Add the word “entrepreneur” to whatever you’re doing.
The qualities and skillsets associated with entrepreneurship aren’t exclusive business. I want you to start thinking of yourself as an art entrepreneur. A non-profit entrepreneur. Even a small business entrepreneur. This doesn’t mean you’re going to start chasing big capital infusions and dream about IPOs. That’s not what entrepreneurship is really about. That’s just a goal. And what we’re concerning ourselves with here is not where you’re going but how you’re getting there. The how is the entrepreneur’s mindset.
It’s about having a fire for doing it different. For not liking how everyone else is doing it.
The entrepreneur’s mindset starts with wanting to do things different. It’s rooted in a discontent for how things are and a near-obsession for making it better.
What frustrates you about how others are doing things? What would you do different? Why does doing it different matter? How does it make people’s lives better? Does doing it different help eliminate corruption, preserve what’s worth saving, educate or empower people?
These questions give you purpose. And purpose is what allows you to weather the road less traveled. Gives you the patience and discipline to show up day after day. Because you’re on a mission to bring something better into existence. And you know the truth, if not you then who?
You’re going to do the work (the thing you imagine yourself doing, your calling) and also all the work that lets you keep doing the main thing.
Perhaps one of the most famous things about being an entrepreneur, about the realities of startups and small shops, is that you have to do lots of different jobs. Let’s say you’re a filmmaker. It would be easy to think about your job as coming up with ideas and then doing the creative work of filming it. But that’s just one piece of the puzzle.
When we’re just starting out, it’s easy to demand that the main course be the whole job. But when you’re committed to being an independent voice and to being a professional, the reality is that you’re going to wear a lot of hats. You’re going to do the work (the thing you imagine yourself doing, your calling) and also all the work that lets you keep doing the main thing. So yes, you’ll be a filmmaker that actually films. But you’ll also do branding and marketing and PR. Be in payroll and leadership. Answering emails and network.
The entrepreneur’s mindset helps us avoid a trap. It prevents us from being frustrated at all the work it takes to just keep doing our main thing. A good entrepreneur understands this. It transforms an annoyance into a fact of life. Because we expect it and take it as a given, we free our mental space. We’re able to tackle all those other projects and duties with a little more reverence. It’s not an injustice, it’s just a package deal; this work lets me keep doing that work.
I want you to start thinking of yourself as an art entrepreneur. A non-profit entrepreneur. Even a small business entrepreneur.
This one also has a bit to do with expectations too. When reality doesn’t match our expectations, we get frustrated. This is true in almost every facet of life. It’s why meditation and yoga talk a lot about noticing without judging. Paying attention to our expectations, or changing our expectations, is one of the easiest ways to dramatically increase our work satisfaction.
And this is again, where thinking of yourself as an entrepreneur can transform your work life. An entrepreneur’s life demands flexibility. From the beginning, there is no illusion that the road will be even keeled and straightforward. We expect bumps. And therefore, when they arrive, they cause as little fuss as possible.
When it takes time to find our people, when a project falls flat, when we face frustration and adversity, sure it stings. But with that sting comes a shrug of the shoulders. We didn’t expect this to be easy. No entrepreneur expects it to be easy. No one advises an entrepreneur to make a plan and stick to it no matter what. In this way, an entrepreneur’s mindset is really just a learner’s mindset. Be eager to learn and to grow. Be ready to pivot. Be open to new ideas.
We didn’t expect this to be easy. No entrepreneur expects it to be easy.
When you’re an artist and an entrepreneur (or a non-profit and an entrepreneur, or even when you’re a coffeeshop owner and an entrepreneur) it sets your mind toward this type of life-saving flexibility. It’s a reminder to yourself that you’re an artist who never expected this to be easy. You’re a non-profit who’s attached to their purpose, not to a single approach. And you’re a business who bristles at the idea of best practices, instead allowing yourself to continually shift and adapt in an unhurried rhythm.
This entrepreneurial approach, this type of learner’s mindset, it’s more than just doing a job or making ends meet. It’s about having a fire for doing it different. For not liking how everyone else is doing it. For seeing a flaw or a problem, for seeing ways to improve, and then freeing yourself to go about making it better. This is what it really means to be an entrepreneur. And this approach, this mindset, it’s available to everyone. No matter the work you do, you can do it better with an entrepreneur’s mindset.