6 Ways to Build a Winning Mindset for Success in your Online Business

Your mindset is that inner drive that keeps you going and tells you what that you are doing is worthwhile. When we start out a new business adventure, we usually start out excited and with a positive mindset. As we come across obstacles and challenges, that mindset can sometimes start to waiver. The good news is, that a winning mindset isn’t something you either have or you don’t - it is something that can be developed and cultivated. You have complete control over your mindset and your perspective. Let’s look at six thought processes that, when understood and believed in, will have you in the best mindset for success in your online business. 

#1: Understand that Success Takes Time

We are all attracted to that “get rich quick” scheme. Who wouldn’t be? The dirty and unfortunate truth is that it doesn’t actually exist. If you want to achieve massive, or even moderate, success in your online business, you are going to need to put in the work. There are no shortcuts or overnight successes. 

Did you know that 90% of online business start-ups end in failure within the first 120 days? So many of us throw in the towel when we don’t see immediate success. Be realistic about your expectations. We go through 12 years of schooling, and then from there another 4+ years in post secondary education in order to be deemed qualified to enter the workforce. Yet when we start up our online business, we expect to see success and be masters in the field within 4 months. It doesn’t make any sense. Give yourself the time to learn the skills you need to be successful. You need to invest time and effort into finding your audience, understanding your audience, and learning how you can deliver on what your audience is asking for. Remember that saying: easy come, easy go? If something seems quick and easy, it is probably not going to work in the long run because you are not taking the time to lay the foundation for success. 

#2: Be Excited about what you are Doing

For many people, your online business is a side gig. Some people may go into their business wanting to turn it into full-time income, but a lot of us are happy with having the extra little boost in cash every month. When you are adding something extra to your plate, if you are going to be successful at it and not burn out, it needs to be fun. The best and most successful business owners have a passion for their product and their business, they enjoy running their business and helping it to grow. People who are successful in their online business know how to find the fun in what they do. 

Remain focused on your why. Why did you start your online business? What about that company inspired and excited you? Whatever your reason, it should be strong and compelling.  It should be something that pumps you up and fills you with energy whenever you think of it. If your why is to make money quickly and with minimal effort, you either need to move on to something else or dig deeper. If you don’t have a compelling why, your business is never going to work. The second that your business venture takes more work than you realized (and it will if you joined thinking it would be quick and easy money) you are just going to give up. Your why is going to fuel your excitement. It is going to give you the motivation you need to keep going and be successful. 

#3: Surround Yourself with Positive and Supportive People

A lot of us are afraid to put our businesses out there because we are afraid of a lack of support or judgment from our friends and family. You have a choice in who you decide to hang around with and listen to. If you are surrounding yourself with naysayers and people who are judging you, the doubts will slowly start creeping in. Be proactive in surrounding yourself with positive and supportive people. 

Your positive and supportive community doesn’t have to come from your circle of friends and family (although you will be pleasantly surprised by how many of them will support you if you are genuinely excited and passionate about what you do). There are thousands of like-minded entrepreneurs out there. You just have to know where to find them. Cultivate and embrace new connections. Join business events, conferences and online forums to meet new people. If you surround yourself with other online business owners, their mindset will rub off on you. 

Surrounding yourself with a positive and like-minded community also means that you have a network of support. When we decide to be our own boss, we often seem to think that it also means that we have to take on and do everything for ourselves. Learn from like-minded individuals who are going through the same ups and downs that you are. Ask for insights and advice early on. If someone has gone through the steps to figure out what works, why are you going to waste your time and effort going through the trial and error of it yourself? There is no reason why you should have to reinvent the wheel when you can instead learn from your peers. 

#4: Catch Yourself when You are Falling Into an Excuse Mindset

I am sure we have all been there - there are too many nos in one day, you feel like you are trying new things but seeing no momentum, and suddenly your online business that you were so excited about in the beginning seems to not be the greatest idea anymore. Excuses are your brain wanting to place a lack of success on external factors that are out of your control. After all, it is scary to admit that something isn’t going the way we want it to, and then convince ourselves to turn around and try harder. 

When we take ownership and shift all the focus on ourselves, it is actually empowering. If you are the one in control, then you have the power to change something that isn’t going your way. Make the decision to be better. Instead of seeing obstacles, choose to see possibilities. Instead of seeing challenges, choose to see opportunities. Be intentional about reframing your negative thoughts and feelings with potential. The more that you believe in your ability to succeed, the more effort you will put towards your goals, and the more likely you will be to achieve success. 

#5: Turn your Failures into Success

I am sure that you have that success story that you look up to. It is natural to look up to your mentor and want to be where they are, but remember that success takes time and almost no one succeeds right away. How many people do you know that have made it to the 5 year mark with their business? The 10 year mark? I guarantee that if you were to ask them about how they built up their business, they worked at it and it took time to see the results. I guarantee you that they made mistakes along the way. 

Failure is an inevitable part of life. When you fail at something, you have two choices. You can either give up, or learn from your mistakes and move on. People that are successful understand failure is just a temporary setback on the road to greatness. People who are successful use their failures as the powerful learning tools that they are. The only way to make your business as productive as possible is to understand where your problems are and learn how to fix them.

Use your failures as a motivation to take action. If you do nothing, you get nothing in return. Procrastination is one of the biggest obstacles for online sellers. Why do we procrastinate? We procrastinate because we are afraid of what might happen if we take action. We are afraid that if we take action that we will fail, so we make up excuses for ourselves to never get started. Always remember that it is better to take action and to fail then it is to do nothing. Focus on completion, not perfection. If you fail at something, it can always be improved upon. You can't improve on what isn’t there. 

#6: Celebrate your Progress

We are often quick to notice and point out anything we are failing at or doing wrong, but we often don’t take the time to stop and celebrate the victories. When we actively acknowledge our victories, we are providing ourselves with proof that we can be successful. Why are you good at doing what you are doing? What achievements have you had? Train yourself to take credit for your successes instead of attributing them to luck. Build a foundation of proof that your bigger goal is possible, because you have already taken the steps towards achieving it. You just have to keep going. 

Final Thoughts

Your mindset is such a powerful motivator. Success starts with believing in yourself. You have to believe with every fiber of your being that you will be successful. Without self-belief, nothing else will work, it is the fuel that keeps you going. Our beliefs become our actions, our actions become our habits, and our habits become our reality. This means that at any given moment, you can choose to shift your mindset to change your reality and bring you closer to your business goals. 

Written By: 

Jennifer Gillap