What is an Endurance Mindset?
It's the power to withstand challenges and push through fears, pain and doubt, and the capacity to keep putting one foot in front of the other to build momentum and forward progress so that you reach your finish line.

Why is it so important?
You will inevitably face challenges in business — and let’s be honest, in life. Building an attitude of mental toughness and perseverance will carry you the extra distance when you feel like the finish line is too far away or unreachable.

Your endurance and resilience as a business owner are constantly being tested. Hurdles are plentiful... from fear and comparison, to overwhelm and burnout. A huge part of having a mentally tough mindset is the ability to keep pressing forward when the going gets extremely tough, staying positive when negativity attacks and persisting over and over again until you reach your goals. You need a lot of belief and dedication.

This is relevant to everyone, but especially to entrepreneurs who are in the beginning stages of building their business. As a new entrepreneur, it’s common to want to do everything all at once. You want to earn the money and make an impact. You’re passionate, inspired and you have tons of ideas! It’s often a very exciting time, and it’s easy to go, go, go without letting up on the gas. Jumping in at this blazing hot pace is great, but it’s imperative that you learn how to pace yourself because building a business is a marathon, not a sprint. This is where the Endurance Mindset comes in.

Here are some of my favorite ways to develop an Endurance Mindset:

Refill your tank.
One way to develop it is through practicing mindfulness or quiet reflection on a consistent basis. Decluttering a busy mind lifts the burden of having never-ending to-do list and constantly striving for more, and gives you a much needed mental break. Directing your energy and thoughts to the present moment gives you the peace, strength and clarity you need to move forward. If you need help try an app like Calm or Headspace.

Do a full body check in.
This has to be a full body check in, because presumably you'd like to arrive at your goal in one piece and feeling good!

This is what it might look like:

• How is my body holding up? Hmmm, I'm feeling pretty damn good... about 80%
• Energy level: a solid 75%
• Mind? Eh, pretty stressed out... about 40%
• Can I push harder? Nope. Not right now.

And then you have to listen to yourself! If you can't push harder it's ok to rest, reset and tweak your plan accordingly. If you're ready to push, that's great! Just make sure you have a good plan to move forward with.

Step out of your comfort zone daily.
The more you do it, the more you expand your capacity for mental toughness — just like you would go to the gym to get stronger physically. Small wins and incremental progress not only help you feel stronger and more confident, they also motivate you and create waves of momentum that help carry you to the finish line.

Some endurance tips to help you combat stress and increase productivity:

• Schedule high-value tasks for the times you have the most energy.
• Exercise! Even if it means just going for a walk. Studies show that exercise improves energy, brain power and creativity.
• Rest when you’re tired, but do not stop. You don’t always have to keep pushing forward. It’s ok to build in plateaus so you can rest and refuel. Imagine yourself as an animal in the wild —  when you don’t feel good, peel back a little and take a breather. 
• Keep your goal top-of-mind. Create a vision board or a plan of attack and refer back to it daily. And don’t just focus on the goal. Fuel yourself with a steady stream of inspiration along the way to avoid burnout.

One of the best parts of being an entrepreneur is that personal growth is part of the deal. There will always be uncertainty and challenges along your journey — which is actually great news! Learning how to overcome those things, especially when the odds are stacked against you or you feel like you can’t take another step forward is what builds mental toughness and your Endurance Mindset. The person you grow into along the way because of those challenges is the reward.

Just like you would have a support crew if you were running an endurance race, having support as you grow your business is crucial. The Go-Getters Club is what you’re looking for. Join now!