This isn’t one of those posts about living large or look rich to be rich. This is just a look at a simple choice that I made a long time ago after I realized that life is short and that time is in short supply. As an starting entrepreneur, your time is the most valuable asset you have. Because, in a party of one, if you are not working one side of the business, then the business isn’t working.
Hard work is all it takes to make things that keep you up at night a reality. Your dreams are valid and they are a window into a potential reality if, and only if, you are willing to do the hard work it takes to make things happen for you. I know that people "know" that it takes hard work. It's not like in this day and age with information so readily available that people are unaware that it can be a down-right uphill climb some days to start a business. It's just that they are not prepared for the level of difficulty at which the work becomes hard.
What are you waiting for? This is the question I often ask people that say that “some day” they want to do something different, unique and amazing with their limited time. Being a Divergent Entrepreneur means that you buck tradition and go against what others deem as ordinary.
24 hours to Launch. Jack Bauer has nothing on me. I am staring down the barrel of 6 months of work with only 24 hours left to pull off something great with no margin for error. I'm not going to write this post with quotes about overcoming fear or stepping into your destiny, etc. Rather, this is the post that I will state all the emotions and fears that are overwhelming me in this moment.
We are doing way too much these days. Too many commitments and too many expectations, but with all these concerns, how can we step up our game by doing less? Raising the bar may be easier thank you think.
You arrive early, but not too early and chat with someone you vaguely remember. It’s weird, but you had a feeling it would be this way. Your High School Reunion is here and you put on that name card. You know the one you've been dreading to wear. It has your name clearly labeled and in BIG, BOLD LETTERS what your current job is... and you are embarrassed. Not because your job isn't a good job, but as you stare down the reality that 10, 20, 30 years has passed you by, you thought you would be somewhere different than here. And now everyone knows it too.
At the beginning of your new venture, you may look crazy. Kind of like the guy on the subway crazy who is talking to himself or the mother chastising her 3 month old for her poor behavior, but you need to schedule reoccurring meetings with...yourself. This meeting is the single most necessary starting point for your business that you should never be late to. Your business depends on it.
It's a valid question. If I honestly answer it, there are some weeks where it could 3-4 hours of my life. 10 minutes twice a day here or there? Rushing from one important meeting to the next. Looking at my choices and ordering my food reality for the next 30 minutes.
Three to four hours that I will never get back. Now, how about your dreams and goals? Wait a sec... Now you're getting personal.
Making a decision to start a business is a difficult one. We have all of the intentions of acting, but we just can't seem to muster up the courage to start. We tell our families and friends about our desires, but we don't do anything about it. Our indicator says that we are turning left as we keep going in the same direction for miles. We need to pick a direction and start, but how?