The Stop Doing List

CHAPTER 3 FIVE ESSENTIAL MINDSETS TO GET

There is no doubt in my mind that adopting the correct mindset is essential to succeeding in business, and in life, for that matter. A Tony Robbins quote sticks in my mind: ‘Success leaves clues and so does failure.' The five essential mindsets discussed in this chapter have been modeled on successful entrepreneurs who have applied the Stop Doing List system and grown amazing businesses.

These mindsets are learnable and require focus and discipline to master. They are not a ‘tick the box' exercise, either — they are fundamental to your continued growth and success and need to be applied and lived daily.

Essential Mindset 1: Say no

Success is often found when we say yes to opportunities without too much thought, knowing we will work out the ‘how' later. This reflex is often a result of our desire to prove ourselves and before we know it we're saying yes to opportunities even if they seem frightening. We may also say yes to avoid missing out or out of the fear that declining an opportunity may send the wrong message to the people asking.

However, success tends to breed success and before you know it greater opportunities start coming your way. It then becomes critically important and a challenge to prioritise the many opportunities on offer, which often leads to not definitively saying no in an effort to keep our options open. This, as you might expect, leads to a lack of clarity as we take on more than we can handle, and we end up letting ...