In the last email I wrote about the most important entrepreneurial skill; understanding LEVERAGE. That is a technical and strategic skill set that you can learn by reading books, talking to your mentors or simply modelling somebody else’s business.
But; “80% of success is psychology, 20% is strategy.” – Tony Robbins
This brings us to the second most important factor of entrepreneurial success; confidence.
I do not mean “cocky confidence”. The kind of confidence that we typically see in movies, media and that many people emulate in business. I was this type of hard nosed entrepreneur for my first 3-4 years and I was angry, stressed and frustrated. It also brought me to my knees because lack of success ate away my confidence day by day.
The type of confidence I´m talking about is 100% belief in oneself that you can handle whatever comes. That means when you fail or do something that other people may find stupid or funny it does not affect you because you know it is part of your path in life.
The truth of business and life is that we never really know what is going to happen. A part of us craves certainty. In fact that is why most people work in jobs and never do what they really want or believe they can achieve their dreams. The need for certainty is very strong for most people however if we reframe what certainty means we can build the kind of psychology that you need to weather the storms of entrepreneurship.
Confidence comes from the belief that you can handle whatever life throws at you. And you can if you believe you can.
The alternative is living in fear….
| “A coward dies a thousand times before his death, but the valiant taste of death but once.” – William Shakespeare, Julius Cesar |
If you feel you lack confidence or it could be stronger then there are processes you can go through to strengthen it. Using meditation apps on your smartphone is a way to build that muscle on a daily basis. Another is to simply face your fears and follow through on something that scares you.
How to Build Self-Confidence – Tony Robbins
We all have felt 100% confident in our lives. Take a moment to think about a time you felt grounded in yourself and the energy in your body. Close your eyes and think about that moment. That is what Tony is talking about when it comes to putting yourself in “state”. Once you have felt that state once you can do it again and again.
To increase confidence in your life I suggest using guided meditations that focus on confidence every night before you go to bed for at least 21 days. That way your subconscious mind will start giving you the thoughts and signals you need to follow through in life and be more confident.
The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, is the key to High Performance and Personal Renewal by Jim Loehr, Tony Schwartz
This book is a classic. If you have heard of Brendon Bruchard he bases his thinking on this book.
The authors have trained some of the best athletes and high performers in the world to become great at what they do and it´s through a methodology of applied stress, then periods of rejuvenation and relaxation. Just like I talk about in my book `Never Work Again`. (see image below)
Managing your energy will be the key to your survival as an entrepreneur. There are 4 areas to manage when it comes to energy; mental, physical, spiritual and emotional. If you are not fuelling all these areas then it´s likely that you are not performing at the level you could be. When we feel like we could be doing better it eats away on our confidence. Great book! Check it out 🙂
Confidence in the Economy vs. 12 Months Ago
Source
Unique Daily Affirmations Free App
A creative affirmation tool that helps you succeed in your endeavors, bring you out from under the clouds, and make positive changes in your life. Through uplifting statements and quotes, you’ll believe in yourself with these one-a-day affirmations.
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