Mind It

My experiments with mental tenacity

My plunge into entrepreneurship has taught me many valuable lessons and tenacity of mind is one of the most important lessons learnt. Entrepreneurship is a roller coaster ride. There are days when you feel that you are in complete control and there are others when even the smallest setback feels overwhelming. In October 2020, Forbes reported that approximately 49% of entrepreneurs are affected by mental health issues. But according to an article in Entrepreneur, over 72% of the business owners reported mental health concerns.

Be it entrepreneurship or any vocation one is pursuing, every person goes through this mental turmoil. While we understand the importance of maintaining our mental health and well being, cultivating this as a habit is a challenge for sure. I have experienced this myself and hence thought of sharing it. 

Building this mental resilience requires conscious efforts. To quieten the negative thoughts and remain focused on the good ones, is easier said than done. Especially so, during those trying nights, when the time for winding down is completely consumed by worrying.

On one such occasion, I happened to watch a Ted talk by Anthony Metivier. My takeaway from this Ted talk was two questions that I had to ask myself to stop the mind chatter. The questions were; is this thought useful? And how is thought behaving? Surprisingly, the next time I caught myself going down the spiral of negative thoughts, I posed these two questions to myself and was amazed at the power of this metacognition.

Most of us are aware of our conscious inner voice. Most often this self-talk assumes the role of a critic rather than a cheerleader.  We have been raised to believe that being harsh on yourself is the only way to propel ourselves to success. However, constant negative self-talk can have a great impact on self esteem and our perception of the world. It mostly adds to the anxiety and leads to inaction. It can be instead used constructively to help become a better version of yourself, and motivate yourself to achieve more. The first step here is to start becoming aware of this negative self-talk and challenge the self criticism by considering whether it’s even true. I have realized that it is important to stop beating yourself up. Instead of dwelling on past mistakes and lost opportunities, it is important to start acknowledging your achievements however small they are. 

I have learned the hard way that bigger goals take time to achieve. It takes many small steps along the way to reach there. If you do not celebrate the smaller wins, the going gets tougher and you will not remain motivated to reach where you want to go. Mind you, this is not easy! If you are constantly criticizing yourself, you will generally overlook everything that you have achieved along the way. Having a support system, a co-founder or a mentor who instills this confidence in you often helps.

I have read the Harvard Business Review where they have described the work of Francis Crick and James Watson and team during their discovery of the structure of DNA. They imbibed the principle of progress. I quote “Of all the things that can boost emotions, motivation, and perceptions during a workday, the single most important is making progress in meaningful work. And the more frequently people experience that sense of progress, the more likely they are to be creatively productive in the long run. Whether they are trying to solve a major scientific mystery or simply produce a high-quality product or service, everyday progress—even a small win—can make all the difference in how they feel and perform.”

Another insecurity that entrepreneurs go through is FOMO. Social media is filled with glamorous pictures of our friends, travelogs, happy achievements, great successes. Despite knowing that people often show only the good parts of their lives on social media, it is hard to stop insecurity from creeping in. You will keep hearing about the next door startup that has now become a unicorn and your other buddy who has now bagged the next series of funding. Keeping success in mind but not expecting instant wins is pertinent. Adhering to the saying “Slow and steady wins the race” helps.

Another coping mechanism I have found useful is to engage in some creative activity. I typically open my laptop and either start coding or take my sketchbook and start sketching. I take immense pleasure in both and at the end of it, not only do I feel better but there is also a creation in the process. This creation, however small, is a great source of joy. 

I have come to realize that it’s all in the mind. Making a few small changes in your perspective can go a long way. Mental health has been one of the most overlooked factors in success and I truly believe that if you work on it, it will surely be the most important asset for you and your business.