As a millennial, there’s never been a better time to pursue entrepreneurship. In fact, even if you don’t pursue it, entrepreneurship is chasing you. No matter what role you play in today’s economy, having an entrepreneurial mindset is key for not only your success, but also for your survival. Being entrepreneurial can mean creating a side hustle for additional cash, building the next Facebook from your dorm room, freelancing across multiple clients, or being more “intrapreneurial” by taking risks with new opportunities inside a company. Let’s talk about what the entrepreneurial mindset looks like and how to get into it.
The entrepreneurial mindset is a perspective that you have on the world and yourself. It’s looking at a problem or whitespace with a burning need to solve it, to fill it. The challenge can be small or big, but no matter how big it gets, you rise to the occasion. Without resources like time, money, you get scrappy and do more with less. This propensity for risk taking may seem foolhardy to your friends or family, but you’re motivated by passion and willing to seek out a more meaningful existence than just punching a clock and cashing a check.
The debate has long been out on the ever unsettled question: “Can entrepreneurship be taught or is it something you are born with?” As the cofounder of Startup Institute, I can share both first hand and through the experiences of others that there are indeed innate traits, though through purposeful action you can push outside of your comfort zone and enhance this mindset. Here are four key ways:
1. Passion: Feel strongly about what you do, both in your heart and mind. Being excited to do something bigger than yourself will motivate you, even through menial tasks that come with great work.
2. Grit: When faced with challenges, meet them head on, with transparency, and a commitment to hustle, to make fast decisions, to do more with less, to row in the same direction, and to go above and beyond—because it’s worth it.
3. Community: Commit to enriching your network, both by paying it forward and asking for help. Finding a tribe that values diversity, building relationships, and helping one another, will only lead to future and ongoing growth.
4. Learning: Learning is how you open doors to new possibilities in the world. Try new things, build a sense of empathy, listen to feedback, measure progress, and get better every day at what you do.
Being millennial may in fact be synonymous with being entrepreneurial. If you value the four key actions above, you may just have the mindset it takes to make an impact on the world, persevere against tough odds, and create value for yourself and others. And why not? After all, you only live once.
Author: Shaun Johnson
