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This post is part of my series The Inner CEO on The Spiritually Ambitious EntrepreneurSubstack, click here to subscribe.​

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The further I go into entrepreneurship, the more I realize: it’s not just about strategy. It’s about mastering the inner game.

Yes, there are tactical skills to learn.

Yes, we need systems, content, and structure. And yet — again and again — the thing that determines whether or not I take aligned action, show up fully, or spiral into self-doubt... is my mindset.

So why does it still surprise me when mindset work keeps showing up on my to-do list? Why do I think I’ll someday be “cured” of the need for it?

Here’s the truth:

But the inner work is the work.

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The inner game of entrepreneurship

The game of entrepreneurship is you vs. you.

There’s a part of me — and maybe a part of you — that wants to stay safe.

That resists forward motion.

That fears success because it represents unfamiliar change.

And the best thing I’ve ever learned is this: I don’t need to eliminate that part, but I do need to train it.

I need to train my mind — relentlessly — to think differently.

To create new neural pathways that lead to expansion, not sabotage.

In the beginning it was SO obvious to me that I needed to train my mind. I devoted so much of time and energy to mindset work.

Mindset work was the foundation of my business

Back in 2019, I was teaching English in South Korea and building my business from scratch after dropping out of my medical career. I felt unsure, unqualified, and terrified that I walked away from the “safe” path and jumped in way over my head to the world of entrepreneurship.

One day (out of desperation) I opened my journal and wrote a letter

from my grit and determination, to myself.

It brought me back into my power.

And it’s become one of the simplest and most powerful mindset tools I’ve used since.

I’m gonna share the exact journal entry with you. Even the embarassing parts.

Because there’s something wildly powerful about reading the exact words of 2019 Chelsea.

March, 10th 2019

Dearest future, Chelsea.

Hey girl. Hey, this is a letter from your grit and determination, just giving you a little shout out and morale boost as you continue to trek into the unknown.

We wanted to go over your badass track record for kicking ass, taking names and figuring it out along the way. ‘cause truth be told, you are a warrior.

Walking into a scary and unknown situation and turning it on its head. You are incredible at sitting it down and figuring out how to conquer this next mountain and then doing it.

So let’s start with getting into medical school…

This was something you had never done. It was something no one in your family had done. You didn’t have any close friends who were doing it, and it is no easy feat. Lots of people apply and try to get in every year and fail, not you.

You got in on your first try.

How did you do it? Hard work, determination, resourcefulness, and pure grit. You never gave up. You set a goal and stuck to it even when it was so hard. You studied your butt off. You sacrificed going out and doing fun things when you needed to make the grades.

You sought out like-minded people and created your own community of pre-med friends to help push you along.

You built up your list of extracurriculars slowly and methodically by pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. You interviewed for positions like the ambassadors, even though it was hella intimidating. You interviewed again the second year, even when you were rejected the first.

You reached out to people and made connections, shadowing. You asked questions, tons of questions. You took notes, you made lists, you made plans. You used your resources, the internet, your advisors, your peers to figure out what you needed to do, and then you did it.

You showed up over and over again because this was your dream and it was important to you. You adjusted your plans when they weren’t working.

You created a supportive community. You made friends like Meg and Cady Beedy and cheered each other along. And after a three year long journey, all your hard work paid off and you did it!! You got into medical school on the first try.

You are amazing and you have such. A solid track record of diving in and figuring it out. You are resourceful and determined and can do anything you put your mind to as you have showed us time and time again.

Now, let’s talk about residency and how you showed up there and overcame your lack of confidence in the OR…

You started off super shaky in the OR. You were scared and nervous and had all of these self-doubts you carried with you.

You cried in the OR more times than not, and hid out to avoid feedback. Then you got your feedback slammed into your face by KP after night shift. And it hurt so bad and you were going through a breakup and it was all so painful that you could barely stand and you wanted to quit.

You wanted to quit so badly that you met with Tiff and told her how badly you wanted to quit. You knew you were at a low point and you knew you needed help, so you went out and got the help you needed.

That is huge and that is resourceful. Knowing when to ask for help, knowing who to ask for help, accepting help. You did all of that sweet girl.

You took your weakest point and your lowest point, and you turned it into your strength.

And just reflecting back on that time of pain, my heart hurts for you so badly. It feels so fresh all over again. But I’m also emotional because I’m so proud of you. So proud of how you showed, how resourceful you are and how strong you are, how you overcame.

So let’s get back to that part. You wanted to quit, but you didn’t.

You reached out for help, accepted the help, and then showed up.

You showed up every day. And at first that was all you could do. Physically show up.

But soon you did more. You did what KP suggested and started asking for feedback. after every delivery and C-section. You were brave and sought out feedback after every procedure. That was hard to do and cannot be overstated how brave and resourceful that was. How much it showed your determination. You were determined to not stay down. You were determined to rise from the ashes. You showed up. You bravely asked for feedback. You acted on the feedback. You practiced tying knots regularly. You practiced suturing on your Nexplanon arm.

You worked 80 hours a week and then continued to show up at home suturing on your Nexplanon arm because you have so much grit and determination.

You also continued to ask for help. Open up to people and talk about your insecurities. You didn’t pretend like everything was perfect. You shared openly and honestly about your struggles, and you received so much support and encouragement because of it. You knew how to get the support you needed and that was resourceful.

You kept showing up and working hard, and that showed your grit and determination. And guess what? It worked because of course it did.

You got better. Your confidence grew, and after night rotations on your second year, you got rave reviews and you were no longer crying in the OR. You could do all the things.

You rose to the challenge in the most imperfect and human way possible, and it was beautiful. I truly believe you can do anything, especially when your heart is in it.

This life coaching dream burns so brightly on your heart, and it’s so scary. It’s scary to really want something. It’s scary to learn something new and to push yourself to follow a life path that is totally new to you and a little unorthodox.

There’s so much at stake and there’s so much to do that it can seem daunting and overwhelming and honestly impossible at times.

But you’ve been here before and you have excelled. You didn’t get into medical school or residency in a weekend or in a month.You laid out a plan. You followed it step by step.

You showed up every day. You worked hard, and anytime you didn’t know your next step, you figured it out.

This is a long game and you excel at the long game. Honestly, you excel at all things because of your resourcefulness, grit, and determination.

I have every reason to believe that you will figure this out, this life coaching and online business thing out as well, and not just figure it out, but excel at it.

Because this isn’t just some random goal you decided on for the glitz and glam of it all. This is what you’re being called to do. So it’s time to step into this role and then keep stepping into it day in and day out, because girl, you can absolutely do this.

So I’m not gonna lie. That’s a little bit embarrassing to share. And at the same time, I’m so proud of 2019 Chelsea for how hard she worked to rewire her mind.

You’ll probably notice… there’s a lot of repetition in what I wrote.

I say the same things over and over again.

Because that’s what rewiring is. It’s repetition. Our old neural pathways are so deeply ingrained, that it takes rep after rep to forge new beliefs.

The main thought I had as I was reading this journal entry…

What if our inner voice sounded like this more often?

Supportive and encouraging.

What if we created so much familiarity with this thought pattern that this kind of language became our default?

Right now, I don’t think most of us have that kind of inner dialogue. The untrained mind defaults to patterns of self-criticism, fear, and self-doubt.

But those patterns aren’t permanent.

This is how we change them.

This journaling method is one of the most powerful ways to start creating a new neural pathway — one that supports you, uplifts you, and reminds you what you’re truly capable of.

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Your turn to try:

Ok my love, now it’s your turn.

Write a letter to yourself from your grit. your determination. your resourcefulness.

Go back through a time where you rose above something hard.

Honor what you did — even if it didn’t work right away.

Give yourself credit. Go into detail. Let yourself remember.

Because the biggest tragedy of all is that we forget.

We have this weird selective amnesia that erases all the ways we are nailing things.

This process brings those moments back online.

Maybe you do one letter a day.

Maybe you start keeping a little log of your resilience.

And little by little you start to remember that you’re a f*cking badass who can get through anything.

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This post is part of my series The Inner CEO on The Spiritually Ambitious Entrepreneur Substack, click here to subscribe.​