There are times in the week when I just feel like giving it all up and ending this strenuous journey! As an entrepreneur, I sometimes feel so tied up with challenges and crises. On the contrary, I see my employed pals doing great in their jobs in MNCs scaling new heights and enjoying large pay packets. Though these thoughts keep cropping up, I am somehow not willing to give up. There is something inside my head that keeps telling me I am meant for different things and a paid job is not one of them. I guess most budding entrepreneurs will empathize with me on this.
This is just a small effort from my side to all budding entrepreneurs out there to keep you motivated. I believe in the process of this introspection as both of us are equally going to benefit and learn. As a solo entrepreneur I too, like you people, faced the same anxieties, challenges, negative thoughts and doubts. You have to just understand -such thoughts are very normal and each of us go through the same scenario at some point of time in our entrepreneurial journey. When these thoughts are crossing your mind, just take a step back, reflect, and let it not ruin your way to success. There are various obstacles that come your way and hold you back such as loss of focus, fear to venture, fear of success, negative thoughts, lack of self belief etc. A winner is one who has overcome all these fears and strives for success. Confucius put it well when he said, “Failure lies not in falling down, but in not getting up when you fall down.”
Firstly I reaffirm you that in this beautiful journey of yours “you are not alone”. Any thoughts holding you back are as natural as sunrises and sunsets. With each step, believe me, you will get better and stronger; the motivating factor is challenging those obstacles and reigniting and finding a better solution for them. Motivation just keeps you going provided you re-energize yourself everyday and remember your long term objectives. This is not a sprint, it is a marathon and only those who run every day succeed!
I have come across many start-ups that are hell bent on execution every day that they missed planning their way forward. Businesses are all not about only execution, it is often more about planning too! Sometimes at the end of the day you need to see what is working for you and what is not? And be prepared to let go of things that are not working..
Secondly, remember why you wanted to be an entrepreneur? Was the pull innate or were you the sheep in the herd? If things don’t work in one venture, try others. The bottom line here is, once you have decided to be an entrepreneur, you will always be one(mostly)! They say “97% of the people in this world operate in the comfort zone, 3% of the people in this world operate in the effective zone. The difference between comfort and effectiveness is called growth, and growth is uncomfortable”. Walking that extra mail is what entrepreneurship is all about! It is all about to what extent you can go to.
Let me leave you with these beautiful lines I picked up online.
Give things a chance to happen!
Give success a chance to happen!
Do it. Try it. Quit talking about it and do it!
How will you ever know if you can paint that picture, run that business, sell that vacuum cleaner, earn a degree, hold that office, make that speech, win that game, marry that girl, write that book, bake that soufflé, build a house- unless you try it ! – Richard.M.Devos
Blog written by a TiE Chennai member.
Wonderful piece. Definitely motivational. I have come up with a start up in the service industry. Ur words just got nailed into my head – Standing back on your feet once you fall. There is so much to learn from each of our failure. Overcoming fear of failure is an asset each of us need to cultivate. As the moderator at the last session said ” We entrepreneurs should be FEARLESS & SHAMELESS”. Lets all have the NEVER SAY DIE spirit.Pleasure reading your blog sir.