In part one of this series, I talked about what I know about you and anxiety. In this part two, I want to talk about what I believe about anxiety and what I want for you as an entrepreneur. I am not a medical doctor. I am not a psychiatrist. I am not going to pretend that I am. I am writing from what I see and hear.

In this two-part series, I want to talk about anxiety. This is something that we entrepreneurs don’t talk about often. I am going to. This wasn’t easy to write. I stopped myself several times to write something else. It’s got to be done. It’s going to sound a little dark.

I have discovered that when it comes to building a successful and thriving business as an entrepreneur, you are your own greatest threat. A great business, a great team, a great life, and a secure future is something you create yourself. The sooner you realize that, the better it is for you.

According to Tara Talbot, former VP of Human Resources at Workopolis, “the reason that most people get hired is the same as the reason most people get fired.” And that reason is personality. I want to add to that and say the same reason most people choose to work for you is the same reason they leave you.

What type of mindset do you have? In a ground-breaking research study conducted by John-Erik Mathisen and Jan Ketil Arnulf at BI Norwegian Business School, there are two mindsets that most aspiring entrepreneurs have, one of which is likely limiting your potential as an entrepreneur.

It starts with making a decision to do things differently. This is a decision to match your outer expressions with your inner experiences. Yes, you may get into trouble for doing this, but do it anyway. The things you say and the things you do need to match with the things you actually believe.

We have been told time and time again that goal setting is an essential tool for achieving success in business and in our lives. That's true. But what we are not always told by goal setting experts is that goals themselves do not change anything.

I believe being professional, smart, persuasive, fun, and social is not enough to become who you want to be as an entrepreneur and improve the quality of your business and life. Don’t get me wrong. It’s important to be professional, social, smart, and fun. You should strive to be all of those things.