The journey of entrepreneurship is one filled with roller coaster rides, darkness, adventure, science fiction and romance, and there is always the reality behind the romance. When things get tough we ask ourselves “why?” – so we must go back to our “why” to ensure that we don’t give up.
People also ask us questions like “What about job security?” – What “job security” …people with “real jobs” only have thirty days security if they lucky anyway.
When we are going it alone, our emotions become our team mates, so be very careful what emotions you allow to speak into your heart and mind. Don’t listen to doubt because doubt is one of those critics who can only ever show you the obvious.
Now I am not saying go in blindly…do your homework and know your stuff but whatever you do make sure that you don’t listen to the critics.
As the saying goes, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going!” here are two tips to get you going.
Stop instilling fear and start instilling focus
Fear of failure can be debilitating, you get caught up in worrying rather than doing. Fear becomes our companion and goes on the journey with us and we start and end every day instilling fear when we should be instilling focus.
Focus is a verb which means it involves action, you need to be intentional about what you look at, because in the end what you look at you will see come to be. Pay attention to what you want to achieve, invest your energy in what will give you the best returns. Even those small boring tasks like cold calling (prospecting) or chasing invoices. Yes, at times you have to do everything and be everything to achieve everything.
You will see that when you stop instilling fear and start instilling focus you will also stop seeing the obvious and start seeing the opportunities, which is half the reason you are an entrepreneur!
Be aware of the journey
Too often we arrive somewhere without knowing how we even got there, and we say things like “are we here already?” or “how did I end up here?” That is a result of not paying any attention to the journey because we are just dreaming about the destination.
Then life happens and we get distracted from our path and we forget the basics. It is critical to have a vision and to keep that front and center but if you don’t have the appetite for the mission you will not ever achieve your vision. You’ve heard people say, “this is such a mission…” yes because they were not equipped and prepared for the mission which includes the daily duties to achieve your vision.
Do things daily no matter how tedious or boring it might seem to be, make that extra call, go see that extra person and take one more risk on an opportunity. A journey always consists of stops and starts, you need to refuel and check the pressures…don’t neglect the little things that are mission critical.
“If you are not aware of the journey you are on, you will end up in a destination that is wrong.” – Wes Boshoff.
Author: Wes Boshoff Entrepreneur, International Speaker, Thought Leader, Wes has been described as “Professional with a charismatic personality and great sense of humour.
