputation and integrity for money or career. Remember the beginning when you were so courageous and sure in your vision that you could slam the door to anyone who thought differently.
If you are at the beginning of your career, write a letter to your older self. Write down your dreams, goals and beliefs. One day, if faced with adversity, open that letter and it will help you make the best decision.
This doesn’t have to apply strictly to the business world and achieving life goals. You can apply this advice in developing yourself, so that you can be happy with who you are. Believe in yourself, have the courage to make a mistake, be proud you’ve failed, find a solution and succeed.