If you decide to join the swelling ranks of entrepreneurs, prepare yourself for the journey ahead.
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I’m not talking solely about the professional or even financial journey… I’m talking about the personal toll that the entrepreneurial life can take on you.
Your business is built on the foundation of your personal development.
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The statistics show that new businesses usually fail within a year, but it’s not the bottom line that holds most people back… it’s the underlying personal challenges of striking out on your own.
Your business is built on the foundation of your personal development.
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Here are the waypoints and pitfalls you’ll need to look out for:
…you will very likely wrestle with the very core of your identity along the way to profitability.
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1. Definitions: It’s more than just business plans and elevator pitches you’ll need to define. You’ll also need to be ready to define your very self in an entirely new way. Trust me, “I’m an entrepreneur” is just not enough when you go in for that introductory handshake at the party and you hear that dreaded question, “What do you do?” Beyond external perceptions though, you will very likely wrestle with the very core of your identity along the way to profitability.
Every entrepreneur learns at some point that starting a company means learning how to share…
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2. Flying solo: Anyone who starts a business has to rely on self-motivation. Every entrepreneur learns at some point that starting a company means learning how to share… responsibilities, challenges, profits… and intimacy. Beware the lone wolf syndrome.
Being “laser-focused” is a good thing in moderation.
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3. Goal-Blindness: When you define success, be careful not to make your business entirely about the goal. Doing this can blind you to the things that build successful companies… the people and the culture. This is also true of you personally. Being “laser-focused” is a good thing in moderation. Check in with your personal needs and remember that the journey to the goal is usually the best part of success.
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Also by Dale Thomas Vaughn
28 Trillion Reasons Why Gender Equality Should Be Our Top Priority | Should Men Be Chivalrous Anymore? | 10 Skills Every Man Should Learn | 20 Lessons From My Men’s Group That Have Improved My Life |