Three Key Signposts Along the Entrepreneur's Path
Entrepreneurs face regular challenges, and when you’re starting out, any sign along the way to let you know if you’re heading in the right direction or if it’s time to change course is welcome. It’s the unknown, in fact, that can be the hardest part of staying the course and finally landing at your destiny.
Here are 3 key signs that I’ve found reinforce my entrepreneurial vision when everything else seems too far in the distance to have any certainty:
FEAR. It is the feeling you must learn to know and know well as an entrepreneur. Coping with fear will be one of your biggest challenges but also one of your biggest assets – if you let it. Most of us try to avoid the things that make us afraid; that’s just human nature. But fear is the mechanism by which we discover the new and unknown. From the smallest thing, like hitting “send” on that email to an industry luminary that seems too far out of reach, to the much bigger things, like listening to real feedback on your product launch and discovering there is still more work up ahead. Fear not only has the ability to teach you – even when the lessons seem most unwanted - but each time you overcome a fear, you become stronger as a person, and stronger as an entrepreneur. The thing about fear is that it never really goes away. When you’re an entrepreneur, you must deal with fears daily and your very willingness to do so can give you the edge you need to realize your dreams.
PASSION. This one may seem easier, but, in reality, to maintain passion for anything is a challenge. Sometimes we start a venture and passion is not even the main ingredient. Fortunately, passion is one of those things that can evolve over time. Passion can keep you going when nothing else will. Of course, passion has its downside as well. If your startup was born out of passion alone, like a fickle partner, you’ll find it’s hard to make it last. So why is passion important? Passion is the intangible emotion that can get others interested in what it is you are doing. When you have passion for your venture, you will find that those around you are far more interested and more intrigued – and will want to see things the way you do. Your passion can help convey your vision far beyond anything words alone can. Passion can be contagious and generate supporters along the way.
ORGANICALLY. As you move down the path of entrepreneurship, as you conquer fears and convey passion, there is one more element that you must embrace and that is allowing things to evolve organically. Sometimes we are so determined to follow our path, have mapped out so specifically all the variables, that if things go left when we think they should go right, we panic - or worse - we fight it. But if you can be open and allow yourself to see where the change in direction takes you, you may be surprised to find the rewards it brings. This isn’t to say that you should not have a plan or a strategy for your business. But rather, that you are mindful to being open and seeing the opportunity before you say no and close the door. Approaching things organically can be just as challenging as you move along your entrepreneurial journey, and can lead you to some of the most unexpected places. And sometimes those unexpected places end up being the very place you were meant to be all along.
So remember: FEAR, PASSION, ORGANICALLY can be one of the mantras that gets you through your entrepreneur’s journey. Keep going – it’s worth it!
