Note: This is a guest post authored by Scott Simson that you are about to read. 

The entrepreneur mind is fascinating. I have been an entrepreneur my entire life and have worked with entrepreneurs for some time now, and am still amazed at how the entrepreneur mind solves problems, commits to solutions, and persists through pain and fatigue. I have seen entrepreneurs tread there way to success despite the immense pressure of having risked every thing they had to pursue their dreams.

I have seen entrepreneurs ignore the advice of every person surrounding them and persist on to accomplish what they set out to do. I have seen entrepreneurs accomplish remarkable things even when the odds were 100 to 1 against them. The entrepreneur is remarkable when it is given the opportunity and environment to operate at full capacity.

I have come to realize that while not every entrepreneur’s mind is the same, there are certain common thinking traits and habits that most entrepreneurs exhibit. It is also important to note that while these traits and habits occur naturally in most entrepreneurs they are all thought processes and habits that can be learned through practice and persistence.

1. Creative Problem Solvers

Maybe not a Leonardo da Vinci expert inventor or an Albert Einstein level genius, but when it comes to spotting and solving problems simply with limited tools, entrepreneurs will come up with a solution.

2. Risk Takers

A comment that commonly surfaces in conversations that I have regarding entrepreneurship is that entrepreneurs are risk takers. The way that I respond most often is that the entrepreneur mind sees and responds to opportunity. Most successful entrepreneurs are likely to take risk when they see an opportunity, but rather than a gamble, it is most often an educated risk with favorable odds.

3. May Not See Problems

One fascinating trait of the entrepreneur mind is that when most people see a circumstance as a problem, the entrepreneur is more likely to see it as a positive opportunity. Entrepreneurs are not limited by the thoughts others place on problems, they are motivated to create solutions.

4. See Opportunity Everywhere

Entrepreneurs see opportunity multiple times throughout the day. Whether it is when they are sitting at lunch thinking about how to provide a restaurant with fresher fish, or creating a solution to the lack of storage space in their home, entrepreneurs have a problem solving mind and they are going to use it. This trait can also be a problem for some entrepreneurs, because they have what I call Entrepreneur ADD,when they try to jump on every opportunity that they see and fall short of seeing a solution through to the end.

5. Rules Don’t Apply

The entrepreneur mind is a free mind that has a hard time conforming to rules and parameters. Entrepreneurs do what makes logical sense and what is conducive to completing a project. This may be apparent in an entrepreneur’s driving habits.

6. Have a naysayer ‘off switch’

Entrepreneurs have a strong ability to ignore criticism and not be fazed by oppositions. The entrepreneur mind is fueled by the naysayer mentality and will work extra hard to prove that they were right.

The entrepreneur mind is a stubborn one. Entrepreneurs don’t see failure as an acceptable solution to a problem, so they persist until they reach their results. It is ‘win or die’ in the mind of the entrepreneur, and if they are forced into a failure, they see it as a learning experience.

8. Don’t Acknowledge Authority

Entrepreneurs have their own way of working out problems and have a hard time when micromanaged or forced to work under close scrutiny. Entrepreneurs see solutions to problems and most entrepreneurs see authority as a problem that needs to be solved. This can be a problem when an entrepreneur is pulled over for their bad driving habits.

9. Prefer the Pursuit of Freedom over Promised Comfort

Entrepreneurs would rather work every day for the rest of their life doing something they love at their own pace, than to work for someone else doing something they dislike, even if it means greater comfort and security.