Made any mistakes? You’re likely an entrepreneur…

Some of us are raised to never make a mistake.  Performance is everything and that performance is measured by a high school overall grade.

In face, parents often raise their kids with the philosophy that to make a mistake is to be a mistake.

People who start their own businesses, people who successfully run those businesses need to be able to make mistakes.

Imagine sitting there—frozen—unable to decide because it might be the “wrong” decision.  Entrepreneurs and their businesses can’t afford that eternal pause button.

Don’t just sit there!  Do something!  That’s usually the phrase fuelling an entrepreneur.

Making mistakes has advantages

To make a mistake is to be decisive.  It helps you learn.  It teaches you how to weigh, and consider, and monitor and measure.  Making mistakes teaches us to cope with suspense.  Making mistakes enhances our creativity as we ‘fix’ what didn’t work.  Mistake-making is a real builder of attitude and altitude for people in business.

It also enhances our confidence.  “Well, I’ve been ‘down’ in the past but I always find a solution!”  Much better way to live than “I can’t possibly do that.  I have no idea how it will turn out.”

What’s your history?

A really great exercise to do, if you’re thinking about self employment, is to fill a page with risks you’ve taken.  A risk is a potential mistake for some people.  For others it’s an opportunity, a chance to make change.  Write the risk, write what your fear was, write how it turned out.

Psychological risks are terrific chances to see what you’re made of mentally, emotionally.  And it’s your core emotional strength that gives you the sinew to be effective as an entrepreneur.  Be sure to look at emotional risks as well as physical risks, financial risks.  And go back as far as you can.

Go for it!  Taken lots of risks?  Made lots of mistakes?

Then you’ve got a ‘proven history of risk management.’

Sounds pretty entrepreneurial to me.