Anyone who has gone into business alone knows what a daunting challenge it can be to lay the foundation to success. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and to let doubts creep into your head that maybe you’re in over your head. After all, with the number of small businesses that don’t make it, it’s easy to feel this way. If you ever feel like this, take a moment to step back and reevaluate your situation, and reevaluate your mindset.
When you change your outlook, all those heavy stones on your back can be changed into the building blocks of your tower of success. It’s a matter of following the right blueprints, and the most essential thing you’ll need to start off with is already within you. After all, you wouldn’t have chosen to become an entrepreneur in the first place if you weren’t ready to follow your passion.
To me, these aren’t just empty words. I’ve faced many challenges in my life. In my childhood I suffered from Cushing disease, which caused a brain tumor and altered my appearance. I was bullied and teased. I felt I was in a deep dark hole with no way out… until the strength and passion that was in me gave me a light that guided me to a much better life. On my journey, I developed a set of principles that I’ve lived by and that have helped me become successful. They can work for you too.
Go BIG!
When you have your own business you can’t give anything less than 100%. If you think you can give it 70%, or even 80%, you’re wrong. It’s all or nothing. If you’re going to invest all of your time, energy and money into your business, it’s crucial that you also invest yourself completely. Remember, it’s up to you whether you shine like a super nova or fizzle out like a wet sparkler. Nothing in life is worth doing unless you go big.
Listen to good advice and throw out the naysayers
Isaac Newton was a genius, but he felt that he had reached his heights by standing on the shoulders of giants. That means that you can build and learn from the wisdom of those who have already run the business gauntlet before you. You may be able to pick up on new tricks or learn to avoid some pitfalls that you never even considered. Listening is an asset that you should add to your repertoire. However, that does not mean that you should ever let anyone poison your ambitions with negativity.
When I began to raise my profile, I was shocked at how unfriendly and negative some people were towards my success. Those are the voices you should ignore. There will be some naysayers on each rung up the ladder of your goals, but you can wave goodbye to them as you keep climbing.
Embrace failure
Nobody wants to fail, but failure does not mean the end of the road. The vast majority of history’s successes have had failure in their lives and pressed forward to a better outcome than they had initially even dreamed of. Failure can be a way of sweeping away anything that has cluttered your path, letting you rebuild with a stronger framework. Learn your lessons and never give up. Embrace the failures and learn from them. You can’t be successful in business without failing.
Network
Networking is so important no matter what line of work you’re in. Most people look at networking wrong, however. They think it’s about growing themselves and their business. If you approach networking as bringing value to other people, in return, they are going to want to help you. You never know who can help you unlock doors to success, but people are more likely to want to work with you if you can show them the value you can bring to the table. Whether you are connecting through social media, meeting new or old friends, or dealing with customers or peers, be sure to always bring tremendous value to everyone you meet.
Never quit
If you follow one principle in regards to how you live and how you run your business, let this be it. You are more likely than not going to experience tough times, but never become discouraged. Remember, that water runs faster when you hit rocky rapids. You can deal with problems. You can also move past them. No matter where you are in terms of success at the moment, you should only be looking in one direction- up! Never let the winds of discontent extinguish the fire of your passion.
The takeaway
To be a success means being able to take on challenges and to be resilient. Being an entrepreneur means being ready for challenges. It means being smart, being ready to adapt, and always pushing forward. But remember, the entrepreneurial spirit always starts from within.
