Grow Your Business a Thousandfold in One Year With Content Marketing

Want to grow business revenue a thousandfold in one year? Commit yoursef to writing more and invest in content marketing. Here's how to do it:

I came up with the idea of starting a blog before blog was even a word. When blogging software came out, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it and started keeping track of my experiences as an entrepreneur. I wrote because I enjoyed writing. I also hoped to gain some business from blogging. But even though my blog attracted traffic, I could never track any revenue to it. Things went on this way for 10 years.

Then I got the chance to write an article for a major financial publication, which led to another business editor's invitation to contribute articles. As a result of this regular writing, I have since written for scores of publications, including Entrepreneur.

Most of my writing has not focused on what I do for my business. (I’m a partner in a firm that provides SEO and content-marketing services). When I first started writing for publications I purposely stayed away from writing about anything even remotely related to what I do, for fear of appearing self-promotional. I mostly wrote about entrepreneurship and doing business in Hong Kong, where I’m now based. As time went on, I realized I had experience that could benefit readers and started sharing it, being sure to impart valuable, actionable information and not engage in a sales pitch.

No sooner had I started writing about digital marketing, then the phone started ringing off the hook and my email inbox started overflowing with leads. My writing has led to opportunities to appear on TV, radio and give a TEDx talk. Giving away valuable advice for free, staying as far away from selling as I can has turned out be the best sales tool.

Most of my writing still focuses on entrepreneurship and business matters not directly related to the services provided by my company. But now writing or content marketing has become a core strategy of my business. Content marketing can also deliver similarly dramatic results for your business. Here are four easy ways to start producing content.

1. Blog.

Start a company blog and post on it at least once a week, but preferably three to five times a week. This will help you develop your voice and learn the craft.  

2. Become a contributor.

Major business publications use a lot of unpaid contributors for their content. While you won’t be paid for your writing, you will gain a powerful platform that will provide exposure to an audience you couldn’t reach any other way. 

Identify a publication you want to write for and then contact an editor or a contributor and ask how you, too, can become a contributor. Be prepared to show them past work, which could be your blog. Hey, it worked for me. If you get turned down, don’t despair. Start out writing for a local newspaper or regional business publication, then try again in a few months.

3. Speak.

If you're comfortable writing, you could also be speaking. Start by doing presentations for your co-workers. Then approach other groups that might be interested in your content, like chambers of commerce or networking groups. Offer to speak for free on a certain topic. Many organizations are desperate for interesting presenters. There are TEDx and other high profile events all around the world, and sometimes being able to speak at one is as easy as contacting the organizer and asking. 

4. Post your presentations online.

If you’re going to use a presentation for a speaking engagement, you might as well publish that content online. The online exposure will likely be far greater than what you receive at the speaking engagement. In June I gave a presentation to a group of 40 people in Utah about doing business in Hong Kong. My Slideshare presentation has now been visited more than 4,000 times. Links on Slideshare presentations are clickable, so be sure to have a prominent link to your company.

Content is good if people want to read it and  great if people will pay to read it. Look at the content you pay to read, whether it’s a book, a magazine you subscribe to or content behind a paywall. If you can figure out why you're willing to pay for that content, then you’ll know what kind of content you need to create for people read it.

One of my favorite bloggers is Belle Beth Cooper, one of the original bloggers at Buffer. “I knew nothing about content marketing four years ago,” Cooper said on her website. “Since then I've used content to build my own personal brand, [and] increased my salary by over four times.”  Perhaps this will be your story this year as well.

From Entrepreneur

6 of the Best-Kept Secrets of Successful Business People

I won't cover luck, ambition, common sense, and all of that. Here are some things I think very few people know and fewer implement.

1. The worst-to-best scale

You make decisions every day. With every choice, you have lots of options, but you can sum them up like this: worst, bad, not great, good, better, best. If you can avoid the bad, worse, and worst decisions, first by recognizing them, then by eschewing them, you can do well. If you want to be really successful, identify the best option and pursue it.

So many are thrown off the best course by good decisions. Sometimes, you have to say no to a good business opportunity, either because of the time or resources it would take to make it happen. Really successful people learn the best ways to spend $100,000 in capital and one year of time to get the maximum return.

Never be satisfied with good decisions. Look to make better decisions until you consistently recognize and pursue the best decisions.

2. Self-investment yields the biggest returns

There is no shortage of financial advisers and no shortage of financial advice. Buy this, sell that, invest here, invest there, etc. A savings account at your bank will get you less than 1 percent interest. That's a pathetic return that doesn't even keep pace with inflation. Stock markets can do well, real estate can do well, hedge funds can do well … there are lots of investment opportunities out there. But none, I repeat, absolutely none comes close to the investment you can make in yourself.

First that means investing in education. You may not learn much information, but that piece of paper that says you are a college graduate will open a whole lot of doors that would otherwise be closed.

In one of my first entrepreneurial efforts, I took $3,000 and started an online store. In eight months, I had $8,000 in inventory in my garage and $20,000 in my business bank account. I've been able to replicate this in other endeavors. Try and find an investment vehicle that comes anywhere close to that kind of return.

You'll notice the most successful business people own a business. Becoming an executive at someone else's business is good and all, but owning a business and investing in it is the best investment you can make. You don't get rich by hoping for the best and guessing what your return will be. You get rich by working hard.

3. Exploit benign manipulation

The definition of manipulation is "a type of social influence that aims to change the perception or behavior of others through underhanded, deceptive, or even abusive tactics."

I would call "benign manipulation"  that which does not utilize underhanded, deceptive, or abusive tactics. You can influence people and change perception or behavior without harming anyone or lying. One way to do this is to become a polymath. Learn everything you can about everything you can. This way, you can relate to just about anybody.

For example, if you work in tech and enjoy video games, you can relate to people like that. If you watch Sports Center on ESPN every night and keep up to date with major sports, teams, and athletes, you can converse with almost any guy. If you check headlines, you can be up to date with current events and always have something to talk about.

The key here is to never feel awkward in any conversation. Ever. If you can comfortably converse with anybody and relate to that person, you can manipulate him or her, that is, influence him or her. Successful people tend to be the smartest ones in the room, but no one in the room ever thinks so. It's because they ask a lot of questions. If you know someone does landscaping, ask about the plants in your yard, how to fertilize your lawn, anything about the person's expertise. He or she will like you. Now you have the opportunity to sell a website, advertising, accounting services, legal services, whatever it is you do, without actually selling yourself.

The law of reciprocity works in the human psyche. If someone asks you about you, don't you feel obligated to ask about that person? Successful people often recognize you have to give to get. They understand people, they listen in conversations, and if you converse with one, you both probably walk away feeling good about the conversation and that you got something out of it. Successful people can manipulate and influence others without their even knowing it.

4. Successful people are never bored

If you find yourself bored and looking for something to do, then you are doing something wrong. Successful people are tireless, almost never satisfied with anything, and always trying to learn more. Warren Buffett says he spends most of his time reading. What does a billionaire need to read? He can pay someone to read for him. He reads for a reason. And it's one reason he is so successful, because you know long before he was a billionaire, he was doing the same thing.

Always read. Always learn. Never let a moment go to waste. Enjoy through recreation or use it to further yourself in some way.

5. Success doesn't change successful people

Like I said about Warren Buffett, he still reads. A lot. It's part of what made him successful. But the most successful people in the world recognize that whatever it took to become successful is what it takes to remain successful. A lot of successful people have lost that success. You can find stories of former professional athletes, millionaires at one point, who go bankrupt. They worked hard to become successful, but it appears after earning their success, the hard work stopped, and with it their success.

The secret to becoming successful is the same secret to remaining successful after you achieve initial success.

6. Success means different things to different people

The last thing I want to say is that success doesn't always mean the same thing for everyone. There are literally millions of successful people around the world whose success goes unnoticed. I am not wealthy or "successful" by the standard definition. But I provide comfortable circumstances for my family, and in my mind that makes me successful. I have a baby girl who is healthy and happy and constantly learning, and to me that makes me successful. I have good friends, a close family, a loving spouse, a modest home, and a healthy lifestyle. All of these things make me a success in my mind.

And therein lies the secret to happiness and success. You have to recognize that whatever makes someone else feel happy and successful won't necessarily do the same for you. Pursue your own personal happiness and success and not someone else's.

From Inc. Magazine

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHEN AND HOW TO TRUST

IT'S NOT AS BLACK AND WHITE AS THINKING SOMEONE IS EITHER TRUSTWORTHY OR NOT.

The issue of trust--and our lack of it--is huge in our culture today. We hear comments about trust all over the news and frequently in personal conversations: “I don’t trust him.” “They aren’t trustworthy.” “Big organizations can’t be trusted.”

The reasons why there seems to be an epidemic of lack of trust are a complicated discussion in and of itself. But let’s first understand what “trust” really is, so we can think, talk, and respond accurately to relevant situations.

IT’S NOT AS SIMPLE AS TRUST VS. DON’T TRUST

Trust is not a global entity--although we talk like it is--“I just don’t trust her.” In actuality, trust is situation-specific. We trust someone to be able to do some task. For example, if you were to trust me to fix your car, your trust would be misplaced because I have virtually no mechanical abilities at all. However, if you believed that I could type your paper for you relatively quickly, assuming I had the time, that would be a good situation in which to trust me.

The reason that it is important to understand that trust is situation-specific is because we then have a pathway to take in order to build or rebuild low levels of trust. If we just say, “They aren’t trustworthy," there is nothing the other party can do to remedy the situation. It is a personal judgment you have made and that is that.

Also, a vague “I don’t trust them” absolves the person making the statement of any personal responsibility. They have an opinion and there is nothing required of the speaker. It is like saying, “He’s a jerk.” A judgment is made and there is nothing I need to do. This typically isn’t helpful in building relationships. When we believe the other person is the source of the problem and that the issue only will be resolved when they change, not much good can happen.

CREATING SITUATIONS OF TRUST

When we understand that trust is situation-specific, then a relationship can move beyond the “all or nothing” impasse (she’s trustworthy/not trustworthy). I can now say, “I trust John to be able to drive me to the airport and get me there on time” even though I may not trust him to manage my personal finances. So, when we are having difficulty in trusting someone for a certain task, it can be helpful to identify situations or tasks for which you can trust them and proceed in that area. This is especially helpful when dealing with new colleagues or those who are still learning their job--give them a task that you believe they can do.

THE THREE C’S OF TRUST

Besides being situation-specific, it is helpful to grasp the three foundational components of trust: competence, consistency, and character.

They are like the legs on a three-legged stool; without all three being present, the chair falls over.

1. Competence

If a person or business doesn’t have the ability to do the task you desire, it is foolish to trust them to do so. Having the knowledge, ability, resources, and capacity to complete a task is at the foundation of trust. This is why testimonials, references, or endorsements from prior customers are so important--they provide external evidence to the claims of the service provider or manufacturer.

2. Consistency

A person or an organization may have the competence to complete the task; they have the skills, talent, and expertise to do what is expected. But if their products are of inconsistent quality, if they cannot consistently get the product to you in time, or if they as a service provider don’t show up, it doesn’t do you much good. In many service sectors, there are plenty of competent technicians, but if you don’t know if or when they will come to do the work, you are not able to depend on them.

3. Character

In this context, character primarily refers to honesty, integrity, and the belief that the other person is considering your needs as well as their own. Lack of trust in business dealings (especially complex ones) often relies on the parties’s willingness to trust that the information being given is true, there is nothing important being hidden or left out, and that the other party is not just wanting to make a quick buck, but that they actually will deliver the goods or services they are promising.

Generally speaking, it is acceptable for an individual or a company to look out for their own interests (they have to make money to stay in business). However, you want to know they are not only looking out for themselves, but are considering your needs and desires, as well.

STEPS TO TAKE WHEN TRUST IS IN DOUBT

If you are having difficulty trusting someone else:

1. 1. Try to specify, as much as you can, what action you are having trouble trusting them with and why. Ask yourself what they have done or not done to cause this?
2. 2. Consider which of the Three C’s is related to your lack of trust in this situation.
3. 3. Identify situations or actions for which you are willing to trust them. When possible, let them affirm their trustworthiness in these situations.
4. 4. Determine what they could do that would shore up your trust of them in this situation and consider certain conditions and parameters under which you would be willing to trust them to do this.
5. 
   

Ifsomeone is having difficulty trusting you:

1. 1. Ask them directly if there is something that you have done that has undermined their trust of you. If so, take appropriate actions like apologizing and making reparations to address this event.
2. 2. Affirm your desire to be trusted by them and assert your willingness to do what is required to earn or rebuild their trust.
3. 3. Be willing to take initial actions to demonstrate your trustworthiness, either in other situations or under specific defined parameters.
4. 4. Be sure to follow through and make evident your competence, consistency, and that you are considering their interests as well as your own.
5. 
   

Trust in relationships is the foundation to living life cooperatively in a community. Use these tips to aid you in building deeper and broader trust with those around you.

From Fast Comapny

3 Mistakes to Avoid When You Have to Fire an Employee

Letting an employee go is an unfortunate part of being a leader, but one that you need to know how to do properly.

It's one of the worst parts about being a leader. Asking someone to leave your company is a part of leadership that many business owners don't understand how to execute. It is also something most of us try to avoid doing as much as possible. But there is a right way to go through with it and, as head of an organization, it's your job to know when it's time to do so.

But before you let another team member go, learn from missteps others have made. Here are three of the worst mistakes you can make when firing an employee.

1. Waiting too long to pull the plug

As a leader, you want to give your employees the ability to grow. Because of this, your natural instinct will be to quickly forgive team members when mistakes are made. You'll always want to continue giving them more chances to succeed--or to hold yourself accountable.

While coaching is essential, there are times when people won't fit in your company cultureand coaching won't help. You'll know when this happens. There are constant arguments and a lack of motivation. Over time you'll realize that the person isn't going to fulfill his or her full potential in your company. Once you start seeing traces of this, it's time to ask that person to leave.

I've shadowed countless startup CEOs and one common thread is that they all regret firing employees too late. Not one has told me about regret for letting someone go too early.

Your job is to decide whether the person you hired is making mistakes that you can fix or if he or she is damaging the culture of your company. If it's the latter, be swift and part ways. Keeping employees who don't fit with your mission will not only hurt your business but also hurt them in the long run as well.

2. Not Giving Performance Reviews

When your employees make mistakes, sometimes there's so much on your plate that you shortcut the time to coach them. This is a big problem, because when all the mistakes start piling up, it becomes too much to fix. Small mistakes from team members early on are OK as long as you are making sure they are aware of the error. When you let them know where they are messing up, it gives them a fair chance to fix their performance.

The other problem with not providing feedback is that when teammates are asked to leave, it takes them by surprise. When asked why they were let go, you list the mistakes that they made. The immediate question they will ask you is why you never brought this up sooner. Maybe if you had brought the issue to them when it occurred, they would have had time to fix it. Think of it as a crack in your windshield: The longer you go without addressing it, the worse it will get. Instead, be up front when you're unhappy with a team member's performance. If that person is unable to improve, you and the employee will both understand exactly why a firing needs to occur.

3. Taking It Personally

Letting someone go in a startup is different from the way it is in the corporate world. When you fire an employee during the early stages of a company, that person usually will have developed more of a personal friendship with you. You helped build the foundation together. The worker made huge sacrifices and took a lot of risk to join your venture and--in most cases--even took a sharp pay cut.

After all the sacrifices the employee has made, he or she will probably take the firing personally. When you're in this situation, you'll have to risk the fact that you're not just losing a team member but also a friend. It's difficult not to dwell on how unfortunate the situation is, but in the end you have to come to grips with your decision.

It's impossible to do something worthwhile and be liked by everyone. Mad competitors, upset customers, and angry previous employees are all a part of being a leader. They aren't the easiest aspects to deal with, but they present the challenges we need to overcome to become better leaders.

From Inc. Magazine

3 Important Signs of Entrepreneurial Burnout and How to Overcome It

Most people experience burnout at least once in their life. Some of us experience it multiple times.

Chances are you are reading this article because you are a business owner or want to be a business owner -- or a creative, or someone looking to take their career to the next level. If so, then you most likely have an appetite for productivity and are hot on the trail of success.

But this means you are also a prime candidate for burnout if you aren’t careful.

The first and often most difficult step to avoiding and overcoming burnout is identifying it.  This can be tricky because it doesn’t always look like you might think. 

Here are some different ways it shows up:

1. Running on empty

The typical burnout exhibits in the form of utter and complete exhaustion -- when you feel as if you are running on empty and no amount of rest seems to be enough, ever. You lose your drive, your joy, your life force.

2. Anxiety and panic attacks

Sometimes when a person has never experienced a panic attack before and he or she has one, it may seem like a life-threatening situation that sends the person straight to the ER. Despite the shortness of breath and pain in the chest, the doctors say it was “just an anxiety attack.”

Burnout can cause a constant state of anxiety and stress where your senses are on overdrive and you are on a “fight or flight” plane of existence.

3. Feeling overwhelmed

Before you were always king or queen of your domain, winning at life and taking names, but now you want to stop the world and get off because everything seems to be just too much to handle and you want to crawl into a hole and not come out.

Because burnout is a common thing for entrepreneurs, if you find yourself experiencing it, be sure to go easy on yourself. Remember you are human, your body has limits and you can only push it so far. You will tell yourself you are lazy and try to keep moving forward but, in true burnout, you will not be able to keep going.

How to overcome business burnout

The most important thing to do when you have hit the burnout wall is to focus on self-care. If you have been working on chasing and building your dreams, you have probably had tunnel vision for quite some time and left your self-care far behind you.

When you have already reached burnout status, these are some things I do to get back to health sooner. You can try them, too.

Massage and reflexology: You really can’t get too many of these when you are in burnout mode. Your nervous system is frazzled and massage can help to calm it. That's why I do this once a week if I can.

Acupuncture: One of the most effective methods I’ve found for ridding anxiety that doesn’t involve medication. Also one of the most restorative naps you will ever take with needles in your skin (scary at first, but I find one of the most relaxing things you can do for yourself if you surrender to it).

Sleep: Focus on getting plenty of sleep, and good sleep hygiene means going to bed and waking at the same time each day. Your mind and body need sleep more than you think.

Play: In other words, get a life. Take a fun fitness class, hang out with your friends, toss a Frisbee at the park, play a game of chess with a friend, spend time wrestling with your kids. Laugh your ass off.

Eat well: Get your eating on a schedule and fuel up regularly with healthy stuff like greens, veggies, fruit and lean protein. You are probably guilty of skipping meals in lieu of working straight through the day and then eating a large supreme pizza by yourself at 11 p.m. finally, then staying up half the night with heartburn only to do it again the next day. You want to minimize caffeine and sugar intake as well, as these things can heighten anxiety.

These are just a few of the fundamental things you can do to overcome burnout, and you will probably find your own methods for restoring your motivation and energy. The way to avoid burnout altogether is to keep these strategies in your regular routine of self-care maintenance so your work is more productive and sustainable. 

Make these tactics daily and weekly priorities and you can set yourself up for the win indefinitely.

From Entrepreneur

9 Ways to Say No to Negativity

Use proven techniques for seeing the bright side—for a powerful effect on your psyche. 

When you’re naturally a glass-half-empty kind of person, hearing slogans like “Think positive!” can make you feel like you’re an occasional jogger being told to run a marathon… tomorrow. Before you can implement positivity strategies—and reap their benefits of improved health, better relationships and more happiness—you have to start by decreasing negativity. 

We collected the best negativity reduction tips from psychologists, coaches and authors to help you identify your look-on-the-gray-side habits and begin to chip away at them. There’s a shiny bright side waiting for you! 

1. Set reasonable goals. “A lot of people who see the negative side of things also tend to put themselves down because they set huge, intimidating goals that are difficult to attain,” says Lavinia Lumezanu, a marketing executive and leadership trainer. So instead of saying, “I’m going to write a book this year!” start with a goal of signing up for a writers’ class or completing three pages instead. The satisfaction in reaching these smaller goals will motivate you to reach the next one. 

2. Turn “problems” into “challenges.” Words are very powerful, says Kristi Ling, author of Empower Your Day: Keys to Creating More Happiness, Energy and Success Through Positive Mornings. “Try creating a list of negative words or phrases that you use often and replace them with ones that are a bit more positive.” If you regularly complain of problems, for example, start referring to them as challenges instead. Eliminate the phrase “I should…” from your self-talk, too, and replace it with “I could choose to…,” says licensed mental health counselor Carol Patterson, a therapist in Vancouver, Wash. “Should” carries obligation, dread and resentment. “Choose” puts you in the driver’s seat, as in “I could choose to do this laundry now so that I can relax tonight.” While it may seem like simple semantics, the words you use every day in your self-talk can have a real effect on your attitude. 

3. Reset your default answer. People who are naturally negative tend to use no as their first response to new ideas and experiences, says Lynette Louise, a neurofeedback therapist. “In part, they do this to buy time while actually making a decision, but then they end up defending the ‘no’ choice and sticking to it, even at times when they might not have.” Default instead to “I’m not sure; give me a minute,” she suggests. Then try to find a good reason to say yes before you say no. 

4. Display that award. “It can be important to have physical reminders of positivity in one’s environment,” says Frank Addonizio, Ph.D., vice president of Global Clinical Counseling Services for Workplace Options, an employee work-life services company in Raleigh, N.C. What works: anything that reminds you of past achievements (awards, published writing, a business card), satisfying relationships (photos, artwork by your kids) or positive personal attributes (maybe a gift or letter from an appreciative client or boss that details some of your talents). It’s hard to get down on yourself in the face of real proof of your abilities and full life. 

5. Put your hands up! Historically, humans and other animals have expressed power through large, open postures. Think of a peacock fanning his tail or a negotiator standing and straightening up while her opponent sits. Powerlessness is conveyed through body language, too; think of frightened children curled in the fetal position, or a shy person with slouched shoulders and downcast eyes. Standing up tall and spreading your arms might make you look bigger and more powerful, but can it actually convey power? In 2012 researchers from Harvard asked study participants to hold either one of two “power poses” (one was leaning back in a chair with hands behind head, elbows out and legs raised on a table in front) or a low-power pose (standing with arms hugging chest and ankles crossed) for one minute each. Before-and-after heart rate and blood tests showed that those who held the high-power pose increased their levels of testosterone (a hormone involved with feelings and expressions of confidence and dominance) and lowered their levels of cortisol (a stress hormone). In interviews, they revealed feeling more powerful and open to risk. Low-power posers had the opposite results. 

So the next time you need a confidence boost, strike a pose. Dana Santas, the yoga trainer for the Philadelphia Phillies, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Tampa Bay Lightning, instructs athletes to hold the “Mountain Pose with Arms Up” when they lose that eye of the tiger. It’s super-simple: Stand with your feet hip-distance apart. Inhale and raise your arms overhead at shoulder width. Close your eyes and take 10 long, deep breaths. On your last exhalation, draw your palms down and together in the middle of your chest and turn the corners of your mouth up in a smile. Take two or three more deep breaths, exhaling through your nose. 

6. Be a critical thinker, not a critical person. “I have a client who struggled with always seeing the negative in everything,” says Elaine Taylor-Klaus, a life coach. “We figured out her brain was just wired as a critical thinker. She approaches everything critically, and that can be a good thing. She just had to work on reminding herself that an opportunity for improvement is not a criticism. Something can be not the way she imagined it and not be wrong.” If you’re a critical, analytical thinker, Taylor-Klaus says, recognize that you are likely to have the critical thought first, but practice redirecting those thoughts by asking yourself, What else is also true about this situation/dilemma/person? 

7. Wake up on the right side of the bed. When you first wake up, it’s easy to start thinking about all the stuff you have to get done that day or complain about how the kids kept you up all night. Instead of letting your head go to those negative places, Shawn Anderson, author of Extra Mile America: Stories of Inspiration, Possibility and Purpose, suggests asking yourself three “morning questions”: 1) What am I excited about doing today? 2) Who can I encourage or serve today? (Get the focus off yourself.) 3) What am I grateful for? Thinking about all that you have and are excited about can change your outlook and attitude for the whole day. 

8. Detox from bad news. We’re not suggesting that you live in a hole or pretend that strife and tragedy don’t exist, but until you can build up some immunity (through these tips and other strategies you’ll find at SUCCESS.com) to the negativity that the evening news can deliver, take a break from it, suggests Colene Elridge, a life coach in Lexington, Ky. If it’s Facebook that’s getting you down (Why does everyone else look so darn happy? Why is everyone posting articles I don’t agree with?), suspend your account. Resist the urge to read the terrible details of the latest crash or kidnapping. 

9. Drop your distortions. There are negative things in the world. Some “sky-is-gray” people are skeptical of focusing on the positive in fear of being “delusional” and not seeing those very real negatives, says Elizabeth Lombardo, Ph.D., author of A Happy You: Your Ultimate Prescription for Happiness. But we all have cognitive thinking distortions that can alter our perceptions of reality, she says, perhaps causing the negatives to appear fun-house-mirror large. A few common distortions include mindreading, when you assume you know what others think (someone asks you to lunch, for example, and you assume it’s because he feels bad for you); fortunetelling, when you predict the future negatively and then react as if that prediction is imminent (you assume an upcoming company meeting means you’re being let go and begin bad-mouthing your boss and ignoring work); or dichotomous thinking, in which everything is all or nothing (Everyone thinks I am a loser or no one can be trusted). Recognize what your distortions are and see whether you can view circumstances through a clearer, more helpful lens. 

From Success Magazine

10 Ways Entrepreneurs Think Differently

Entrepreneurs are a unique breed of people. While some people sit and fantasize about the glamor of being their own boss and creating their own business, those in the thick of business ownership understand that even considering all its rewards, entrepreneurship is a difficult and complicated path.

The world's most successful entrepreneurs aren’t the ones who impulsively quit their jobs to chase a get-rich-quick idea. They are the ones with an entrepreneurial mindset -- a set of perspectives and values that allow them to achieve greatness.

These 10 perspectives are differentiators you’ll need to have or develop if you’re going to be a successful business owner.

1. Challenges are opportunities. Setbacks, obstacles and challenges are painfully common elements of entrepreneurship. Most people react to these hurdles with stress and pessimism, with an attitude that obstacles are negative experiences that only hinder progress. As an entrepreneur, you encounter so many challenges you simply can’t afford to react this way.

Instead, successful entrepreneurs view challenges as opportunities. Each challenge or setback reveals a key opportunity to grow -- either to improve upon an existing weakness or take measures to avoid experiencing a similar setback in the future.

2. Competitors are research subjects. Rather than viewing competitors as a threat, like most people would, entrepreneurs see competitors as enriching opportunities to learn more about their industry and target market. By looking at your competitors’ business models, you can learn what makes yours unique and embellish that uniqueness in your branding and marketing efforts. Studying your competitors’ emphasis on customer experience can teach you how to make yours better.

Your competitors are doing you a favor -- they’ve already gathered tons of valuable information. Entrepreneurs realize that it’s up to them to take advantage of it.

3. Everything requires effort. Entrepreneurship is multifaceted and constantly demanding, and there’s no shortage of pitfalls that could disrupt or destroy your business. Successful entrepreneurs are aware of this, and they’re aware that everything -- from product development, sales and marketing -- requires significant effort to achieve success. Instead of looking for shortcuts, they’re pouring effort into their business at every opportunity, and when they reach one goal, they’re already busy planning another.

4. Perfection is the enemy of progress. It’s a familiar aphorism that nobody understands better than entrepreneurs. Young or inexperienced entrepreneurs might get caught up in chasing their original vision, because original visions are almost invariably “perfect.” But perfection isn’t necessary to run a successful, profitable business. 

In fact, perfection is often what stalls progress. The time you spend trying to hammer down those last few details is likely going to end up as time wasted. Instead, spend your efforts on the big picture, and make sure it’s solid.

5. Big things are made from small components. This works for problems as well as solutions. For example, instead of seeing a content-marketing campaign as a quick way to get traffic and new business, entrepreneurs see content marketing in terms of its individual components (blogging, social-media marketing, link building, etc.), each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. Successful entrepreneurs can break down massive projects, problems and campaigns into smaller, more manageable pieces.

6. Mistakes are healthy. The popular vision of massively successful entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos illustrates them as infallible leaders. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Successful entrepreneurs, even the rock stars among them, make mistakes often. Furthermore, they aren’t afraid to make mistakes, and they know how to learn from them.

Making mistakes is healthy and normal, and the sooner entrepreneurs realize that, the better. Don’t waste time doing everything you can to avoid mistakes or beat yourself up after making one. Acknowledge your mistakes, figure out what you can do to make up for them, and move on.

7. There is no magic. The super-rich entrepreneurs you read about in the news usually didn’t get there because they randomly stumbled upon a great idea. They got there because they poured years of effort and passion into a good idea, and eventually their efforts paid off.

You can’t become an entrepreneur expecting there to be a miracle, or some kind of instant, magical rise to the top because your idea was revolutionary. Even the best ideas in the world require patience, skill and endless effort to earn that level of success. The world's best entrepreneurs realize this. Waiting for your idea to do the work on its own, or waiting for some unseen element to carry you to success can only result in disaster.

8. Outside perspective is invaluable. Entrepreneurs need to be good communicators, and that means actively listening to those with different ideas and opinions. It’s easy for us to get trapped in one mode of thinking.

Many business owners keep their business models and directives too rigid, ultimately restricting their ability to grow and leading to failure. Successful entrepreneurs, on the other hand, are constantly searching for individuals and experiences that will challenge their way of thinking and lead them to see things from a new perspective.

9. Discipline is a prerequisite. To most people, discipline is something extra. It takes extra thought and effort to exercise, wake up on time or do anything other than spend leisure time. To successful entrepreneurs, discipline is normal. It’s a prerequisite that carries into all aspects of their lives.

You don’t have to be a regimented military-style leader to be disciplined, but you do have to know what you want and be prepared to do whatever it takes to get it.

10. Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle. Entrepreneurs wake up as entrepreneurs, go to work as entrepreneurs, come home as entrepreneurs and go to bed as entrepreneurs. There is no nine to five. There is no “work life” and “home life.”

The advantage of this is that you have total control over your business and your professional choices, including what you do for it. The (possible) disadvantage of this is that you carry your business with you everywhere you go. Entrepreneurship becomes your work and your life, and you need to be prepared for that if you’re going to survive the lifestyle.

Being a successful entrepreneur isn’t about being born with a specific mindset, it’s about being prepared for the challenges that await you.

From Entrepreneur