Entrepreneurship is a Mindset

For the last 1-2 years I have been wanting to try Aikido and I have finally started! I am about  6 classes in at this point.

Aikido is a Japanese martial art derived from Judo using the other persons' momentum against them. I have zero experience in martial arts of any kind so this is quite the learning curve. I am having to learn new movements that my body has never done before, having to learn words in Japanese like ushiro kaiten (backward roll), having to learn new etiquette and new behaviors like how you must bow when you get on and off the mat.

I have also started attending CrossFit classes. While fewer than Aikido, CrossFit also comes with completely new movements, names, etiquette to learn. 

Most of this new learning makes me feel very silly and embarrassed. Being new at something, or not being able to do as much weight at the person next to you, especially for a perfectionist and lifelong athlete, is very frustrating. 

It got me thinking though, what is the difference between starting these new activities and starting a business? Both of them are moving forward into uncertain territory, learning as you go, with the risk of shame or failure. An Entrepreneur understands these risks and is partly exhilarated by them. Entrepreneurs love a challenge. We love the competition with those who've been doing it for a while but even more so with ourselves and our own current limitations. To see, can I really pull this off? We are thrilled by the future possibilities that this new venture could bring. 

I realized entrepreneurship is a mindset then. It's something you take with you through life even when you're functioning outside of the business space. It's how you treat new experiences, with curiosity, excitement, and tenacity. It's how you treat relationships, "oh it's a challenge? What needs to happen for this challenge to be resolved? Who do I need to become to move past this?" It is a way of seeing the world, a way of looking at problems. 

I find it to be a very healthy mindset! The downside if anything, is my inability to let something go when it's run its course. Because I know I can solve the issue, I continue to try and try but sometimes, that's not the right answer. 

Here are 3 ways to encourage more of an entrepreneurial mindset in yourself: 

1. Allow yourself to explore and be curious. Look at things, activities, people, relationships, as if you are doing nothing other than investigating them. You are learning about them to see where it takes you.

2. Realize it's about progress, not perfection. If you screw up, remind yourself you are a work in progress! Even though you want to be the best, remind yourself it takes time and LOTS of repetition to get there. We learn in motion. We learn by doing, by showing up. If you get discouraged, take a little break and then go back and continue trying. Going slow or at your own pace is 100% acceptable.

3. Accept that not everything is for you and it's okay to walk away if it's not bringing you joy or value. 

I hope you liked this blog post! What new activities have you taken up lately? How it is going? Leave me a comment!