The secret weapon of business growth? Your way of thinking

The mental effects of entrepreneurs are real and not talked about enough. Tests will be seen that 72% of founders report the negative impact of starting a company on their mental health, including high stress, anxiety, burnout, depression and panic attacks. That’s a big percentage.

As founders, we frequently move too quickly to understand the impact our mindset and mental health have on our company.

What we say and how we treat ourselves can impact our mental health and ultimately our mental health and ultimately our business. Our way of thinking doesn’t just influence us; it affects everyone around us.

So if we are burnt out, too afraid of failure, or too afraid of the future of our organization, we are A) missing out on necessary opportunities and B) not presenting ourselves as the best version of ourselves to our employees.

I have been on my very own mental journey over the years. When I began prioritizing my mental health, I learned that as you scale up, the right perspective will be rocket fuel.

Here’s what I’ve learned from training my mind over 18 years of playing.

Trust your gut and intuition

Decision-making as an entrepreneur is stressful. But that is part of the job. Every day you have to quickly make difficult decisions which will affect the future of your organization. Moreover, you’ll probably have input from others who also have an opinion on how it is best to proceed.

Hearing others’ perspectives on an issue is necessary and ought to be taken into consideration, but when it takes you away from your personal intuition, you may get into trouble. Because when you actually take heed to your inner voice and intuition, it’s always right.

My co-founder Brendan Schwartz and I were faced with an necessary decision in 2017 when we received an offer to sell Wisita. We listened to others and considered all the information – almost everyone felt the offer was a good one.

Ultimately, we made a decision that felt authentic to us and that we felt was best for the long-term interests of our team members and the vision of our company. We did something unexpected: we rejected the offer, took on $17.3 million in debt, bought out our investors, and took complete control of Wistia. We repaid this amount last yr.

At the end of the day, when I’m faced with a difficult decision, I ask myself: what is going to give me a clear conscience and a higher night’s sleep? Any decision that leaves you with this sense is often the right one in the end.

However, in order to trust your gut and intuition, it’s essential to build it. This implies that you can not be afraid of failure. The only way to learn and improve at something is to try it, so the sooner you develop into comfortable with failure and taking risks, the higher. Trying and creating latest things is the basis of every part in our society and ultimately exercises our intuition.

Adopt a positive attitude

I have a saying that I come back to often: “No one ever got rich by telling you all the reasons you were wrong.”

If you think about it, being a pessimistic entrepreneur rarely results in success. I’m fully aware that maintaining a positive attitude is a challenge in the startup world and it’s good to have a healthy dose of skepticism. However, over the years I have adopted two tricks to take care of an overall positive attitude on a each day basis.

First, a different perspective is every part. Sometimes all we want is someone to assist us redefine our situation and offer validation.

As entrepreneurs, it’s totally easy to get stuck in a certain lane and get dizzy. If you are struggling to remain positive about your organization, talk over with someone outside your organization who’s following your journey.

Second, make time to exercise. I think we will forget how closely our mental health is linked to our physical health. Exercising your body in any way will be a physical escape. It makes us happier.

Exercise not only provides mental clarity, but it also helps us cope with emotional stress. So the next time you think about using your half-hour of exercise to make progress on something, think again.

When we are in a more positive mental state, it is easier for us to perform difficult things and make higher decisions. Your mental performance and productivity will skyrocket. So if you select this exercise, the payoff might be higher in the end.

Stay emotionally present

Society tells us that it is best to live in the present moment. But how will you, as an entrepreneur, live in the present when you have a job that requires you to continuously look to the future and plan for what’s to return?

I have come to the conclusion that the ideal state to do this job well is to attempt to stay emotionally current. This helps you avoid anxiety about the future and depression when thinking about the past. I attempt to listen to my emotions and allow them to flow without self-judgment.

Of course, staying emotionally present is easier said than done, but I’m still attempting to master it. However, a few things helped me along the way. One is to understand that worrying about things you may’t control is not helpful, so attempt to discover the things you may control.

Meditation also helped me – it brings me back to the present, stops racing thoughts and reduces stress. Once, during a particularly stressful time, I meditated for 500 days straight. And it has completely modified the way I deal with stress.

And finally, just give yourself time to think and solve problems.

As entrepreneurs, we must approach each day with confidence, positivity and presence. If you have a constant internal narrative of “I never succeed” or “I can’t afford to fail,” this is your moment to make a change.

If you think you may manifest happiness in business and life, it’s essential to stay in the game long enough to generate happiness. You have no likelihood of happiness if you are on the sidelines. If you persist, conditions will eventually emerge that are conducive to generating happiness. It’s only a matter of time.