Just treading water...

I’m not the most patient person in the world. In fact if my husband read that sentence he would laugh, edit it to “I’m the most impatient person in the world”, bold it, underline it and circle it in red a few times.

I’m very driven, and while that is a great thing it can also make me pretty impatient. I want things to happen quickly and I get disheartened when they don’t.

I like to know I’m moving in the right direction, that I’m accomplishing something every day and seeing the results of my effort. That's why I’ll race through my to-do list to tick everything off as quickly as possible, so I can see just what I’ve accomplished in the day.

Trouble is not everything can be done quickly, especially when you’re a mumpreneur, and it’s not always possible to see your progress or results quickly.

I know this. I do. But it still drives me crazy.

[CUE Offspring character Nina Proudman’s Headspace]

I question myself. I wonder if I’m doing the right thing. I wonder if I’m doing the wrong thing. I wonder if it was meant to be. I wonder if I’m good enough. I wonder if I could even do it or get it anyway. I wonder if I should change what I’m doing now before I wait and see if it’s successful or not. I lose heart.

That's what I’ve been putting up with all week.

You see I’m making some big changes in my business and they’re happening slower than I want them to. I’ve been sick all week so my to-do list hasn’t been ticked off as much as I wanted it to be. And finding the perfect house for us is certainly happening slower than I want it to.

So here I am, at Friday, feeling like I’m treading water and not really moving anywhere.

Do you ever feel the same?

What I’ve realised this week though, is that even when you’re treading water you’re still moving. You’re staying afloat and not sinking. You’re doing the leg work preparing for the journey to come.

So if by chance you’re a little impatient like me, prone to losing heart when the timeframe doesn’t match yours, then take heart because you’re still making progress.

As they say good things come to those who wait and even better things come to those who act. So rest assured you’ll get there, it just may not always be on your timeline.

Amanda x

Becoming an entrepreneur versus being self-employed

There comes a time in your business where you need to decide whether you'll become an entrepreneur or stay self-employed.

You see even when you own your own business and have the head title of "Founder" or "Director" it doesn't make you any less of an employee, you are just serving another boss, an often more demanding, stricter boss at that - yourself.

So what’s the real difference between being self-employed and an entrepreneur you might be wondering? After all you’ll still be in charge and you’ll still be working right? Right. That’s why the real difference isn’t found within your workload, it’s found between your ears. Your mindset, the way you think, and the way you view the world and business.

A self-employed person, for example tries to do everything themselves, as no one will do a better job than them. An entrepreneur, on the other hand, knows that they can't do everything so they delegate responsibilities to people they trust, who are smarter and more experienced than them in those areas, but still keep people accountable for their actions.

A self-employed person wants to own everything for security. An entrepreneur wants to own as little as possible but control everything. And that's just the beginning. To see what makes an entrepreneur truly different from being self-employed, lets look at the characteristics of an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurs aren't afraid to take risks to achieve their dreams

I’m not talking about careless risks (though sometimes entrepreneurship calls for these too), true entrepreneurs are strategic risk takers. They understand that if they are going to achieve greatness they need to take risks, very big risks at times, that may come at great personal sacrifice, to achieve their goals.

Entrepreneurs aren't afraid of failure or adversity

Where most people are afraid to try because they might fail, an entrepreneur knows the greatest failure is not to try in the first place. If something doesn't work, it's an opportunity to learn and find a smarter way, a better way to do it.

Some of the most successful people did not succeed the first time, or the hundredth time for that matter, and they encountered great adversity along the way.

Just look at Cornel Sanders. Even Richard Branson and Steve Jobs failed. Oprah Winfrey and Albert Einstein were told they weren’t good enough. But all of them learnt from their mistakes, grew stronger in adversity and never let it break them or dampen their vision.

Entrepreneurs get right outside their comfort zone

Knowing that great success doesn't come from staying safe, an entrepreneur will continue to grow, learn and try new approaches and strategies to get more results. Their drive and vision will see them continually push the boundaries of their comfort zone, always aiming higher and reaching further towards their goals.  

Entrepreneurs are doers, not just dreamers

While entrepreneurs are dreamers, they’re most importantly doers. They know that achieving their dreams takes more than writing down their goals or pinning them a vision board. They know it takes daily action, sometimes courageous, massive action, and they’ll take it.

Entrepreneurs are global thinkers

An entrepreneur understands that there is more money to be made and more benefit to be had when you serve others on a larger scale. They think globally, identifying needs and frustrations to serve the masses and continually further their market reach.

Entrepreneurs are smart marketers and don't shy away from self promotion

Entrepreneurs aren't afraid of putting themselves out there, having a cause, taking a stance, making a statement, being controversial and taking marketing and PR risks (within reason), to increase awareness for their brand and build their business.

There is no greater example of this than Richard Branson. His outlandish PR and marketing tactics have vastly increased his business empire and made him one of the worlds most recognised and intriguing entrepreneurs.

So ask yourself after reading some of the differences, do you have the mindset you want in business? If not what changes do you need to make to have it?

Amanda x