Entrepreneurs are not superheroes. They’re just normal people like-minded you and me, who happen to have a dream they refuse to give up on no matter the odds stacked against them. It takes courage at times for entrepreneurs to continue their journey when faced with adversity, rejection, or low self-confidence — but it is defined as successful entrepreneurship if the entrepreneur is able to keep going even as he/she faces these challenges head first.
Many of us have faced challenges that seem insurmountable during a certain time in our lives – whether it’s simply adapting to college life or starting our own business. The secret is building resilience and feeling empowered by what we’ve learned along the way! Here are some tips for developing thicker skin:
1. Learn From The Failures Of Other Entrepreneurs – Corey Northcutt, Northcutt Enterprise SEO
We don’t need to look far for stories of the most successful entrepreneur’s failures. Steve Jobs wasn’t a success from day one, and Warren Buffet has had his share of missteps as well.
Arianna Huffington admits that she doesn’t have an unblemished record either, but these people knew how important it was not to give up when faced with rejection or adversity because they learned something new each time out in the field.
2. Review Your Experiences And Learn From Them – Charles Bogoian, Kenai Sports
After a major rejection or period of adversity, it is helpful to internally review. If you are honest with yourself after this, then you will be able to learn from any mistakes that were made and enhance your professional skills. After this painful experience turns into an opportunity for growth, it will surely help you set up your venture for success in the future!
Another benefit of an internal review is that it provides needed perspective on how things went down – and whether they can do better next time around.
It is often difficult to stay on top of new developments when you are managing a startup. There are a lot of parameters that you need to keep track of.
Even if the company has been successful, there will inevitably be mistakes and setbacks along the way. It’s important for founders to take note of what they’ve done well as this can inspire them about future challenges that might come their way.
3. Have Confidence In Your Work And Build On Your – Peter Boyd, PaperStreet Web Design
Thick skin is an important skill in any professional’s arsenal. The more experience you develop, the better thick skin you are able to develop. You will also have the key to dealing with rejection from clients while maintaining a high level of confidence. Confidence stems not only from knowing what mistakes to avoid but also from trying something new instead of sticking by your comfort zone for too long.
4. Don’t Take Things Personally In Business – Kristin Kimberly Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC
I’ve had my fair share of setbacks and it’s natural to be frustrated at times. The key is not letting these issues define who you are because they’ll never go away completely, but you can’t let them get in the way either!
It takes time for everything (especially your skin) to toughen up so don’t worry if things happen quickly or slowly: just keep fighting through every challenge one step at a time until success eventually comes knocking on your door.
5. Don’t Derail From Your Course – Stay Focused – Richard Fong, Automatic Growth
I’ve learned to work through challenges with an open mind. When I’m faced with something difficult, rather than dwelling on it and worrying about what’s going wrong or how things are stacking up against me, I take a moment to breathe and focus my energy on being present in that moment of time.
This helps me maintain forward momentum because instead of giving all my attention over to negative thoughts from past experiences or future worries for tomorrow. I keep myself grounded by focusing on this very minute as if there was nothing else coming after it. Which is never true anyways!
One of the ways I’ve grown a thicker skin over time is by staying focused on my work, even when it’s difficult. Rather than worrying about not figuring out how to get where I’m going and letting that distract me from doing good in the present moment, acceptance has allowed me to stay motivated at all times.
Turning challenges into opportunities allows progress to move forward without resistance; this attitude helps maintain momentum for myself and others around me too!
6. Avoid Those Who Drag You Down – John Murphy, eBike Generation
Doubters, nay-sayers, and people who are not on your path can be a drag. If you surround yourself with other like-minded individuals, the process will go much smoother.
You don’t have to let those who once doubted you back in because it is likely that they still think differently from you. Don’t worry though, it’s more about them than it is about you.
They will continue to rub their doubts, apprehensions, and fears onto you and it is up to you to decide how confident YOU are about YOUR abilities!
Your success makes them feel inferior and jealous. You have to be able to shrug off the negativity when you’re on top because it only means they’ll try even harder next time!
Your level of success, combined with your insecurity about what’s beneath them in this world, fuels their need for competition. Which would all just lead back up into a cycle that serves no one but those who are insecure.
Take Away
The good news is that resilience can be learned and developed. It won’t happen overnight, but the payoff of developing this skill will make all your future challenges easier to handle.
Above are mentioned some tips from entrepreneurs who have faced adversity themselves and they explain how you can build a thicker skin- so that you don’t let rejections or low self-confidence define your success as an entrepreneur!
