5 Reasons Your Mindset Might be Holding You Back
Did you know that your mindset dictates the outcome of almost everything in your life? This is your personal life, your business life, your relationships, your everything. It’s astounding how much your mindset affects everything.
I remember reading that “coaches spend too much time on mindset and they don’t coach enough of the actual doing and the skill”. Hmm, I could teach all the things to you about how to set up a photography business, I could even roll my sleeves up and do it for you. But if your head isn’t in the game, if your mindset isn’t aligned for the direction and success of that business…….it’ll never work.
Mindset is one of the biggest components, a stabilising component of your business going forward, growing and succeeding. And mindset, while a small word, is a big thing that small businesses, start-up businesses and photographers starting out side step. It gets missed over and over again. Mindset is absolutely everything!
Here are 5 reasons your mindset might be holding you back
#1 Being Positive is a Great Mindset
A mindset focussing on what you don’t have, what you can’t do and what is too difficult will hold you back. It’s so easy to slip into a negative mindset when in fact, a healthy positive and grateful mindset goes the distance. Have you found yourself giving up on something because “it’s just too difficult”? How many times have you said to yourself “this will never work, I don’t have experience”?
When your mind is in a negative space, you’re more likely to make decisions from a negative head space.
In a negative head space, it’s almost impossible to see all the great opportunities that await you and your photography business.
Practising seeing the positives in situations will help you enormously. Going in search of the opportunities and possibilities instead of pouring all your energy into the downside of things will help to change your attitude, your approach and therefore your results.
#2 Having a Mindset of Gratitude
Practising gratitude goes hand in hand with a positive mindset. Sometimes we spend way too much time focussing outward and looking at a) what we don’t have; and b) what others have. When energy is spent doing this, we miss the important things…….the things that we do have and what we can do. When these great things about you are missed …..you can have a feeling that there’s nothing to be grateful for.
Imagine going to bed or waking up and practising a daily ritual of gratitude. Literally just saying out loud to yourself 5 things that you’re grateful for, including what happened that was great, a new thing you learned, your photography skill, the new client(s) who just booked you.
Are you consumed in how many clients you don’t have? Or are you grateful for the few you do have?
Yes, of course we want to have a full order book of clients in our photography businesses, so I’m not ignoring that feeling of doom and gloom when there aren’t many clients, especially in the beginning. But here’s the thing, the more we put energy into something, we’re likely to get more of just that. So pouring your energy into the client(s) you do have feels good, and this will inspire you to keep that going.
Pour your energies into what makes you feel good and what you’re grateful for.
#3 Be Kind to Yourself and Less Judgemental
How many times have you ‘rubbished’ your amazing skill? You might think you’re justified, but look at it this way….. if you were interacting with another photographer on the same path as you, would you a) be supportive and encouraging of their work and their business dream; or b) rubbish them and tell them they’ll never make this thing work?
It’s likely you’d be kinder to the stranger than you would be to yourself. You wouldn’t judge and ‘rubbish’ another person like that, so why do it to yourself?
Practise being less judgemental and more supportive of yourself and your challenges. You have the ability to inspire yourself.
You’d be happier in your own skin. You’d be happy with who you really and truly are. You’d be your most authentic you. You’ll attract people who are just like you….supportive, encouraging and not so judgemental. Isn’t that what we all want?
#4 A Mindset that Fears Failure Can Hold You Back
We all fear failure, especially when it’s out in the open.
Have you ever worried about what people will think of you starting this business of yours? Have you ever decided immediately that you’re unable to do something to help your business, so you’ve made excuses as to why you’re not going to do it? Or maybe you haven’t recognised that you’re delaying things…..through fear! Fear of failure.
Did you know that failure is a staple ingredient of success? It’s true, it’s a growing pain, it’s something that helps you to learn and grow. Take yourself back to childhood. What did you do when you jumped from 8 steps up and fell in a crumpled heap on the floor and scraped your knees? I bet you always got up, and usually learned something from it. I bet you will have kept jumping from that 8th step up until you perfected it. Can you relate? We take risks as kids, we fall down and keep trying to perfect the outcome. It’s virtually the same with your business. From time to time you’ll hit a brick wall that feels like failure.
Here are the facts. Standing still and doing nothing because of fear of failure, guarantees that nothing will happen. So imagine the possibilities ahead if you face your fears and move forward?
When so called failure happens, it’s an opportunity to step back and learn, and figure out how to do things better.
#5 Fear of Change and Fear of the Unknown
Going after a business dream can be overwhelming, and when this happens our protective psyche kicks in. It’s a built in mechanism we all have to protect us from change and the unknown. Your psyche wants you to be safe, it doesn’t recognise whether change is going to be good, bad or indifferent.This is where the voices from within sabotage by making you believe that you’re ‘not good enough’ or that ‘people will judge’ or that ‘everyone else is so much better’.
There’s a reason the comfort zone is called the ‘comfort zone’. It’s comfortable, and change would suggest that things may not be comfortable. But what if change meant that you’d have the successful business you’ve been dreaming of? What if change meant your income would double or even triple? What if change meant you’d be happier? Happiness is what every single human being strives for! How would you know unless you faced the fear and moved forward?
Having a mindset that faces fear and embraces change is exciting believe it or not.
Gracefully yours.
Dee x
If you’re looking for some help and inspiration to start your own photography business, why not book a discovery call with me, I’d love to help you.