By Sarah Bell, RN, MBA, PCC

How long does it take to start a business?

How long is a piece of string?

It took me seven years to quit my job as a corporate coach and start my private practice.

Why did it take me so long? I had all the qualifications and experience I needed. It was my mindset. Ironic because I am a leadership coach whose work is all about mindset.

I was getting caught up in a problem-focused mindset, always worried about what could go wrong.

• Fear of not having a stable income.
• Fear of not getting clients.
• Fear of being seen.
• Fear of asking for money.
• Feeling like I was not good enough.

My brain was doing what it was supposed to do. My brain was on the lookout for danger, threats to my life. However, I was not facing sabertoothed tigers or other life-threatening situations; but my brain was acting like I was.

I kept myself stuck in what I now know is “a problem-focused or victim mindset.” The victim mindset leaves us feeling hopeless and helpless, making it virtually impossible to achieve significant or lasting results.

The Problem with a Problem-Focused Mindset
A problem-focused mindset causes anxiety and triggers our Flight, Fight, Freeze, and Fawn response. I was activating a Flight, Fight, Freeze, and Fawn response by constantly finding things to cause worry. It was like a downward spiral. A spiral I now know holds other would-be entrepreneurs back.

Good News – there is another option. The Creator Mindset.

The Creator Mindset
Creators understand they are responsible for every success and every failure. When we are in our creator mindset, we focus on what we want. I wanted to have a thriving coaching practice, helping other nurses step into their potential. I wanted to choose my work hours, choose my income, and have more fun and enjoyment in my life.

To make my dream a reality, I knew I needed to shift my mindset from a victim mindset to one of a creator.

Learning how to make the shift helped me leave my job and put my energy into creating a business. I have encountered challenges along the way and will experience more; I am confident of that. However, I now have a process to follow. I know I can let go of my life raft and navigate the sometimes stormy waters of entrepreneurship.

How To Make The Shift
Here’s a new acronym for you – FISBe

(FISBe comes from David Emerald’s work – “The Power of Ted*)

• Focus
• Inner State
• Behavior

Are you familiar with the saying, “Where your focus goes, your energy flows?”

You can choose your mindset by selecting your focus and therefore your energy.

You can focus on problems creating an inner state of anxiety. It’s our inner state that drives our behavior. In my case, I focused on the issues I listed above, which caused my anxiety that led to me clinging to my job as if it were a life raft.

I knew If I let go, I’d drown.

The alternative is to focus on what you want to create. Focusing on what you want leads to an inner state of passion that drives behaviors associated with creation. When I realized what was happening, I was able to shift my focus to what I wanted and take baby steps toward bringing it to life.

Baby steps felt manageable, and it wasn’t a big deal if they didn’t work out. Yes, there are problems you will need to overcome as an entrepreneur. However, creators solve problems as part of the creative process rather than focusing on everything that can go wrong.

How to Adopt a Creator Mindset
Shifting from a victim mindset to a creator mindset takes awareness and practice. When you feel stuck or anxious, follow these steps.

1. Start by getting clear on what you want. What you would like your life and business to be like and whom you wish to serve.
2. Next, make a list of all the good things in your life that will support you in creating your desired outcome. Think about your gifts, talents, and strengths. Who are the people who can help you?
3. Now identify one or two challenges you will need to overcome. Be careful; you only want to focus on the challenges related to your business. Please do not do what I did and focus on problems that were not yet real.
4. Now, determine the first one or two baby steps you will take to move you closer to your goal?
5. Take those steps and repeat the process.

Starting a business is not for the faint at heart. Neither is nursing. It’s normal to feel some tension when focusing on the end goal. Focusing too much on the end goal can cause overwhelm and analysis paralysis. And prevent us from taking the necessary action.

Baby steps are powerful because they keep you moving. The end goal, what you want, is the destination to which you’re heading. Baby steps are the fun things you get to do on the way to the destination. It’s essential to enjoy the creative process of launching your business while recognizing that there will be challenges to overcome.

Author’s Bio

In her over 30 years of experience as a Registered Nurse in the United Kingdom and the United States, Sarah Bell, RN, MBA, PCC, struggled with the idea that Healthcare is a business. She observed and personally experienced the pressure nurse leaders face to achieve clinical and business goals.

Sarah has over 20 years of leadership experience in Healthcare. She is a leadership coach who works with nurse managers, nurse leaders, and other healthcare professionals who seek leadership growth and development.

As the owner of Bell’s Breakthrough Leadership Coaching LLC, Sarah provides one-on-one and group coaching that teaches her clients the skills needed to transition from outstanding individual contributors to impactful and influential nurse leaders. Sarah has been a leadership coach since 2013. She is an International Coaches Federation Professional Certified Coach and certified by the Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching.