[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] Katherine: Tess, you know, you don’t get anywhere in this world by waiting for what you want to come to you. You make it happen. -Working Girl, 1988. [/perfectpullquote]
Being an entrepreneur is tough.
So there is one but fundamental question you should ask yourself when starting a business on your own.
“Am I willing to pay the price? And for how long?”
And you’ll ask: What’s the price?
It depends on your circumstances. It could be hard work, sacrifice, money, time, all of them.
Write down what you are willing to pay and what you don’t want or can’t afford to pay.
It’s very important for you to know this. You wouldn’t like to regret it later.
Once you are in the dirty, it’s difficult to quit because much has been invested and it’s also difficult to keep going since the pressure is high and bills must be paid.
[Related Reading: When to Quit and When to Stick]
Being an entrepreneur is not for everybody.
You are about to create a product or service under conditions of uncertainty.
Nobody can assure you a paycheck at the end of the month—above all, during the first years—, you can’t go on strike because you are not satisfied of the market conditions, you might not take holidays for many years.
You are, most likely, flying solo.
It’s a great responsibility. Your life is at stake.
Yes, entrepreneurship is not for everyone.
So when an entrepreneur shouted out on LinkedIn that she was tired of pushing without any results, that she was expecting something coming her way, I asked her if she had asked herself this question before starting her business.
She said, no.
My answer was the following:
First off, ask yourself this question. “Are you willing to pay the price? And for how long?”
Measure your answer, fix your goals, and do the following steps.
1) Get up 30 minutes earlier every day from now on.
2) Then, make a list of things you’ve tried but haven’t got the expected result. Ask yourself why they did fail. Be honest.
3) Brainstorm 10 things you could do that you haven’t tried before.
4) Make a plan for the next 90 days. (longer than that, plans are somewhat ineffective)
5) Take action. Do it—every day. No whining, no crying, no shouting. Just do it.
After 90 days, analyze your results and make decisions.
[Related Reading: Be Curious, Build Character and to make Better Choices.]
Then, I told her what Katherine said to Tess, in other words, “When you really want something and you decide you’ll go for it, you will get it. Of course, if you are willing to pay the price.”
Photo Source: The Ace Black Blog