Welcome to the first episode of Business Mindset Matters! I’m so pleased you’re here. This series is all about helping you grow the mindset that supports a steady, successful and authentic online business, and I’m here to help you every step of the way.
Starting anything new can feel a bit daunting. You look around and see others with polished websites, hundreds of posts, and an audience that seems to adore them, and you might think, “How on earth will I ever get there?” And often you start to doubt yourself before you’ve even begun.
I’ve been there too. In fact, we’ve all been there. The truth is, every successful entrepreneur once stood exactly where you’re standing now. The difference between where you are now and where they are now is just time, consistency, and a willingness to start small and grow your business steadily into your dream.
So, before you do anything else, I want to invite you to get a notebook. It can be digital or paper, whatever you prefer. This will become your Business Mindset Journal. Each week, jot down your thoughts, your little wins, and the exercises we do together. You’ll be surprised by how much clarity comes when you start to put your ideas into words.
Let’s begin.
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Dream BIG – Reconnecting with Your Vision
Most of us start an online business because we sense there’s something more that we want from life. Maybe it’s freedom, more time flexibility, creative fulfilment, or simply a chance to build something meaningful. Whatever it is, it begins with a dream; YOUR dream, and it is important, relevant, and unique to you.
But sometimes life and logic get in the way. Our dream can start to feel too big or too far away. That’s when you need to stop for a moment and really connect with it.
Exercise 1 – Dreaming into Your Future
Take a few quiet minutes for this.
- Sit somewhere peaceful and switch off distractions
- Take a few slow breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth, and allow yourself to relax and detach from your day-to-day ‘busyness’
- Imagine yourself five years from now, living the life you’re working towards
- Where are you?
- What does your day look like?
- How do you feel when you wake up?
- What kind of people are around you?
- What differences can you notice from your current situation?
- Now picture it in as much detail as you can. Feel it in your body (this is key) – that calm satisfaction of knowing you’re on track and doing work that matters, something you love and enjoy, and that is bringing you the rewards you want.
You’re not daydreaming just for the sake of it; you’re creating a blueprint. When you picture the version of yourself you’re becoming, you start to align your actions with that vision, and the universe itself starts to move things in line for you.
If you’ve ever heard of the Law of Attraction, this is precisely what you are doing here to attract your new future. Check out our sister website here to learn more about the Law of Attraction and how it can help you with your business.
Another thing you might like to do is to write down one short paragraph describing your future life and read it out loud each morning. Write it in the present tense and make it personal – e.g. “I love how I wake up at a time I decide and enjoy a leisurely breakfast, feeling refreshed to set myself up for the day.” Always make sure you state things in positive terms, so mention things you want and not the things you don’t. For example, say, “I am calm and clear” rather than “I’m not stressed.”
The more you do this short exercise, the more it becomes a command to your subconscious, which sets to work on it straight away. It’s a gentle way to keep your dream alive, so repeat it especially when your to-do list feels long!
Start Small – Building Momentum One Step at a Time
Something I’ve learned from years of trial and error, some false starts and a few wrong turns: clarity comes from doing, not from waiting for things to be perfect.
Mark Twain said, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started”, and he was right, of course. I also love the quote from Tony Gaskin that says, “If you don’t build your dream, someone will hire you to build theirs.”
How true is that? How many times have you had an idea, done nothing about it, and then seen someone else has created what you didn’t? It’s annoying, isn’t it? That’s why getting started is important, even if you can’t see every rung of the ladder!
You don’t need to have everything figured out before you begin. Most people who succeed online didn’t start with a master plan; they started with an idea, some curiosity and a lot of commitment. They took the next right step, then another, and then another.
It’s easy to think, “I’ll start when I’ve got the perfect logo,” or “I’ll wait until I’ve finished that course.” But progress doesn’t happen from the sidelines. Even small steps move you forward, and in an online business, things change so fast that if you wait too long, things will have shifted and you’ll have to start again.
Starting small means just that. Sort out your business name, or design a logo. There are so many tools and ways to help you nowadays with the advent of AI that these things can be done by the solopreneur easily.
I like to recommend starting somewhere like Wealthy Affiliate because it is where I started over 8 years ago, and where I’m still a member. You can start for free and get the benefit of their initial training to get you started. Read my full review here, if you’re interested. However, you can also do it all yourself if you prefer that.
The message here is simple – start something, however small!
Buy a domain, get some name ideas from a website called Namegenuity where you can have AI help you generate a whole list of online domain names based on information you enter. I’m sure you will find some ideas that you will love there.
Buy your domain. Write one post. Learn one new skill. Update one page on your site. Contact one potential affiliate partner. Each action is like a small promise to your future self that you are keeping just by putting one foot in front of the other and steadily making progress. And all those steps and promises build trust and momentum until you have the dream you first envisioned.
Think of it like climbing a mountain. From the bottom, it looks impossible. But if you focus on the next few metres instead of the peak, you eventually find yourself halfway up without even realising how far you’ve come. I have walked the Inca Trail and the Great Wall of China (not the whole 13,000 miles, though), and there were many times when I would look up at a huge incline, tired and hungry, and wonder if I could make it to the top. But just by taking one step after another (with a few strategic rest breaks along the way), I eventually did. And so did the other people in my party.
We were not special; we just had a quiet determination to keep going. That’s where reading and hearing about stories like this can give you a little boost and inspire you.
Other People’s Success Can Inspire You, Not Intimidate You
Sometimes, we all fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others. We look around and see people who are richer than us, more qualified, better looking (according to us) or just plain “better!” But comparisons like these are a bit like stepping into quicksand – it stops you moving and eventually, it drags you down!
I used to say to my children, “There will always be someone taller, shorter, fatter, thinner, more qualified and less qualified than you. That is inevitable. But there is only one YOU. You are unique, and there is no one like you in the world. What can YOU do with what YOU have?”
So, instead of asking, “Why am I not there yet?”, try asking, “What can I learn from someone who’s already done this?”
In NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), we call it modelling; where you find out what successful people are doing to make themselves successful and follow their examples. Now we will move on to this in later episodes, but for now, why not take inspiration from others who started where you are now – at the very beginning?
Every successful creator started at zero
Everyone who now has a successful business started with nothing. No followers. No traffic. No sales. What made the difference from where they started and where they are now is that they took one small action and then kept showing up. Yes, they made mistakes, we all do that, but successful people learn from them, and use them to adapt, change and keep growing.
Here are a few stories to prove that small beginnings can lead to extraordinary outcomes:
Real People Who Started Small and Built Big
Harrison Nott – CoolTowel
As a teenager, Harrison noticed a simple problem: most cooling towels weren’t very effective. From his bedroom, aged 14, he started experimenting and created a better version. That small idea grew into a thriving business with thousands of customers. His story is proof that spotting one problem and solving it well, can change your whole direction.
Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard – HP
Hewlett-Packard didn’t start with a corporate office or a big investment. They began in a tiny garage in Palo Alto, working with limited tools and a single product idea – an electronic oscillator. That modest experiment became the foundation for Hewlett-Packard, one of the most recognised names in technology. Today, their old workspace is still known as “the birthplace of Silicon Valley.”
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak – Apple
Before Apple became a global giant, it was simply two friends building computers in a suburban garage in Los Altos. Their first models were handmade and sold to local hobbyists. The vision was small at first, but their curiosity and persistence turned it into a company that revolutionised how we live and work.
The point isn’t just that these people succeeded; it’s that they started with just an idea and built everything from there.
Exercise 2 – Research some origins
Find a few people in your niche who inspire you. Study their early work if you can. I’ll bet you find that most of them were a little rough around the edges in the beginning. You’ll probably find proof that progress is possible in your niche and that perfection isn’t required.
But remember: we want to feel inspired here, not inadequate!
“There are no real new stories – but there are an infinite number of perspectives!”
I remember my father telling me this when I was very young, but I think it is very relevant to online businesses, and I hope it will help YOUR online business. It doesn’t matter which niche you are in, there will always be others. However, there are also 8 billion people on the planet, so there are going to be a few repeats!!
Your story, your voice and your message are what make your business unique. Who cares if there are others? No one else can bring your perspective, experience, and personality to life within it.
Mindset Matters – What You Believe Shapes What You Build
We talk a lot about strategy in online business, but mindset is where the real foundation lies. What you believe about yourself and what’s possible will quietly shape every decision you make.
Let’s shine a light on a few of those inner beliefs.
Exercise 3 – A Short Reflection
Open your notebook and answer these honestly:
- What do I believe about my ability to succeed online?
- What stories do I tell myself when I think about money or visibility?
- What’s the first fear that appears when I imagine real success?
- What would I do differently if I knew I couldn’t fail?
You don’t have to share these with anyone – this is just for you. Writing them down helps bring old, hidden patterns into the open where you can start to change them.
As Esther Hicks says, “A belief is only a thought you keep thinking.” If that thought isn’t serving you, you can start thinking of a new one.
Practical Progress – Your Next Steps Forward
So, we’ve discussed dreaming big and starting small, and talked a little about how we can start becoming aware of the limiting beliefs we hold that may be holding us back. Let’s now turn insight into action and choose one small, practical thing you can do today to move your business forward.
Here are a few ideas:
- Buy a new domain name
- Check out the training and tools on Wealthy Affiliate
- Write or publish one blog post
- Research one new affiliate opportunity
- Watch a short tutorial on something that confuses you
- Redesign one small section of your homepage
- Create a simple schedule and stick to it for one week
It doesn’t matter which you choose; what matters is that you do something. Small, consistent action always beats bursts of brilliant inspiration followed by silence. That’s your proverbial ‘flash in the pan’. It takes a lot longer to create a masterpiece.
However, every single day you take one step forward, your dream becomes a little more real.
When I look back at my own journey, I can see that the biggest breakthroughs didn’t come from giant leaps but from steady, imperfect progress. I dreamed big, and I still do, but I also learned to start small.
So here’s my invitation to you:
Take that first step today. However tiny it feels, it still counts.
Remember, you don’t have to see the whole mountain to start climbing – just trust that the path will reveal itself as you move.
Next time…
In Episode 2, we’ll look at how to tackle fear head-on, recognise when it’s trying to protect you, and learn to move forward with courage and clarity.
Until then, keep dreaming big, start small, and take one mindful step at a time.
And please do leave a comment below about what you’re going to do. Please also sign up for our newsletter using the form at the bottom of the page so that you don’t miss posts and advice.
Here’s to you!
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