For his first speech, the programmer talked about his profession. Within minutes, he lost the room because he lacked foundational public speaking skills. What could this student do in one weekend to make up for his lack of skills?

One factor in his favor was his wholehearted willingness to become a better public speaker. Over the weekend, he dedicated himself to learning and applying as much as he could. His efforts paid off. His last speech rivaled those of the more experienced speakers in the group.

After the class, he continued developing his newfound skill to advance his business. Today, he captivates audiences by making programming understandable for the average person.

The programmer's willingness was part of his mindset, and that positive mindset primed him for learning a new skill. Mindset, the ability of the mind, precedes skillset, the ability of the hand. To learn more about mindset, see our mindset article.

The belief that success is possible, coupled with great skills and a willingness to learn new ones, makes an entrepreneur capable of anything. After working on mindset, developing the right attitude about skillset is essential. Skillset is the often learned ability to complete a task.

For example, Christopher Wick has looked up to Warren Buffett since childhood. When Wick learned that Buffett started his first business at an early age, he worked to achieve the same goal.

When gaining a new skill, beware of getting lost in Google searches. There are plenty of resources on Google, but sometimes that can be a problem. Learning a new skill does not require becoming an immediate expert.

If Wick had Googled Buffett's earliest businesses, this is what he would have found:

Warren Buffett had plenty of financial endeavors well before he was 18 years old. He collected and sold stamps. He sold gum to neighborhood kids, and he even sold Coca-Cola from door to door. Like many young boys in his time, he had a newspaper delivery route. As an older teenager, he started a business selling and servicing pinball machines. He even collected and cashed in the betting tickets that adults at the race track threw away.

That is information overload. If Wick tried to copy Buffett exactly, he would have been unsuccessful. By the time Wick was a teenager, Coca-Cola was not sold door to door. Wick didn't live near any horse races, and pinball in the age of video games would have been a lost cause.

Instead of copying Buffett's actions, Wick learned Buffett's mindset. Buffett paid attention to what people wanted, and he positioned himself to profit from fulfilling those desires. He also looked for holes in business transactions where others left money on the proverbial table.

Wick implemented that intrepid spirit into his mindset, and he was able to use Buffett's example to become a successful, young business owner.

Rather than relying on Google, Wick found a person worthy of imitation. Instead of becoming a carbon copy of Buffett, Wick learned from his mindset, which helped him to cultivate lasting skills.

Disorganization, lack of a schedule, and having a hectic schedule are all common issues among entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs often make statements like “My schedule is insane.” What does that word insane say about the entrepreneur?

In other words, the entrepreneur is saying, “My schedule is illogical, crazy, and mental.” When trying to work out an acquisition deal, that can be unbecoming to partners. A scheduling problem is not a personal problem. The problem leads to being late to meetings and missing deadlines, which casts a negative light on the entire organization.

Getting a firm grasp on a schedule and routine starts with mindset. Here are some of the limiting beliefs that cause a poor mindset towards a routine:

“I’m unorganized.”

“I can’t follow a schedule.”

“I’m not disciplined.”

What’s the deeper mindset issue? Entrepreneurs by nature want to make their own rules. They set the stage and come up with new ideas. Entrepreneurship takes a level of creativity. Some people think that discipline is not creative and routines are too structured.

A sense of structure does not have to be stifling. After all, each person is still in control of their own schedule. Even the most creative humans accept routine in other areas of life.

Think about how each person gets to work every morning. Three different people may have three completely different routines, but each one of those people sticks to their routine every morning. People usually do not usually blow dry their hair before they wash it. Creative people do not go to work, go back home to brush their teeth, and then return to work because of a burst of spontaneity.

Morning routines are so organized and familiar that people can complete them half asleep. Entrepreneurs are capable of developing routines in business. They are not new or hard to understand. This is a skill that most have already mastered in elementary school. Entrepreneurs simply need to learn to apply organization and structure to their business.

Train yourself to ask whether your problems are skillset issues or mindset issues. Mindset problems stem from the mind while skillset problems stem from the hands. Often, solutions require a blend of learning to improve thinking and learning to perform a new skill.

Additionally, the next time you encounter a problem, try looking at it differently. Considering whether a problem is a mindset problem or a skillset problem can transform your workday. Business owners face mindset problems more often than skillset problems. For more help with mindset problems, consider our article on the topic.