Entrepreneurs… guard your confidence! As an entrepreneur, it is CRITICAL for you to guard your confidence. You’re doing things that most people don’t do. You’re out blazing new trails and going places that most people aren’t willing to go. When you’re experimenting with new ideas and trying new things, there are always going to be CRITICS and people who will try to bring you down. Because guess what? It’s easier for people to bring you down than to raise their game up to your level. When you are an entrepreneur, you have to guard your confidence. I’m going to give you three tips on how to do this. But, before I do, let me just share how this all came about: Recently, my wife and I were having dinner with some friends. One of our friends, knowing that I was preparing for my own product launch, asked a question: “What do you think about doing your own launch versus all the launches that you’ve done for somebody else? Do you feel any difference?” I was like, “Heck yeah, I do.” Because I’ve been behind the scenes helping strategize and develop launches for many, many people. For example, during the last year of my partnership with Michael Hyatt, we did four seven figure launches throughout the year. It was a huge year, but doing a launch for somebody else is totally different than doing it for yourself, and here’s why: When you do it for yourself, there is a ton of mental baggage. What do I mean by mental baggage? I’m talking about self-doubt and limiting beliefs and all that fun stuff. There’s all kinds of mental baggage that we carry when it’s our own product, our own course, our own membership, our own launch, whatever it is. We have to guard our confidence because, if we don’t, it’s very, very easy to get derailed. When you’re trying new things, you’re going to have people who cast all kinds of doubts. You’re going to have people who throw sticks and stones as a way of projecting their OWN mental baggage. I’ve released several videos sharing my views on business and entrepreneurship, and recently somebody left a comment. He wrote: “I didn’t even watch the video to know that this is nothing more than a travel blogger who comes from a rich wealthy background and that’s why they’re able to do what they’re doing.” I was like what? Dude, obviously you didn’t watch the video because (a) I’m not a travel blogger (b) I definitely did not come from a wealthy background. Everything I’ve created, I earned, and it’s because I had great people around me who supported and believed in me, but I started everything from scratch. His comment annoyed me, and I had to remind myself that comments like this happen all the time. When you are sharing a message, product or service with the world, haters and trolls are absolutely inevitable. It’s not your job to combat the trolls. All you need to worry about is guarding your confidence. Here are three ways to do it: 1) Have a clear strategy. When you have a clear strategy, it is very hard for you to get derailed because you know exactly what your next steps are. I see entrepreneurs who stumble because they don’t know what it is that they’re going to be doing next or they don’t have a clear strategy and what happens is that when somebody casts a little bit of doubt their way, they second guess themselves and then they backtrack and then now they’re completely off the rails. Get clear on your strategy so can focus on simply executing. 2) Have supportive voices in your life. Being an entrepreneur isn’t easy. You’re going to have your ups and our downs, and when you have your downs, you need people who can bring you right back up. There are two sides to this coin: One, seek out those supportive voices. Look to family, friends, mentors, mastermind partners – whoever – who can help coach you and support you and encourage you. And be that supportive voice for others! Don’t just vocalize but demonstrate your support by taking ACTION. This doesn’t need to be a huge gesture. Just reaching out to show your support is enough. In fact, when I’m finished here on my way home, there’s somebody that I’m going to send a voice message to because I just listened to their podcast and it was amazing. Supportive voices are incredibly important. Seek them. Be one. 3) Know your “why?” As in, why did you become an entrepreneur in the first place? Why did you start your business? When you are super clear on your why, that’s like the guiding star that keeps you focused. When I first started out, my why was simple: to provide a better life for myself and my family. But as I started experiencing some success and discovering the impact my business could have, I found another why. My wife and I started a charity where we build schools in Kenya. At the time of writing this, we’ve built eight schools, and two are currently in construction. So the more money I make, the more I can contribute to that project, and that motivates me daily. When you get clear on your why, people can say what they want and they can try to derail you, but none of that matters because you have complete confidence in the path you’re on. Summary: Have a clear strategy. Have supportive voices (and be a supportive voice, too). Know your “why?” It’s not easy being an entrepreneur. But you and I, we’re the ones making things happen. Entrepreneurs have the power to change the world and that’s why I love and believe in entrepreneurship so much. Keep your confidence up. The world will thank you for it. Your turn: What do you do to guard your confidence? Let me know in the comments below.
