In last week’s blog we discussed how self-doubt can be a sign of success. However, I’m sure you are all too aware that too much self-doubt can majorly hold us back from achieving our business goals and reaching our full potential. 

So today I’m going to cover some of the most common myths your entrepreneurial brain is telling you and how to overcome them. 

‘I’m not good enough.’

When 50 entrepreneurs from start-up companies were asked the question “What is the one thing that holds your business back?”, a third of them said it was feeling like they weren’t good enough.

And as sad as that statistic may be, it’s probably one that most of us can relate to.

You have to come to terms with the fact that running your own business is a marathon not a sprint. 

You are going to feel like a beginner A LOT  i.e; A beginner at accounting; A beginner at recruiting; A beginner at writing business plans; A beginner at basically anything you haven’t already done in your previous career (which, when you start your first business, is pretty much everything). 

So it’s up to us to overcome our feelings of inadequacy and embrace ourselves as beginners 

“If you keep waiting for the moment when you feel “good enough,” it will never come.”  – Solomon Thimothy, president of OneIMS.

So repeat after me – “I am a beginner and that’s fine.”

‘I have to be perfect.’

How many times have you let your need for perfection hold you back?

Perfectionism is a common trait among entrepreneurs, especially when so much of your love and passion is going into your business. Of course you want everything to be perfect. 

However, the drive and desire to be perfect may limit your ability to reach goals.

It’s better to finish something, even if it’s not perfect, than to become so obsessed with perfection that you never finish anything. 

Your goal should be progress not perfection. 

“My best advice is to follow this rule: 90 percent is good enough because nothing will ever be perfect,” – Kristin Kimberly Marquet, founder and creative director of Marquet Media, LLC.  

‘This person is doing better than me.’

It’s almost a natural instinct in the age of social media to continually compare yourself to your peers. Yet comparison truly is the biggest thief of joy.

“Stop looking sideways and keep focused forward.” – Mathew, CEO and founder of Fortress Consulting

If you continuously compete with others you will become bitter, but if you continuously compete with yourself you will become better.

So focus on how far you’ve come and what your own goals are.

‘I should be further along.’

Many entrepreneurs get discouraged when their efforts don’t yield immediate results and as such this is where a lot of people give up or quit. 

“Winners are not those who never fail. They are those who never quit.” – Banksy

However, as previously mentioned, running your own business is a marathon not a sprint and as such, we must reprogram our brains into this way of thinking.

“For an entrepreneur to achieve their goals, they must be patient, steadfast and focus on smaller instances of growth.” – Ismael Wrixen, executive chairman of FE International.

So as you can see there are ways to achieve a more secure mindset and it frequently starts with learning from other entrepreneurs who have faced similar challenges. 

If you would like to learn from local entrepreneurs then MOMENTUM is not to be missed.

We want our speakers and attendees to see this as a way to connect, share and learn from other like-minded people and industry experts whether they are fellow entrepreneurs, thought-leaders or marketing professionals. 

If you would like to join our panel of speakers please email your details to info@thisismomentum.co.uk 

If you would like to join our audience please register your interest by following our Facebook event page.

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Tickets will be released to the general public – Autumn 2022.