Women In Business and Mindset Barriers

Written By Donna Walker

Women have certainly made their mark in the business world in recent years, blasting away people’s stereotypical perception of what a women in business should be.

Although women have took their place, where they quite rightly belong in the world of business, a lot of women are silently struggling. Struggling with themselves, struggling with their own thoughts.

Because of these struggles, some women don’t reach their full potential, some don’t even carry on – when they really should because they are so damn brilliant!

I can hold my hands up and say that I have, previously, suffered with imposter syndrome – thinking to myself ‘who is going to want to work with me, I don’t know enough’. I am sure I am not the only one, it is probably one of the most common mindset blocks.

Woman are putting their content out onto social media and feeling like a fraud. Hoping that no-one asks them a question, in fear that they won’t know the answer – when in fact the truth is, they will know the answer and more! – but because of self doubt, imposter syndrome, lack of self confidence they will think otherwise.

It will only take one negative comment online, one small statement on a post which could be taken the wrong way and that will be it. There you go – the proof that was needed that she was right all along. She doesn’t know enough, she isn’t good enough.

She forgets that her brain, wanting to be her best friends but actually turns out not to be, will point out what it thinks she wants to see. She has told her brain so many times that she isn’t good enough and that no-one will believe anything she says, so like the good brain it is, it shows her the negative comment and expects a pat on the head!

It ignores the 143 positive comments because she hasn’t said that she wants to see them. She doesn’t want proof of them, because she doesn’t believe them.

How can women stop this from happening? It isn’t going to happen overnight, I know I was that person. I started two different businesses, neither of which went how I wanted them to – why? Because I got in my own way. I didn’t believe that I was good enough and I didn’t believe that anyone would want to work with me.

Another mindset block that women have is fear. Fear of failure, fear of social media, fear of showing up, fear of success, fear of taking risks, fear of following their dreams.

These fears are often deep rooted to beliefs which have been carried from childhood. Some beliefs aren’t true and some can be worked through to show a different perspective.

Working on your mindset does take some time, you have to ask yourself the right questions, you might not like the answers, you might not want to dig deep, so if you need to work with someone to do all of this, then so be it.

You can know all of the business strategies you want, but if your mindset isn’t right, your business will go no-where.

You have to accept that its ok to acknowledge your achievements and to give yourself credit.

You have to learn to challenge yourself, learn to flip your negative thoughts, replace your negative thoughts with positive ones. You control your thoughts.

When you are thinking positively your brain best friend will show you all the positive things you probably didn’t notice before.

I don’t see failure as a negative thing anymore, I see it as a learning. Ok so that didn’t work, how can I improve it/change it so that it does work.

I set goals. Short term and long term goals making sure they are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timebound (SMART). I can see my progress, know that I am going in the right direction and passing all the small goals will take me to my big goal.

I surround myself with a group of women who are like minded. They offer me support, cheer me on.

I work with business women who want to invest in themselves and work through their mindset barriers. Together we identify and work through those barriers and create a bespoke action plan so they can then move forward and build a successful business, however that looks for them.

If you would like to have a chat about anything you have read today, please feel free to get in touch www.calendly.com/donnawalkermindset