Having the Right Mindset as an Entrepreneurial Writer

How do we achieve our goals and reach the pinnacle of success as an entrepreneur who writes?

Through hard work? Natural raw talent? Of course, you need both of these attributes in your locker.

Absolutely.

But first (and most importantly), you need the desire and hunger to succeed before you set out on becoming an entrepreneurial writer. This stems back from your mindset.

It can be a rough ride for most. Writing full-time as a professional isn’t for everyone. Some people may lack the traits or time to be their own boss or may have to rely on a weekly wage in a normal nine-to-five job, as they feel more financially secure that way.

When you’re working for yourself, it’s quite normal to have paydays spread out on different days of the month while having to keep records of past/future work, drawing up invoices of each job you’ve overseen for clients, and pitching to editors for writing gigs everyday, which may not appeal to many.

It’s quite possible that you’re the only person in your business of one, so keeping yourself motivated to write articles and blog posts each day can be mentally and physically challenging.

Keeping your accounts and finances up to scratch, updating your blog regularly, producing high-quality content consistently, being organized and disciplined with a working routine, meeting deadlines for clients and publications, and not getting distracted by social media temptations are some of the challenges every entrepreneurial writer faces on a regular basis.

You’ve got to have the mentality that there will be tough days ahead and plan for hurdles along your journey.

“Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine,” states wealthy Chinese businessman, investor, and philanthropist Jack Ma.

A “never say die” attitude, even when things may seem a little dark and gloomy from time to time, can be the difference between failure and success.

I’ll Believe It When I See It vs. I’ll See It When I Believe It

A negative mindset tends to generate negative actions and, similarly, if we have a mindset that will only bring to bear once we see evidence that our targets are obtainable, then the road will be much more prolonged and more strenuous.

Rather than needing proof to believe you can evolve, have the ethos that it’s an inevitability that you know you will attain your ambitions and that it’s only a matter of time before you do so. Stay focused on your goals, and always be positive.

As said by the Greek writer, poet, and philosopher Nikos Kazantzakis, “In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can.” This mentality demonstrates the dynamism that lies within you, through a belief in striving for glory.

Don’t require proof to believe success is possible, but believe you’re on to something extraordinary before it’s actually taken place.

Champion your inner self—believe you can climb the tallest mountain through inner belief and positivity; be mentally strong enough to reach the top when negativity is tugging at your coattails. Glance over your shoulder at it, and firmly kick it loose from its grasp upon you.

Wayne Dyer, psychotherapist and world-famous author of worldwide bestsellers Your Erroneous Zones and Pulling Your Own Strings, demonstrates in his book You’ll See It When You Believe It: The Way to Your Personal Transformation all the traits required to enable you to be the controller of your own destiny and master of your own universe.

Having the philosophy that success is inevitable will only enhance your chances of accomplishing goals and aspirations as a writing entrepreneur.

Surround Yourself With Positivity and Avoid Negativity

Finding inspiration through others can be really uplifting and will keep you on track with developing your success mindset and reinforcing your belief that your aspirations can be achieved.

Find people that you can talk with about how they achieved their goals, and seek out and surround yourself with positivity.

Personally, I learned a great deal from reading vast amounts of content from other inspiring journalists and writers online: I observed how they structured their articles from beginning to end and thoroughly educated myself on their use of grammar, style, and even punctuation.

I even took notice at how often they churned out content on social media. It was a good indicator at just how disciplined and creative I needed to be in order to advance to “that level.”

Taking inspiration from high-level writers and journalists will only better your own style and will enable you to grow as a writing entrepreneur. Learn from the ones who have been there and done it.

They know the way.

You can come up against a lot of negativity, sometimes through other people’s words or actions.

Comments online from people or groups who may disagree with what you have published can derail or cause fear or doubt, so you’ve just got to work past that and realize that not everyone will agree with your opinion on a certain topic.

Somewhere along the line, you most likely will be asked to write something a little “debateable” to some readers, whether it be for a magazine, newspaper, or a blog.

The media is full of controversy and debates. However, part of the job as a writer is to deal with both. Take on board any opinions that may differ from your own and respect them; everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but absolutely ignore any individuals who start name-calling in a comment section.

These are the people who have their own personal insecurities in life and may actually have agendas with people who are successful.

Engineer Ray Goforth said, “There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed.”

Stay Positive and Keep Being Inspired

Read up on success stories, perhaps rags-to-riches’ tales. They are great motivators and will inspire you.

Listen to iconic writers and journalists who have achieved milestones in their lives by having a solid mindset.

Use their inspiration and advice as a benchmark for your own future. This is crucial if you’re learning to develop a positive mindset.

Here are some more tips that will enable you to stay focused on your goals as an entrepreneurial writer:

• Realize that you must evolve into success. Be patient. It will take time and persistence.

• Constantly challenge yourself by introducing new methods or techniques to overcome adversity.

• Be better than you were yesterday. Keep evolving. Every day is another chance to strengthen your weaknesses and learn from your previous mistakes.

• Listen to successful, experienced writers, and accept criticism from them. You will learn a great deal in the short and long term. Right the wrongs.

• Clearly define your version of success—go and grab it.

• Replicate the masters and personalize it. Use successful writers, editors, and journalists as mentors, and try replicating their work creatively in your own way.

• Strike up relationships with other successful business owners (outside of writing) if you can, and don’t be afraid to ask them for advice and tips.

• Don’t be afraid of failing. We all fail; it’s how you respond that counts. Get back on your feet, dust yourself down, and learn from it. Be resilient.

• Be fearless. Never hold back from putting yourself out there by producing your best work and publishing it for the world to see.

Keep Your Head Up

Of course, you will experience some challenges on the road; there will be hurdles to jump, banana peels to sidestep, and walls to run through, but these are just stepping stones on your way to success as a writing entrepreneur.

Nobody owes you anything, but you it to yourself to never give up.

If someone tells you that you aren’t capable, cut them loose. Believe in yourself.

You don’t need anyone’s permission to conquer your goals. You’re in control of your own destiny, and you can achieve anything you want with the right mentality, drive, and passion.

Keep learning, stay positive, and focus on the long road ahead. Look forward to what will go right rather than a fear of what could go wrong.

It’s not “you win or you fail,” it’s “you win or you learn.”
And as Steve Jobs, CEO and co-founder of Apple Inc. said, “If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.”