Successful Thinking – Consumer Versus Investor
I’m always fascinated with the people that approach me and make comments along the lines of “if I knew it would work for me, then I would spend the money.”
Now although I understand this approach of not wanting to risk anything, I also understand “nothing ventured – nothing gained.” You will never reach your full potential without taking calculated risks.
You see, investors understand this. Most successful investors have made a mental SHIFT. They approach their business (and in a lot of cases their lives too) with an “investor mentality”. Meaning that they evaluate the risk as an investment NOT as as expense. They see the reward far outwaying any risk involved.
To be successful in business you have to turn off the “consumer thinking”…..the part of your brain that looks at the costs of things as an expense rather than an investment.
I mean if you knew today that you could invest $1,000 and that it would turn into $25,000 in 6 months, would you do it?
Of course most of us would. All of the risk is out of that equation and the consumer side of our brain immediately switches off and says “this is not an expense because it is a sure thing.”
Now then, if you believed deeply that you could invest $1,000 and that it would turn into $5,000 in 6 months, would you do it?
You see the difference – right? Knowing versus believing (having faith in yourself and your ability). Now it’s still a 5x return on your money in 6 months, but the “sure thing” aspect is gone as well.
Consumer thinking kicks in for 99% of people here and they just begin to shut down. Most people have not trained their minds to fight through this “consumer thinking” urge and view this as a worthy “investor thinking” risk.
I see this as a MAJOR challenge for most new entrepreneurs. They have been trained their whole lives to look at any money going out as an expense. So when asked to begin looking at company expenditures as investments that will represent a return in the future – it becomes deer in the headlights time.
Next time you are asked to spend money on your business ask yourself this question “If I view this as an investment, I believe that I can truly do this, and I commit to getting a return on these dollars – is there any better investment than the one I am making now in my business and my success?”
That question will put you in the right mindset for spending your dollars the right way and committing yourself to getting the desired return.
YOU are never an expense in your business or in your dream – YOU are always an investment in your success and happiness.
You only get one life, but you get to choose what you make of of that one life too.
Invest in your success! This is the only shot you’ve got at this.