There are many aspects to working at home that can hinder someones success. One if the biggest is what I call an “employee mindset”. The best way I know how to describe the difference between employee thinking and entrepreneurial thinking is using parenting. In the parent/child relationship, the child is much like the employee; taking directions, doing things the way mom (or dad) insists it should be done, and abiding by curfews. The parent is like the entrepreneur; making up the rules, setting up how things will be done, and coming and going at will. While being a kids is easier, its also more limiting than being a parent.
Many people who come to me about working at home are looking for a job. They want the “security” of a salary, but also the boundaries dictated by a boss. They want to be able to do a task and have that be it. Many just want to coast through the work, doing the minimum required to keep the job, but no more. This kind of thinking will be an entrepreneur’s undoing.
An entrepreneur’s security comes from her own doing. She can create boundaries that help her focus, but she’s always looking to expand her thinking and accomplishments. There is no coasting through entrepreneurship; its all about planning, implementing, evaluating, and expanding. Its scarier than employment but so much more interesting and exciting because anything is possible.
The employee mindset continues to be instilled in youth who are told to go to college, get a good job, and retire well. The problem is that that system is failing. Instead we should be encouraging the entrepreneurial mindset that focuses on creativity, self-reliance, proactive activities, and adaptability. Anyone with these attributes can be successful in all that they do.
What about you? What is your mindset? Do you have self-imposed limits or boundaries that are hindering your success at work at home? Are you trying to run your venture like a job; on at 8, going through the motions, and off at 5? Or are you thinking like en entrepreneur, always pushing the boundaries of your abilities, exploring your creativity, and doing whatever it takes to reach your goal?
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Leslie Truex is the pajama-clad work-at-home mom dedicated to helping other moms live and work comfortably. She's the author of The Work-At-Home Success Bible and owner of 
Laurie Ayers is a WAHM from Michigan and a Star Director with 
Great analogy about the parent/child vs. entrepreneur/employee. The Girl Scouts have a great mantra: Developing tomorrow’s entrepreneurs today! It’s nice to see such mindset instilled with these young ladies. More people should take a lesson from the scouts!
Laurie Ayerss last blog post..Business Lessons from Because of Winn-Dixie
Great post. It’s critical to develop that entrepreneurial mindset if you plan on doing your own thing. If you approach it as an employee, you’re not going to make it work.