Why Working Hard Isn’t Enough

I know ALL about being stuck. In fact, I often joke that I was once an expert at it — spinning my wheels, working harder than ever, and still not moving forward. Being an accountant, this was most prominent at tax time. Maybe you know that feeling too: late nights, endless to-do’s, and the sneaky sense that despite all the effort, you’re not actually getting ahead.

If that’s you, then you and I have something in common. It is likely that more than half of small business owners struggle with clarity and confidence in their first two years, and it’s one of the biggest reasons so many businesses never reach what they set out to do. That’s a lot of businesses!

There is good news though. Chances are it’s not that you’re not capable, because I have faith that you probably are.

It comes down to three common mistakes that cause almost every new entrepreneur to spin their wheels.

Let’s try to understand them.

Mistake #1: Chasing Skills Before Mindset

When you’re starting out, it’s tempting to believe your next step should be to acquire more skills or another certificate in your specialty or trade. Or that you need to learn more about marketing, or bookkeeping, or strategy. These are all great skills and things to understand of course, but they don’t matter much if you don’t have the right mindset.

I see this all the time with entrepreneurs I meet, or those I read about. So many of them are trying to learn everything at once, overloading themselves with conflicting information, and drowning in overwhelm. All this learning isn’t moving them ahead because the fundamental mindset pieces are missing…..confidence, resilience, and clarity. These are foundational and crucial to being able to move onto the other things. It is only once you strengthen your entrepreneurial “fitness” first when those other skills will start clicking.

Mistake #2: Trading Clarity with Being Busy

This one is very personal for me. I spent years keeping busy, always moving. Not just in my business life, but my personal life too. In business, I was spending lots of time on emails, taxes, admin, and fussing over every detail. Checking things off my to-do list gave me a moment of satisfaction, but at the end of the day I didn’t feel like I got very far. I was tired and unclear as to what I was ultimately trying to accomplish. And when you’re not clear on where you’re headed, most every decision you are faced with drains your energy and hurts your brain. Even the little decisions.

Clarity isn’t about having every answer. It’s about knowing your true priorities and trusting the path you’re building. When you are clear on your path, you can move faster, smarter, and work on the things that matter.

Mistake #3: Building Without a Foundation

Imagine trying to build a house without pouring the foundation first. You might get some walls up, but sooner or later, cracks will show.

That’s exactly what happens when entrepreneurs rush ahead without strengthening the personal habits and mindset that hold everything together. While you do need a business plan, you must first have focus, confidence, and the ability to recover when things don’t go as planned. Otherwise, every challenge feels like a setback instead of a stepping stone.

The Hidden Cost of Staying Stuck

Here’s the danger: These mistakes don’t just slow you down — they get worse and compound over time. Staying stuck drains your energy, eats away at your confidence, and makes you second-guess yourself. Left unchecked, not addressing these root causes can cost you the very dream you started with.

I know, because I almost gave up after 15 years in business. Not because I didn’t love what I did (accounting and taxes), but because overwhelm (in both my business life and personally) had me stuck. I actually shared the full story in last week’s blog Why I Almost Gave Up After 15 Years in Business, if you’d like to read more.

The turning point came when I finally achieved clarity and confidence — and things started to fall into place.

The First Step to Breaking Free

If you think I’m going to suggest working harder, I’m not. Breaking free isn’t about working harder. It’s about working smarter — starting with yourself. That’s why I created Entrepreneurial Fitness, the first module in the Ready Set Grow entrepreneurial training program. So that you don’t have to go through what I did.

This training isn’t a bunch of business tricks and hacks that you’ve already seen, heard and tried. It’s a structured, proven framework to:

• Strengthen your mindset so that your skills stick.
• Build the clarity you need to stop spinning your wheels.
• Gain the confidence to make decisions without second-guessing yourself.

Because once you stop making these silent mistakes, you can finally start moving forward — with energy, focus, and momentum that lasts. With the foundation in place, many of those tricks and hacks will finally work.

Next Steps

If you’re tired of feeling stuck — and working hard without moving forward — I’d love to help you change that story.

👉 Sign up for Module 1: Entrepreneurial Fitness here. The training launches September 22, 2025, and by signing up now you will gain access to early-bird bonuses which will give you momentum right away.

Your dream doesn’t have to wait. Let’s build your foundation together — one confident step at a time.