So you think you’re an entrepreneur?
Volume II: Insights into what being an entrepreneur is, means and needs!
A quick tip: If you’re in a rush and want a quick insight, scroll to the bottom of the blog and read the tip.
ENTREPRENEUR
This one word has so many lives, emotions, thoughts and so many misconceptions attached to it.
If you’re reading this it means you want to know the answer. So let me NOT beat around the bush and give you my interpretation of it. An entrepreneur has two most critical components according to me.
A. The entrepreneur mindset
B. Never give up attitude
I’m a budding entrepreneur. Nearly three years old in this world while I write this and share my insights with you. So you may agree, argue, criticize but for sure it will make some sense to you if not total sense.
What is the entrepreneur mindset?
Let me start by saying that you’re not an entrepreneur because you started a business. You’re an entrepreneur when you decide and act on the business idea. The materialization of that idea and the launch of that idea is the launch of your business. The entrepreneur mindset gets kicked in when you get that idea and you decide to start. Is this important? Yes, as knowing you’re an entrepreneur will help you realize that you’re already in!
You’ve been told over and over again to never give up, learn from your mistakes and blah blah blah. When you’re actually in the entrepreneur mode your ass is going to be on fire. Constantly. No words, no hypothesis can explain what you’ll go through. It’s like talking about some sickness, seeing it in front of you when others contract it but not experiencing it on your own. Experiencing it is a completely different ball game. So when you’re going through this hellfire all those friends, colleagues, near and dear ones too might forget all of that “never give up” and “learn from your mistakes” quotes as they quickly transform into past anecdotes and ironically you’ll go through additional hellfire which you didn’t expect which is criticism, accusations, abandonment and again a hell of a lot of criticism. Your faults, errors and stupidities will be glorified and for some weird reason, you will be treated worse than an addicted druggie or alcoholic even if you’re not. No sugar coating here. It’s not just what they say, it is the way it will be said to you. Trust me it WILL get pretty demeaning. Especially from the ones nearest to you.
So what is right?
Well, it’s a simple yet complicated answer, to be honest. There is no easy business segment or model or strategy. You have to keep trying till you get it right. Experience will teach you. Did you fail? Go back to the drawing board and keep reworking solutions. Don’t say yeah it didn’t work and it’s not practical or it doesn’t work that way and stop. Focus on “what works” rather than “what does not” and start working on what works without too much thought into it. Yes. You heard it right. Do a bit of planning and research but don’t let it take too much time. Traction is everything. You can’t hit the gym for one day and hit the six-pack. Can’t plan for 6 months and get the six-pack without hitting the gym or working out. Right? A week to the max is good. As traction will itself take its sweet build up time.
Remember. Listen only to yourself. If your gut tells you you’re in the right direction go with it. Don’t be afraid to fail. Businesses that are successfully launched do get into a rut later. It’s imminent. So don’t fret as 99% of the businesses go through this roller coaster immediately after launch. This however helps you with your second trait i.e. never give up attitude as you realize that this is just a phase. So don’t think too much put your head down and keep working. Not planning but working. Planning more than a week is a waste of time.
Never give up sounds filmy right?
Yes, it does. Truth be told it is. It is that dramatic effect that will keep your passion completely fuelled. Passion is not something which you do when you’re with a coffee mug in your hand full of coffee. Passion is something when you can’t walk to the store to buy a cup of coffee to have it with what you want to do but can’t go to buy as you don’t have any money. That’s passion! To want to keep going from within. Not as a mandate but because of that hunger within you. To keep doing and wanting it.
Wanting and believing is not the same thing. We covered believing under mindset. This is hunger. If you’re not hungry you’ll quit, simple. So to NOT quit you need to be hungry for it. Genuinely!
Some brownie points to remember
Oh yeah almost forgot. All those techniques, tools and strategies for making money? All of them will come over with time, experience and your openness to learn. You’re not dumb. So the art of repetition, observation and learning will do the job for you on autopilot. Look forward to today. Not 5 years. If you look forward to today you’ll focus on doing today. So your scheduler, your productivity, your implementations everything will slowly come together. Just keep at it. That’s the entrepreneur mindset. Not the list of items you execute in a day. Not the scheduler and waking up early and all that stuff. It is effective, yes but you have to build this piece by piece and it will come around eventually. Take it a day at a time.
A Quick Tip
Those articles and videos on passive incomes that you get to know about. Well, don’t get too carried away with it. It’s not bad it’s just not what you think it is. Making money as an entrepreneur is simple, you create multiple lines of income for yourself, unlike a job that has a single income flow. There is a catch. You need to mobilize them one at a time. It’s only when one is set, that you roll out the next wheels of income flow. Wait till it’s churning in some dough and then and only then will you set up the next one. Remember it’s a seed first, then a plant and finally the tree you’ve been wanting so bad that’ll bear fruits. So have the mindset that you’re on the right path as an entrepreneur and have the hunger to grow that tree and when it’s a plant sow the next seed!
That’s all folks! Namaste!
