Hi! Tom Gaddis, here. Are you stuck in The Matrix of living life on someone else’s terms? What if you could break out of that matrix, start meeting your own goals, and create the life of freedom and fulfillment that you’ve always wanted?
When I started out as a marketer, I had no connections or resources. I had a lot of ideas and beliefs about how to start, and most were wrong. To keep moving forward, I had to make some significant shifts in my thought processes.
I’m not just talking about positive thinking…I had to break out of the mindsets I held that kept me from making progress and meeting my goals.
For the next several posts, we’ll dive into a question new entrepreneurs ask me all the time: what would I do differently if I had a chance to start all over?
By the way, if you want to hear this in podcast form, simply follow this link.
Why Entrepreneurship is a Process of Becoming
When I was getting started, I was on unemployment…and time was running out. Maybe you’re facing a start like this with your back against the wall.
If you’re not hitting goals or finding success, then something needs to change. But what?
One thing I learned was that it was now up to me to achieve success…not my old boss or manager.
If you want to live on YOUR terms, not riding a desk or cubicle while making someone ELSE a ton of money, the good news is that you can! The bad news is it’s going to take work.
In order to make the money you want and live the lifestyle of your dreams, you have to become the kind of leader or businessperson who can handle it. It’s not so much about knowledge and tactics as your character.
How do you become the best version of yourself?
It starts with your thoughts.
Your thoughts shape your emotions, which shape attitudes, which shape actions, which shape habits, which shape your destiny. So, if you want to become someone who can break free of The Matrix, you have to shift your mindset. I have three ways that you can do this…
Once your mind shift is complete, I DO have good knowledge and tactics for you to use. Check out my FREE guide on turning your next big idea into a major cash cow!
Three Critical Mind Shifts
If you want to change your life, then change your mindset. Here are three practical ways to do it:
- Hold Yourself Accountable.
It’s not easy to succeed in online business. That’s a fantasy painted by so-called “gurus” who want to take advantage of you. There is no easy button, and no one will do the work for you.
However, it’s also not impossible to succeed in online business. Success is not necessarily hard, especially compared to many of the soul-sucking jobs you and I have had in the past.
But if it is to be, it is up to thee. In the corporate world, maybe you could loaf around because every moment of your workday wasn’t crucial to your personal success. Or maybe your manager would get busted instead of you if the team wasn’t performing. Accountability came from the top down, not necessarily because of your own motivation.
When you start your own business, you have to find ways to hold yourself accountable to succeed. There are always resources and teachers, but at the end of the day, you are responsible for your job and yourself.
- Set a Routine
When I first started in digital marketing, I did whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I enjoyed working from home and not wearing real pants. But that didn’t get me too far. I needed to add structure to my life to succeed.
One of the first things I did to get a grip on my time was to set a morning routine.
I physically get dressed and ready for the day, I have some personal time, and then I get to work on my most important task. I have adjusted this routine over time, but the discipline of it has helped my mindset of commitment.
Because you don’t have the structure of the 9-to-5 life anymore, you have to find your own rhythm.
As I mentioned before, habits shape destiny. I don’t do my routine perfectly all the time, but I try to be 1% better than yesterday. If you’re 1% better today, everyday, then over time you’ll see an exponential improvement!
- Learn How to Manage Your Money
If you’re going to succeed, you need to gain a smart mindset about money. If you have bad habits with money, even in your personal finances, that will carry over into your business. There are some proven ways to manage money that will always work in your favor.
One simple habit for money management is to make the highest line item in your budget called “profit.” Pay yourself first, not with the leftovers.
Here are some resources that helped me improve how I manage money. You can find them at your favorite bookseller:
- I Will Teach You to Be Rich, by Ramit Sethi
- Simple Numbers, Big Profits, by Greg Crabtree
- Profit First, by Mike Michalowicz
- Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Most of the time, when I talk to people who are struggling to meet their goals, it’s because they haven’t really thought through the things they want to do. Their goals aren’t based on anything—they’re more like vague dreams. I show them that there’s a better way.
When you set any goal for your business, make it S.M.A.R.T.: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timebound.
Instead of saying, “I want to make a bunch of money,” say, “I want to begin earning $2,000 per month by the end of this quarter.” Notice how it’s specific, measurable, and time-bound?
I will say this: deadlines, deadlines, deadlines! If you don’t have one, you can just keep working on something infinitely. You never achieve the goal, and you wonder why you’re not getting there. Set deadlines, and follow through on them.
Shifting your mindset doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time. Just start the journey. These concepts require consistent, gradual improvement. Eventually, you’ll look back and see how much your mindset has grown.
For more secrets the so-called “gurus” won’t tell you about making money online, check out my podcast:
