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Our mindset and beliefs control everything.
Your upbringing, your job, your house, your car, all of these external factors do not control your life and your happiness; your mindset does.
In order to live our best lives and be the best versions of ourselves, we have to ditch those limiting beliefs.
In your business, there are lots of attitudes you may have that you don’t realize affect your growth and your happiness.
These attitudes, even if they are subconscious, can heavily affect your work life.
Here are 10 attitudes that are holding you back in your business. Pay close attention to these, and call them out whenever you feel them creep in.
1. You constantly compare yourself to others
Competition can be healthy when it motivates you to be better, but constantly comparing yourself and your journey to others you see in business or on social media is not healthy.
If you are afraid to do something because you think someone else will do it better, that is holding you back.
Comparison is the thief of joy, and unless it pushes you to get better, it needs to be left behind.
2. You think that your work is not valuable
It isn’t possible to run a business if you think that what you are providing is not valuable.
You have to believe in your product and service more than anyone else.
No one is going to buy from you if you don’t have confidence in what you are selling.
Someone out there needs to hear and see your value and it will help them.
So, you are valuable and your work is valuable.
3. You feel as though you are wasting your time
Sometimes when working on a task for your business, it feels boring and like you are wasting your time.
You may be thinking “oh, no one is going to buy this from me”.
But, hard work pays off.
The reward may not show right away but trust me it will pay off.
Stay consistent and you aren’t wasting your time.
Related Reads:
- 12 Healthy Habits That Every Female Entrepreneur Should Practice
- How to Recognize and Stop Self-Sabotaging Yourself
4. You are scared to ask questions
No matter what your business is and how long you have been running it, you will have questions.
If you don’t have questions, then maybe you need to get a bit more curious.
As an entrepreneur you should constantly be learning and not asking questions can prevent you from getting better and better in business.
Instead of being afraid you’ll look silly for asking a question, think about how much of a better CEO you will be if you understand more of your job.
So, ask Facebook groups, look at someone who has done it, and ask them, find a mentor or coach.
5. You try to avoid failure by not taking risks
In business, with risk comes growth.
Without taking risks, you will stay stagnant in your position and responsibilities.
That risk may be investing in new products, avoiding social media, and putting yourself out there, hiring a team, and so much more.
The more comfortable you are with taking risks, the more potential there is for you to grow and succeed.
6. You let the attitudes of those around you affect you
Especially with a smaller team, the attitudes of the people around you can heavily affect you.
We all know the feeling.
A teammate or someone you live with has a negative attitude all day and snaps at the people around them.
This negative mood can affect you if you let it.
You have to set boundaries between yourself and the people around you to keep the morale high.
You should be the only one in charge of your attitude.
7. You feel as though you are not qualified
Hey imposter syndrome, I am calling you out.
Constantly telling yourself that you are not qualified in your business does absolutely nothing positive for you.
If you started your business, then some part of you deep down believes it is a good fit for you.
Who really is qualified to do anything anyway?
We are all constantly learning, no matter how many years you have been working in your field.
8. You forget to try things in a new way
If you have been working in your business for a while now, chances are that you have developed some sort of routine.
Routines are not bad at all, but you don’t want to get into such a strict routine that you end up doing everything on autopilot.
This could prevent you from looking at your work from different angles and trying something new.
Just because you have been doing something one way for a long time does not mean it is the best way.
Expand your thinking and try attempting tasks a new way.
9. You don’t seek out criticism
Criticism can be hard to take sometimes.
Have you ever spent weeks on a project, just to have a customer totally rip your work to shreds?
Although no one particularly enjoys criticism, it is not something you should try to avoid.
Productive criticism can really push you to be a better entrepreneur, especially if it is coming from someone who has your best interests in mind.
10. You forget to be thankful
Especially if you are not where you want to be, it can be hard to actually appreciate what you are doing.
Do you have the ability to make someone’s day better?
Is your work positively affecting someone else’s life?
Does your business help you or is putting you in the direction to live the life you want?
If you answered yes to any or all of these, you should be grateful.
Think about everything you have learned from running a business, the people you have met, and yes, the money it provides for you and your family.
There is always something to be grateful for.
Final Thoughts
I hope you take these attitudes to heart and ditch the ones that are holding you back.
You deserve to shine, and living your best life truly does start with your mindset.
Go into your workday with a positive mindset, and leave behind any attitudes that do not serve you.
Michelle Gagliani
Owner & Founder
Michelle is the Founder of The Balanced CEO and a Holistic Nutritionist + Health Coach. She was born and raised in St.Thomas, U.S.V.I., and is currently living in Austin, TX. When she’s not running this blog and online business, she is cozied up at home watching TV, taking long walks in nature, or trying out new healthy recipes.
Great post! I have definitely felt a few of these in the past.
Thanks Alyssa!
Great post! Not only do these thing hold you back in business but in life.
Thank you for sharing your insight and tips!
Yes, I totally agree Holly! Thanks for reading!
Seeking critiques on your work is a great strategy for knowledge and growth. Well said.
Thank you Sandi!
Very motivational! Thanks!! Long way to go, but looking back at how far I’ve come helps too.
Omg yes that is so important Debbie. You don’t even realize it so it does help to keep track of your progress along the way 🙂
I agree with most or all of these. We may “nail it” on some of these areas but struggle in others. We have to constantly work on ourselves while working on our business. The two go together!
You are so right Kristin. It goes hand in hand!
I so needed to hear this today.
🙂 I am glad it helped Cindy!
These will hold you back for sure. Self-confidence goes a long way.
Yep! Sure does Lisa! Thanks for reading.
These are true especially seeking feedback and taking chances and also not being afraid to take risks.
For sure Bonnie. Thank you!
I’ve definitely felt like I’ve wasted my time before! I think another one that can be added to the list is thinking that the work will be easy. The hard things in life offer the biggest reward!
Yes Joe! That is such a great one. I agree completely. “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty”.
Good to keep in mind, not just for business, but for success in life in general.
I agree Sabrina. Thanks for reading and commenting!
So ALL of these things speak to me! So hard when you are your own barriers to continued success!
Yes Tiffany! It happens so much, we can be our worse enemies sometimes. I am glad you read my post! 🙂
#6 and #9. I am super impacted by the attitudes of those around me. Negativity really wears on me. And I struggle with criticism. It is so tough to take sometimes!
Hey Amanda! I am actually working on a new blog post about how to stay positive around negative people. I feel like this is a big struggle. Other people’s moods can bring us down and a lot of people don’t realize it. It is a good thing you recognize it and hopefully, my new post soon will help you with this struggle. Trust me, I know how it is.
It is so important to continue to grow- accepting critiques and asking questions! There is always a better way- someone just hasn’t discovered it yet 🙂
Haha yes exactly Tiffany. 😊
Pinned this for later Michelle. Several of them apply to me. Taking risks because I’m afraid to fail is probably the biggest. Starting a blog was one of the biggest leaps of faith I’ve taken in a while.
Thanks for sharing Chelsea! Risks are definitely scary but nothing great comes easy. I am so happy you started your blog as I keep up with it and I love how you been sharing on Instagram a lot more lately too. I am rooting for you, you got this!
Great advice here. Mindset is definitely everything and can make or break you. I try so hard to teach my kids this as they grow older.
Thanks Adrienne! That is awesome you are teaching your kids from young 🙂
I think we all go through a few of these feelings in our careers!
I agree Barbara!
Such great reminders to have more faith in myself and my businesses!
YES Melissa, you got this!
Great points! Love your comment “the thief of joy” so true!
Thanks Suzan 🙂
I needed these reminders – I love #9, especially about the criticisms. It’s extremely hard to hear these but can really benefit any business.
I agree it can be hard but so necessary to see it from other people’s perspectives. Thanks for reading Ayesha!
These are great points. It’s easy to fall into these traps even in your personal life. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for reading Yvette!
It’s important to believe that what you do is helping others.
One problem is that people don’t know how to give feedback. Helpful comments aren’t criticism, they are feedback. If we can wrap our heads around that, we would be able to really gain from the feedback, instead of becoming defensive.
Good point Suz!
Excellent post! Mindset is EVERYTHING!
Thank you Cindy! ❤️
Self confidence is such a vital part of life to keep yourself from being held back. Great advice!
Yes! Definitely Justine. Thanks!!
So many of these points speak to me! Great article! But totally off-topic – I absolutely LOVE the look of your website! Very easy to look at and to maneuver! Awesome job!
That is so sweet of you Marianne! Thank you so much!! I truly appreciate that 🥰