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.

I know what I am about to say will sound like fluffy hype and nonsense, but it's true. I have no intention to offend anyone or make light of anything, but to speak the truth as I have experienced it. This wasn’t easy to write. I stopped myself several times to write something else. It’s going to sound a little harsh. I make no apologies for doing this. If reading this makes you mad, just remember I am writing to the younger version of me.

There is no doubt that in order to be highly productive and effective as an entrepreneur, you must be able to set smart and meaningful goals and pursue them relentlessly. However, when it comes to building a high-performing business, what is rarely emphasized is the limitations of goal setting specifically performance-oriented goals.

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.

The most important thing when it comes to getting the outcomes you want is not so much your goals, but the learning and growth process that happens after the goals are set. Unfortunately, many people are not willing to go through that learning and growth process, and as a result remain stuck in frustration and disappointment.

The biggest mistake you can make in your business and in your life as an entrepreneur is to try and protect yourself from failure. If you want to become who you want to be, you must be willing to fail. If you want to get hired, you must be willing to get fired. If you want to get customers, you must be willing to get rejected.

Are you feeling frustrated and stuck in business and with your life? It could be because you are too fixated on performance. You may be ignoring the learning and growth opportunities that are in front of you. The uncomfortable things in front of you might be what you actually need to get to the next level of your business.

Goal setting is a common prescription most entrepreneurs use when they’re looking to perform at a higher level and grow their businesses. There is nothing evil about that. I believe goal setting is how you become who you want to be. Using goals to unlock massive growth in your business seems like a noble thing to do.

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.

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.