5 Entrepreneur Mindset Challenges to Overcome For Success – and How to Implement Them

Fixing your mindset is the key to growth and happiness as a freelance copywriter.

You just finished up your latest freelance writing piece. You scoured over it and revised it countless times until you finally felt proud of it. But as soon as you send it to your client, your confidence disappears

You spiral into anxiety, worried the work isn’t right, and terrified to get feedback.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

So many freelancers struggle with insecurity, perfectionism, and self-limiting beliefs. And since you’re working by yourself, your brain can be an echo chamber for negative thoughts. 

Yep, I’ve been there. 

I want to help you stop this vicious cycle of self-doubt in its tracks. Because overcoming mindset challenges is key to your happiness and growth as a freelancer. It’s led me and thousands of my students to create successful copywriting businesses. 

Mindset work can propel your business growth and personal fulfillment forward at full-speed. It’s how you can take control of your thoughts, instead of letting subconscious thoughts run the show!

I know this limitless success is possible for you. So I’m going to share how you can unlock the power of the entrepreneur mindset. And the exact affirmations I used to overcome my self-limiting beliefs.

The Science Behind Mindset Challenges

Your mindset is your most effective tool to grow your business. But if you’re in a cycle of self-doubt, anxiety, and fear, then your mindset is working against you

To understand how to change this cycle, let’s explore where this negative narrative came from.

Understanding Negativity Bias

We have a tendency to focus on the negative aspects of our circumstances instead of the positive. We inherited this negativity bias from our ancestors. But this trait wasn’t designed to hold us back, it’s actually meant to help us survive!

Our distant ancestors used to live among constant threats – like animal attacks, starvation, and hypothermia. Focusing on the worst possible negative outcomes helped them survive those scenarios.

Of course, real dangers still exist. But life-threatening animal attacks and disasters aren’t as common in today’s daily life. And we’re grateful for that!

But the problem is your brain is still wired to focus on possible negative outcomes in your work and personal life. Like when you send a writing piece to your client and you immediately think they won’t like it. Fears like this tend to hold us back from pursuing – and achieving – our goals.

If noticing negativity is our default, focusing on the positive takes active focus. Cultivating this focus on positivity and affirming self-talk starts with mindset work.

You need to train your brain to look for the positive potential outcomes, and then you’ll watch them come true!

5 Mindset Challenges to Overcome (and How)

The circumstances that you choose to focus on define the way you perceive reality. Focusing on the negative and what could go wrong makes that situation more likely to become your reality.

Taming this subconscious negative narrative starts with replacing negative thoughts with positive beliefs. And regularly practicing affirmations is one of the most effective ways to cultivate intentional beliefs about yourself. 

Affirmations are short, powerful statements that you repeat to yourself. Affirmations are especially powerful when you pair them with emotions. Because your brain latches on to strong emotional states to create memories. Visualize yourself embodying positive qualities and how they’ll make you feel. When you combine thinking and feeling, you internalize the belief. 

When repeated over time, these beliefs – even if you don’t believe them at first – will eventually start to sink into your subconscious.3

Here are five mindset challenges I had to overcome as an entrepreneur. And the exact affirmations I use to instill a positive entrepreneur mindset:

1. Taking Things Personally

As a freelance creative, your clients review and critique the work you create for them. But if you take that feedback personally you’re going to have a really tough time. Instead, remember that feedback is not a reflection of your capabilities. Often it indicates what that person is going through at the time. This is also a great practice in life in general. 

Affirmation. “I don’t take things personally because people’s reactions are a reflection of their own experiences. Instead, I have empathy for whatever that person is struggling with.”

2. Fear of Not Knowing How to Do Something

Do you sometimes get paralyzed before you even start? You get so scared that you don’t know how to do something that you don’t even want to try. I remember that feeling. But we live in a time when resources and answers are at your fingertips. You just have to look for them!

Affirmation: “My struggles are never unique. Someone has always survived and thrived after experiencing what I’m going through. Solutions are available to me and I am open to receiving them.”

3. Fear of Rejection

When you first start out as a freelance copywriter, rejection can be tough. But over time, you’ll look back and realize that rejection is actually redirection. And redirection often leads to clients and experiences that are more suited for you.

Affirmation: “Rejection is always redirection. Though I can’t fully see why this is good for me now, I know that I’ll look back one day and think: ‘Wow, I’m so glad that happened.’”

4. Jealousy and Judgement

I’ve come to realize that jealousy and judgement may show me how I feel about myself and my desires. I often find that the person I’m jealous of embodies something that I want for my life. Jealousy and judgement can actually be huge signs of what you want.

Affirmation: “Judgement and jealousy are big clues about myself and what I want. I take the time to examine what these situations say about me.”

5. Feeling Limited by Your Past

Is there something from your past that holds you back? I used to always be on the move to try and escape that feeling. But I realized what was actually limiting me was my beliefs about myself. You have the power to heal your past wounds by how you act today.

Affirmation: “There are too many people who have triumphed over impossible odds for me to be limited by my past. Instead, I embrace the dynamic human that I am – allowing the potential for me to grow exponentially.”

The way that you talk to yourself has an immeasurable impact on how you feel and act. But sadly, so many of us are replaying a negative narrative without even realizing how it affects us

It’s time to start taking control of the thoughts that create your reality. Harnessing the power of your entrepreneur mindset can propel your growth in business and life.

Practicing affirmations repeatedly will shift your default thoughts about yourself over time. Plus, they activate the parts of your brain that make you feel positive. 

When you say your affirmations, envision yourself becoming exactly who you want to be. Over time, you’ll start to see it happen.

Master Your Entrepreneur Mindset

By now, you know you need to shift your mindset but you don’t know where to start. There’s tons of articles online about mindset work. But they don’t give the actual actions you need to do it.

My course, Master Your Mindset, shows you exactly what steps to follow to harness the power of your mindset. It’s the most comprehensive entrepreneur mindset course out there and will help you unlock your full potential in business and life.

I created this course because I want to help you break free from the trap of your own self-limiting beliefs. Mindset is your most powerful tool as an entrepreneur and business owner. 

I’m so passionate about your entrepreneur mindset journey. Because I know how quickly it can propel your success and bring you personal fulfillment.

Learn more about Master Your Mindset today. I’ll be right there rooting for you!

Want to Watch Instead?

Watch my Youtube video on how to stop second guessing yourself and overcome your mindset blocks. And for more videos on mastering your entrepreneur mindset, you can subscribe here!

Resources:

  1. Healthline: Victim Mentality: 16 Signs and Tips to Deal With It
  2. Healthline: What is Negativity Bias?
  3. Positive Psychology: Positive Daily Affirmations: Is There Science Behind It?

About Sarah

I’m an entrepreneur on a mission to help other people become entrepreneurs.
My blog is a place where I provide business building advice and explore how we can create more meaningful work.

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