When Formula 1 drivers realise they are heading straight for a wall, their first reaction is not to stop, but to divert their gaze from the impending obstacle by looking to where they want to go. In fact, when motorsports instructors train new drivers they will grab their student’s face and force them to look at the road ahead, instead of the wall to avoid a collision. If you actually focus on where you want to go, you can regain control, steer your vehicle in that direction, and keep moving forward. The same is true for ballet dancers or gymnasts: if they stare at the floor while holding an arabesque, they’re bound to lose their balance and fall, regardless of their technique.

A rebel entrepreneur – whether it is in life or business – will always look ahead. Once you start orienting yourself in the direction you wish to go in, everything else will follow. We may be predetermined to think negatively, but in order to make your company and life a success, it’s essential to focus on the positives and the road ahead.

A person is not defined by their past mistakes. They are only indicative of your future if you refuse to learn from them or move on. Instead, look at previous failures as learning opportunities. A rebel entrepreneur will identify why something went wrong, take everything that they can learn from the experience – and there will always be something to learn – and then move forward. They cannot dwell on the past as they know that the past can hold them captive, and prevent the growth of their company. However, if they keep looking straight ahead, they can steer their business away from carnage and continue back on the road to success.

C.S. Lewis once said: “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” A rebel entrepreneur lives by this principle.