Mindset is crucial to any entrepreneur’s personal and business growth. These days there is increasing awareness and adoption of mindset methodologies.

Athletes have been honing the power of mindset for a long time. So we asked Colin Jackson about his mindset, how it developed and why it’s important to entrepreneurs.

Mindset for me is one of the most important things because everybody can prepare well physically. You’re gifted, you're talented physically, but a clear mindset is the most important thing.

So, it’s having that ability to focus and to stay committed. Mindset relates to the things that allow that to happen.

Mindset as you're developing is very different to when you become established as an athlete, and then again when you feel committed to retire. So, from the very beginning, I had the sense of wanting to achieve – that was my driving factor.

That sense of excitement and anticipation, that was my mindset at the beginning of my career. Then when you get into the middle and you're an established athlete, your focus changes.

Your mindset shifts from ‘okay, what have I learned in my development?’ to, as an established athlete, ‘where am I taking this mindset from here on in’? It has its own journey like everything else.

Mindset as you're developing is very different to when you become established as an athlete, and then again when you feel committed to retire. So, from the very beginning, I had the sense of wanting to achieve – that was my driving factor.

That sense of excitement and anticipation, that was my mindset at the beginning of my career. Then when you get into the middle and you're an established athlete, your focus changes.

Your mindset shifts from ‘okay, what have I learned in my development?’ to, as an established athlete, ‘where am I taking this mindset from here on in’? It has its own journey like everything else.

Enjoyment has to be one of the premium reasons why you get involved in sport, you have to enjoy it very much. And when you have that sense of enjoyment, what you can do is apply all the hard work.

Achieving the goal you’ve set yourself, the feeling you’ll get, will be euphoric. So, it's easy to tie all these little pieces together to get to the very top of your game.

It becomes easy to get out there on rainy days. You can get out there, you can do it because of the sense of enjoyment.

A lot! You learn from the stuff around you. Being around people that have experienced things and can articulate that to you, means you can learn a lot. They can teach you how to prepare yourself in particular environments and situations.

When you get to talk to people who've achieved things it makes a huge difference in your equilibrium, in your balance.

So, for me it was really important to rub shoulders and try and learn from people how to focus, how to stay committed and how to use my mindset in a positive manner.

My mindset was all about achievement, and all I used to do is tie things together to help me achieve, I took the best from people that I knew, and then I applied things to my own situation.

It's all about how to put those thoughts into action and believe in it. So, if you believe in it and you've got the real passion for it, then you can achieve it.

I would tell an entrepreneur, if you do not believe in a mindset and a positive mindset, then you're not going to go anywhere. You’ve got to believe in what you're doing. You've got to have that fun element and you've got to see it all the way through.

It's really easy just to step aside and go elsewhere. But if you've got a passion for something and a belief, roll with it! And even when it trips you up, don't worry, because that side of you, your passion, your drive, will see you through.

Find out how to champion your inner athlete and build a growth mindset with our free Business Builder content here.