When people think of entrepreneurs, the instant image that pops into their head is a happy man dressed in a suit with an expensive-looking laptop on the table in front of them. Most search engines display such an image when you search for business terms. However, details are missing in that image when you put it under a reality lens. Behind the scenes are sleepless nights, sacrifice, and the fact that entrepreneurs can also be females!
College graduates who are tired of hunting for jobs often give up the search to do their own thing. However, no one tells them that life as an entrepreneur is far from easy and convenient. Here are a few things you should know about the journey of entrepreneurs.
The Grind is Endless
This journey usually comes at the expense of your freedom, at least initially. You are solely responsible for what to do with it. The schedules, the decisions, the growth plans, the hires, the fire. Everything! Because you now work for yourself, you must run everything, and you must run everything.
Google and the internet will paint you a rosy picture of running a small business at a beautiful vacation spot. Even if so, you must put in years of demanding work first for your success to make the noise. Nevertheless, you can always earn your freedom back as you streamline processes and better hold your organization.
Entrepreneurship is hardly ever a 9-5 routine, a 24/7 gig. Being an entrepreneur is a challenging yet rewarding journey that takes time to flourish.
You will Learn About Yourself
The journey to becoming an entrepreneur requires continuous adaptation and personal development. You will realize the only person you have is yourself through the challenges you will face. Individuals should be open-minded about failure, loss, and difficulties. But the most challenging yet fruitful outcome of this journey will be the personal growth you will experience.
You must let go of toxic traits and take on new ones you may not like. For instance, you will have to face the music and ask for help if you want to work alone and get used to being nice to some people you may hate. But at the end of the day, you must remember that change is the only constant, and your inability to adapt might cost you your dream, demanding work and growth.
Success Lies in the Details, Not the Result
Say you are a manufacturing company and have had a minor setback because you underestimated the demanding quality of a product, and now you are running low. Will you be more careful to keep the details in mind next time? Of course, you will. On the other hand, say you achieved your target of making $1 million in sales, won’t you set a higher target for yourself next time? You will.
The common aspect of both the scenarios mentioned above is that you will have learned the process regardless of your outcome. You can then use that learning to produce desirable products in the future. Remembering the details and understanding the system will help you get to the process more efficiently. Remember what they say; trust the process.
Do Not Start Your Business for the Wrong Reasons
The most common reason people start a business is to make money. However, individuals often forget that money is the means to an end, not an end. Cash helps you get something or somewhere, but it is never the determinant of your success. You must have a passion you follow or a dream you want to pursue.
A reason to start this journey will fuel your passion for getting started and motivate you to keep going. As you start seeing results from being inspired, you will keep returning, adding another critical entrepreneurial trait of consistency.
Another mistake people make is when they embark on this journey for reasons other than themselves. Making yourself the center of attention has a reward; you focus on yourself and stop comparing yourself to others.
Once you hit the nail on the head and make yourself a priority, your vision will clear up, and you will be able to discover new heights for yourself and your venture.
Conclusion
Once you know what you are enthusiastic about, everything else comes itself. You must be consistent and keep at it in the face of loss, failure, and despair. Most of the time, you will push your boundaries and discover your strengths and weaknesses. Unlike working for someone else, you will not have an 8-hour workday, but after all your sacrifices, the reward will be worth the journey.
Look within yourself and find out what you want because that is where the true journey of an entrepreneur starts!
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