There are so many things to say about starting a business, so many questions to ask, and so many responsibilities to attend to. Perhaps one of the most overlooked facts about starting a business is how lonely entrepreneurship can be. Most business owners do not discuss how frequently they felt like giving up or how often they must search out ways to stay motivated. Below are just five of the myriad of ways to lighten your load as an aspiring entrepreneur.
1. Find a Power Partner
Finding someone with whom to partner as you develop your business is no easy task. Partnering in business is comparable to marriage. Just as one carefully selects a spouse, searching for a business partner means you must determine if the candidate shares the same goals and dreams as yourself. Not only do you want your potential business partner to work toward the same destination, but you also want him or her to have strengths in your struggle areas and vice versa.
2. Analyze Your Circle of Influencers
When those around you are encouraging and supportive, your belief bubble seems indestructible, and you know that you will grow your business into a successful corporation. But as soon as you meet one or two individuals who question your vision, you begin to feel little fringes of fear creep in the back door of your mind. Especially in the first stages of making your vision a reality, you must choose to allow only positive influencers around you. Every single person who is living their dreams has had a season—some longer than others—of hard work with little to no return. Hard work breeds success, and if you surround yourself with people who encourage your hard work, you will indeed be successful. On the other hand, if you are around people that dampen your mindset, you will find that you are just working hard to stay afloat without working at all on making your dream a reality.
3. Articulate Your Goals
One of the best ways to reach your goals is to know exactly what they are. Write out your goals and break them down into measurable deadlines. Put the written goals in a place that you will see them every day. Once you have articulated exactly what your goals are, set a deadline, and placed the goals where you can continually reference them, you will know when you need to pick up the pace and when you can celebrate for a job well done.
4. Write a Letter to Yourself
Letter-writing is a habit that I wish had not become outdated. There is something very grounding about putting pen to paper and capturing your thoughts. Envision your business three months, six months, or a year from now, and explain that vision in a letter to yourself. Write the date on the outside of the sealed envelope, and on that set date, open the letter. Is that vision a reality? If not, why not? If so, it’s time to celebrate that victory!
5. Maintain Your Mindset
Perhaps the single most important step you can take toward succeeding in your business, is to maintain an empowered mindset. If you start your day with positivity, you will live in positivity. If you start your day in a rush, you will miss little opportunities to experience joy. If you start your day with negativity, you will see negativity around you. One characteristic of an empowered mindset is to believe that failure is not an option. Listen to podcasts or audio books, read books, and watch videos of people who have accomplished much and are well grounded in truth, and you will realize how an empowered mindset can change your life.
These are just a few ways to help smooth the rugged journey called Entrepreneurship. And as on any mountainous journey, if the climb is steep and hard, you know that ahead you will find a victorious, beautiful, inspiring, and uplifting mountaintop!