Why Having a Win-or-Lose Mindset Will Kill Your Entrepreneurial Dreams
Business risks are a necessity, and the greatest roadblock to taking action is having a win-or-lose mindset. Try to shifting to a win-or-learn mindset instead
By | Jessica Dennehy | www.entrepreneur.com
Fear of failure is the number one thing holding most people back from making the moves necessary to change their lives. In business, most entrepreneurs are apprehensive about their next move. Their fear of failure immobilizes them as they overanalyze every angle or possible outcome. They become so paralyzed that they avoid making any moves. They actively choose the path of least resistance, avoiding the risk entirely.
Being risk-averse as a business owner comes at a great cost. While you wait it out in fear, your opportunity is passing you by. The cost of inaction is that you never evolve. You never learn the lessons necessary to create the success you desire. Entrepreneurs are afraid to fail by taking a risk; but the real failure is standing still. Inaction is failure. Mistakes are merely lessons.
Related: The Greatest Risk Is Taking No Action, Says This Military Vet Entrepreneur
From win-or-lose to win-or-learn
Business risks are a necessity. The greatest roadblock to taking action is having a win-or-lose mindset. When you focus on what you have to lose, the choices become more difficult. You are forecasting a 50% chance of failure rather than highlighting all the new opportunities you can potentially gain from taking the risk! Focusing on the negative creates fear and an inner dialogue that tells you the odds of failure are too high to be worth it. You are afraid to lose time, money or clients, and the sting of that potential loss makes you hesitate to move forward.
