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Thomas Edison famously went through 10,000 prototypes and iterations of the lightbulb before finding success. He didn’t view the 10,000 prototypes as mistakes. Instead, he said he learned 10,000 ways not to make a lightbulb. This is an ideal mindset for entrepreneurs. You’ll face challenges, obstacles and roadblocks. When your business doesn’t succeed, don’t view it as a failure. It’s another lesson in how not to build a business. Here are other ways you can grow an entrepreneurial mindset.

 

Develop a system

We all have goals we want to achieve. Goals can be seen as a source of inspiration. For entrepreneurs, goals sometimes can be too rigid. They often focus too much on a goal that they develop tunnel vision. The focus is on the end game. As a result, they don’t celebrate all the achievements, big and little, along the way. Entrepreneurs should instead have systems in place. A system is a way of doing something every day that allows them to see success little by little. Systems keep entrepreneurs motivated through even the most challenging times of starting and running a business by continually showing them what they’ve accomplished. While a goal can seem far off, a system is always there. Even better, systems can be easily changed to adapt to the changing landscape.

 

Be an early bird

Successful business professionals, including Sir Richard Branson or Tim Cook, are early risers. They get up before five in the morning because they know that is when the human brain is at its most focused and productive. According to Dr. Robert Carter in his book, Morning Mind, the human brain is physically bigger in the morning. Laying down allows more fluid to rush to the brain and expand it, increasing its function and effectiveness. Those effects wear off as the day goes on.

 

A good night’s sleep is essential as well. Entrepreneurs are the early to bed, early to rise type. They embrace the restorative power of sleep.

 

Plan ahead … for everything

Entrepreneurs can’t predict the future, but they always know what they’re going to do the next day. They plan what they’re going to wear and what they’ll eat for breakfast the night before. They even carve out time in the day for scrolling through social media and checking notifications When they hear the familiar “ping” of a notification, they are not as distracted by it. 

 

Entrepreneurs understand the importance of being nimble to adapt to change. They master contingency plans. If something goes wrong, they can stay calm because they they’ve spend time thinking through contingencies.