With the dawn of a new year, people are going about making new year’s resolutions. Now in 2024, it’s important that they have a new mindset to allow them to rise above the competition.
Entrepreneurs and business owners have surely resolved to do the same for their respective brands. A successful business sets a target or goal to be attained each year. After all, without a map, one is sure to get lost at sea.
However, the reality is that we cannot dictate how this year will go for us. But what we likely have control over, given our circumstances, is our mindset.
Here are three simple mindset hacks all of us can take into account this year.
1. Accept Change
A professor of psychology at Stanford University, Carol Dweck, distinguished between two mindsets: a ‘fixed’ mindset and a ‘growth’ mindset. In essence, fixed mindsets belong to those who don’t see intelligence as something that can be developed; it’s always been inherent. Growth mindsets, on the other hand, belong to people who believe that one’s progress can always be developed.
All it takes is time and effort.
Change comes in unprecedented ways. Take, for example, the COVID-19 pandemic. How businesses and society, in general, have evolved and adapted by taking things online is proof that we must always thrive.
April Ryan, the founder of Red Iguana, is another example of how one must adapt to change. Although her nail art business found success in Russia, she realized that she needed to grow. She couldn’t stay comfortable forever.
“Be fearless,” she said in an interview. “Never be afraid to try something new.”
Ryan then immigrated to the US in 2014 There, she worked at a nail salon in Beverly Hills before leaving six months later to establish her own influencer career. Today, her company, Red Iguana, thrives as the fruit of Ryan’s acceptance of change.
When change comes, it’s important to adapt. Those whose mindsets are capable of morphing to fit the demands of their present situations are more likely to achieve success.
2. Believe in Yourself
We’ve all been told to believe in ourselves at least a million times in our lifetime. We see this sentiment expressed in so many ways in the media, in day-to-day conversations, in Hallmark cards — you name it.
Regardless, the truth is that we well and truly need to believe in ourselves. And it’s perfectly easy to tell others to go out there, to do what they love, to trust their own abilities.
But when faced with our own lives and the mountains we need to climb, it’s easy to falter in this belief.
If you struggle with confidence, then you’re not alone. David Bowie once shared during an interview: “I had enormous self-image problems and very low self-esteem, which I hid behind obsessive writing and performing.”
Serena Williams also admitted to feeling inadequate in the past. She often compared herself to her older sister, Venus Williams. She told Oprah Winfrey, “There were two Venus Williamses in our family — it was crazy… It was tough for me to stop being Venus and become the person I am.”
Looking at the mark these people have made on the world, it’s easy to conclude: maybe we, too, aren’t as inadequate as we may feel at times.
After all, everybody has their flaws. But everybody also has their strengths. We must simply accept the fact that our achievements — and potential successes — should be celebrated. All we need to do is put in the hard work. We must believe that if our potential has taken us thus far, it can take us even further in the future.
“You don’t really need support from others to be sure you deserve to be successful,” April Ryan explained. “If you believe in yourself, it’s enough.”
3. Don’t Be Afraid to Think Small
“Go big or go home.”
This is important. But sometimes, we need to remember that life doesn’t always present us with mountains to climb. Sometimes, we have to walk on foot down the path people don’t want to travel.
We need to learn to think small. Minor day-to-day decisions are just as important as those big, life-altering decisions.
Inspirational films always depict the road to success as something filled with tons of major effort. But what not many people talk about is how success comes only when one embraces doing the little things, too.
Entrepreneurs especially stand to gain a lot from this habit of ‘thinking small’. Take, for example, April Ryan and her company, Red Iguana’s 100% handmade silicone practice hands.
As a business owner, one would have plenty of things to worry about — bills, business plans, marketing, staff, and so on. But in the midst of all dealing with these important aspects, one runs the risk of compromising on quality. Ryan realized this and never forgot about the nitty-gritty. She noticed that overexposure to UV light would cause polish to harden.
To solve that, Red Iguana designed high-quality silicone practice hands, modeled after Ryan’s own hands. These have garnered much attention and have since been distributed in 5 countries, revolutionizing the world of nail art.
April Ryan also pays detailed attention to what’s being used in her own stores.
“I worked with companies producing a range of nail products, and I would try them all. I would not promote a product that I didn’t consider good.”
Embracing a New Mindset in 2024
In 2024, may we find ourselves building a more success-oriented mindset for ourselves. All we need to do is to put in the work. Having a healthy, progress-geared mindset is imperative if we don’t want to stay stagnant in life. Entrepreneurs especially stand to gain from having a progressive attitude.
As the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, once said: “Determination, strategy, and vision for the future are our real resources in the quest for excellence and success.”
