So you have the passion for your venture and the business plan to match. Better still, funding is secured to give confidence for the future. Soon you will discover that no plan can survive contact on the battlefield.
In your arsenal, add mental strength and resilience in three centres of your life.
Inner-directed strength
Use it to absorb external shocks like disappointments, rejection, anxiety and even depression in the heat of battle. Converse with yourself; find alone time to clear your mind. Put energy into what you can control, be aware that no one owes you a positive attitude and that failure is the food of champions.
Outer-directed strength
Looking outside of your business, what do you see? The doom and gloom of past failures, collapsing businesses, a weak economy and bad news in general? Or do you see opportunity to ride the next upswing, while taking lessons from your past? This strength gets you identifying winners to emulate, overcoming jealousy, multiplying friendships and building that aura of positivity to energise executing your business plan.
Team-directed strength
Taking charge of your feelings and how you see the world determines how you lead and inspire your team. Your team senses your mental attitude in the face of challenges and victories: They rise and fall on it. Cultivate mental strength today; it may be the only thing separating your business from success.