Life is a struggle…at least it has been much more in my adult life than it ever was in my childhood. That’s no fault of my parents, actually quite the opposite, I really didn’t have any major trauma occur in my child years, even through all of high school. Then the typical struggles of your college years and adult life spring up. For me it was breakups, bad grades in college, losing a job and losing myself. All these traumas set me up for the ultimate struggle though…entrepreneurship!
Entrepreneurship is enduring. Every day is going to be a struggle, if you’re doing it right! It’s trusting the process and believing that NOTHING great ever happens over night. My Mom has a great sign up at our camp that says “Every step of the journey IS the journey.” Too often we get caught up in the end goal that we forget that going through the process, is actually the part that we should be addicted to.
So the big question is, how the hell do you endure through all of life’s or business struggles? Part of getting through is having your mindset right from the beginning that giving up is NOT an option. No matter the financial struggles, no matter who says that maybe this isn’t a great idea, no matter the days where you may not be able to do one second of work…getting up every day remembering WHY you’re doing what you’re doing. My motivations have changed over the years. At first, I just needed to be free of the stress of corporate sales. Then it was about proving people wrong. Now it’s all about preaching and teaching people about the FREEDOM OF TIME. Helping people build their lives how they want through the skills they’ve built. And being consistent doing it. Waking up every day…with NO alarm clock since 2013 unless I was going on vacation…with the intention to keep moving forward. I’ve become addicted to the process of being an entrepreneur. There are most definitely days where mentally, I just don’t have it, can’t stay focused…but part of my mindset is, all those days in the past where I would give 0% work could have turned into a win by just taking 1 tiny step, just 1% on those HARD days.
Now my motivations run much deeper and stronger than they were in the beginning. If you’re going to build your business and your brand you need to think big. Money is not a motivating factor, it can be to start, but eventually you’re going to reach the level you want. Build wealth, that includes knowledge which you can never have enough of. Your kids are not a big enough motivating factor…they will only need you for so long. Finding your true WHY, your real purpose, the thing that helps you JUMP out of bed in the morning…or afternoon if you’re a night owl kinda person…that is what will keep you enduring day after day for the long haul.
It took me a solid 5 years to figure out WHY I was doing what I was doing. Graphic design is fun but it doesn’t get me out of bed in the morning. Web design makes me some good money, but I don’t get goosebumps from making pretty websites. The goosebumps come from “younger” clients (in terms of their entrepreneur journey, not necessarily by age) asking for my advice or telling me they’ve used something I’ve said to help motivate them. It comes from my close friends telling me about their self-realization of what it takes to get through and endure through the worst of times and realizing, hey that’s exactly how I said it worked for me. It comes from that addiction in improving. Knowing that only 33% of small businesses ever created in this country have made it to the 10 year mark, drives me to be of that small minority.
Learn to endure through the struggles, find a deeper motivation than money, and go all in on yourself and your dream.