Almost every gain in life can only be made by leaving behind the safety of one’s existing condition, embracing the risk of failure and turning a possibility into reality. For an entrepreneur, conviction towards a vision, making rational decisions and the ability to pursue goals with single-minded determination and hard work are essential life skills. Ultimately, the entrepreneurial journey is about commitment and believing enough in your dream to make it come true.
The success and achievements we pursue in life are driven by our inspirations and the ability to imagine a future in which we have accomplished our goals. Look around you. Perhaps you know a young dreamer who wakes up early every morning to train, inspired by a sporting icon. Or maybe you can think of a community leader you know, who works tirelessly to eradicate a social problem. Examples of individuals that pursue a desired outcome with consistent and everyday effort are all around us if we care to look. As an entrepreneur who has had some success in establishing and operating business ventures, I am asked about the mindset that it takes, from time to time. In all honesty, the answer is simpler than is often acknowledged or understood.
The ability to dream is one of the basic traits that make us human. We all have outcomes that we would prefer over others and desires that we would like to see fulfilled. In my opinion, what we do about making these preferred outcomes reality is what separates entrepreneurs from the rest. While we are all inherently creators, I believe the entrepreneur is able to commit to creating a transformation in a way that is hopeful and motivated, rather than anxious. Once this commitment is held deeply enough, we have the humility to accept the challenges the come up along the way as a natural part of the journey. I truly believe that this is a very underestimated part of the entrepreneur’s mindset. In the course of my journey, I have met several individuals who inspired me with the path they took in their lives. One thing that I found to be consistent about such people was that they spoke about the obstacles they had overcome in a matter of fact manner. In reading about those of my inspirations that I have never met, I found this same attitude reflected. I truly believe that the humility to realize that there are no shortcuts to success is one of the core values that entrepreneurship is built on.
Those that seek to pursue a business venture, however, also need another fundamental character trait that accompanies the humility to expect challenges. After all, several spiritual seekers share the notion that life’s challenges are an integral part of the journey one undergoes. Typically, however, such seekers are not particularly drawn towards entrepreneurship. This second core value, in my experience, is the ability to be driven to solving problems. Even the best conceived ventures inevitably run into issues that add twists and turns in the straight line between two points. I believe an entrepreneur should not only be unfazed by challenges, they should in fact be excited enough by their goal to be able to come up with innovative solutions. Creative, enthusiastic and motivated problem solving is what sets the entrepreneur apart from those that find their aspirations too tough to act on. While the dreamer may have the vision to identify an opportunity, the entrepreneur has the ability to go beyond that initial inspiration. The determination to find solutions must be strong enough to be almost obsessive. An enthusiastic mind is one of the most powerful tools in the universe. Once one embraces a challenge zestfully, the chances of finding a solution improve drastically. This ability to enjoy the process of making dreams a reality is essential in a constantly changing and unpredictable world.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the commitment to putting in the work required is what turns possibilities into certainties. In a way, this third trait is a natural consequence of the first two. Once we accept the challenge that each obstacle presents and possess the enthusiasm to find solutions to overcome it, putting one foot after the other, on our journey, becomes almost inevitable. It’s not enough for an entrepreneur to solve problems at an intellectual level, one has to roll up one’s sleeves and get to work. Whether at an individual level or working together as a team, making a project a success is always a matter of this coming together of calm determination, enthusiastic innovation and sheer hard work.
Speaking of teams, often each step of on an entrepreneur’s path to realizing their vision involves the cooperation and contribution of others. This is especially true of projects that are beyond a certain size and scope. When it comes to collaboration, the truly empowering thing is for each individual to view their efforts in context of the larger goal. Having had the great fortune to have led teams that included several gifted and inspirational members, I was always highly motivated to see that I give them the best possible support I can. I believe the true entrepreneur must always see the project as being larger than their personal opinion alone. No single individual has the capacity to create more innovatively than a team motivated to achieving a common goal. By putting the venture itself at the center of all activities and decisions, it is possible to optimize all energies being put into the project.
Ultimately, entrepreneurship is about evolving from one state to another and taking pleasure in that process. It is not so much about achieving a single goal, but rather to be excited about pursuing goals. I truly believe that this ability to realize dreams is one of the most satisfying ways in which one can live life. Whatever your goal may be, however challenging you might find it, I invite you to embrace the entrepreneur within yourself. I have always believed no dream comes to us without the ability to realize it. If you commit to the journey, I believe you will find yourself energized with each obstacle that you overcome.
