Every entrepreneur could sit around and either tell you incredible stories of struggle better than our grandparents or share belly laughing scenarios of the crazy obstacles thrown at them during their journey. When you first become an entrepreneur and start, it is like signing up for a camp where you have heard very few survive, the daily regime is physically and emotionally challenging, and your faith and belief will be tested beyond every limit you even knew you had. When Darren Hardy wrote ‘The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster’ he pretty much summed up the journey of an entrepreneur right there in the title. The description above may seem harsh, but the truth is if most entrepreneurs are honest, they would agree that at the start, and perhaps years in, you will be challenged way out of your comfort zone and definitely in to the deep end before you are ready.
The great news is for those that accept the entrepreneur journey with its highs and lows, twists and turns, and unknown surprises, there is extreme exhilaration and personal growth and profits! Despite the difficulties, most entrepreneurs embrace everything that comes with the choice to live out their dreams and build a life on their own terms. To ease your path as an entrepreneur, here are three ideas that could prove to be powerful tools to the longevity of your success.
Mindset
To be an entrepreneur you must have a specific mindset to succeed. Entrepreneurs need to be solution seekers and have the ability whenever a problem arises to always find a way, see the way, and pave the way. When it comes to rejection or failure, every entrepreneur needs to be like superman where the bullets of defeat and the numbing disappointments of no’s do not penetrate the uniform that clothes the dream, passion, and desire. You must be able to remain unaffected by multiple closed or slammed doors and persist with resilience beyond any machine gun fire of negative words or feedback. Happy entrepreneurs are positive and you will rarely hear them complain because they will take fast action to correct anything that bothers them. True to their nature, they do not wait for opportunities to come there way, they create them and make things happen. Their attitude is ‘yes’, ‘I can’, ‘I will’, ‘watch me’, and ‘let’s get it done’. This is the mindset you must embody to thrive and excel as an entrepreneur.
Muscle
A muscle contracts and when it contracts it creates movement and when that muscle is put through a practice of repetitive, consistent contraction, it becomes stronger and stronger. Being an entrepreneur and having the spirit of an entrepreneur is absolutely a daily contraction that when you show up and take action builds strength over time. The muscle you need as an entrepreneur is in daily, disciplined action steps forward. You must flex your entrepreneur muscle with every new phone call you make, every new door of opportunity you need to push open, every repetition of reaching and serving your customers daily.
If you don’t contract against the resistance of discomfort and challenge to build your business and if you skip the intensity of the training schedule required to grow your business, the muscle cannot get stronger and the business cannot flourish. However, if you have a business plan including your marketing and operations plan that gives you a daily schedule to follow with targets to reach, you and your business will grow.
Marathon
I am a runner and have done marathons. I am also an entrepreneur. Marathons are easier! Entrepreneurship is more enjoyable! Running is not for everyone and the thought of running a marathon for most people is overwhelming and impossible or just something some people would say, “..why would I put myself through that?”. Becoming an entrepreneur is accepting the journey of training for and running a marathon with your business. Running a marathon and being an entrepreneur share many similarities: the results are not instantaneous, there needs to be gradual progressions, you must start where you are at the beginning, it takes being in training for many months, and it is a science with a schedule of discipline and continual actions that must be taken to bring about your desired results.
If you know it will be a marathon at the start and that you must train and commit like a marathoner, you will cross the finish line and you will be a champion!
You know why I run and why I love running so much?… it’s because running teaches me about my life, about business, what it takes to succeed, and how I must think. You see, I don’t always want to go for a run and some days I have to convince myself to get out the door, but when I do and when I am done, it feels great. However, during the run, it feels hard, it feels uncomfortable, there are hills all I can do is laugh at and say a prayer at the bottom of, I get winded, I want to walk so bad, and I am always reminded by the beautiful scenery to get out of my head and out of the struggle and just enjoy the beautiful scenery and the journey in and of itself.
So entrepreneur marathoners… lace up, get up, get out there, and train daily with a discipline and schedule of consistent action and as you do stop to take in the breathtaking scenery of moments of beauty, growth, milestones achieved, and the people who help you get there!
To design your own daily and long term business growth plan, visit us here: Launch & Grow Your Business with Plans of Actions .
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