Self-Talk and Entrepreneurship: The Dynamic Duo

The Development of a Positive and Productive Entrepreneurial Narrative is a Fundamental Cornerstone of Entrepreneurial Success.

Everyone talks to themselves. It’s a habit that many just can’t control, whether this self-talk is negative, positive, happy, sad or depressing. It feels like a relentless stream but it’s just a reflection of our interpretation of events.

If we interpret events in our lives to be highly related to things outside of our control (external locus of control), then we are more likely to have negative self-talk and ultimately to be unhappy. This is the person who blames their parents, children, community, society, pet dog or the illuminati for the struggles and suffering in their life.

They tend to believe they are powerless and helpless in the face of life. The entrepreneurs who appear with this issue tend to blame their employees, the market and list reasons outside of their control for the reason they are unable to find success.

Individuals with an internal locus of control believe they are in control of their destiny and have a tendency to focus on what they can control disregarding the rest or trying to tackle what they cannot control in a methodical and objective manner.

These individuals realise that their daily actions and habits pre-determine their fate far more than the political leaning of a government or the perils of growing up in a repressive household. It’s realising that we can look after our health, our finances and our relationships to create a positive well-balanced life through daily actions that are within our reach.

When performing research on how entrepreneurial narratives influence an entrepreneur’s journey; I learned that some of these individuals were school yard entrepreneurs determining their financial wellbeing at a young age through minor enterprises which had no real significance to anyone’s trajectory but their own. It shows initiative, proactive thinking and drive within someone who has yet to fully understand society or its complexity.

Entrepreneurship itself is defined by an individual who participates in the creation of social, cultural or commercial value. These individuals are in essence creating something from nothing financially (nothing being their idea).

They mould together pre-existing technologies, concepts, models and experiences in unique and valuable ways that lead to a return on their human investment.

This requires a degree of self-belief, too a point of almost delusion too walk away from mainstream thought around education, work and finding meaningful careers.

How to develop a positive entrepreneurial narrative?

The main way to build a strong narrative that is conducive to the outcomes you desire, is to take action.

Action is the small acts you take day to day that help to build your identity. If you spend everyday watching movies or listening to music- you are likely to view yourself as a movie fanatic or a music fan. On the other hand, if you research business, investments, startups or understand your consumer everyday, you are likely to identify as an entrepreneur or a business person.

It’s important to start small; I have observed that it usually begins with the content you decide to consume.

You are what you eat.

Consuming content everyday and tailoring your social media AI algorithms to your goals can be a powerful way to catalyse this transformation. The majority of young people in the West utilise social media platforms for community, entertainment and connection.

Although, the manner in which individuals use these platforms can either inhibit or accelerate their journey. If your feed is full of business tips, startup ideas and the experiences of other entrepreneurs- this socialisation is more likely to take you down a path whereby you develop a positive entrepreneurial narrative.

The main tip is to always remain mindful about what you decide to let yourself consume.

Self-imposed limitations: The death of the entrepreneurial narrative.

Throughout my research and experiences, self-imposed limitations have been the constant theme that has inhibited an individual pursuing their entrepreneurial ambitions.

Self-imposed limitations are thoughts or statements such as:

I am unable to pursue my own startup because I live in xyz area and I am from xyz demographic therefore it’s unlikely I will be successful.

This type of thought process is everywhere- individuals believe because of their background or their experiences they are unable to achieve their ambition.

The thoughts arise from conditioning and socialisation that occurs over a human’s lifetime. From when we are young, our families, friends and communities place limitations on us based upon their experiences which create self-fulfilling prophecies.

These limitations are in our mind, especially in an era where information is democratised, access to resources are being democratised and where anyone from anywhere has the potential to succeed.

We are each limitless humans; who place limits and boundaries on our thinking as a result of our surroundings.

My advice is; transcend your surroundings. Learning and the acquisition of worthwhile knowledge helps to transform our perspectives- it helps us to see the nature of reality through an objective lens.

We will never entirely remove the socialisation that has occurred to us throughout our lives but the way to minimise its impact on our ambitions and our pursuit of happiness is to acknowledge their existence.

Self-awareness coupled with a desire to take action is the foundation of a strong and positive entrepreneurial narrative.