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| Entrepreneurial Journey Could be Lonely |
Pure perseverance makes you a successful entrepreneur. So, are entrepreneurs wired differently? My interaction with several successful entrepreneurs suggests that most of them are uniquely wired to remain focused on the goal for a longer duration with a commitment to make meaningful contributions. But, this quality of perseverance takes a heavy toll on mental and physical health in the long run.
Gary Vaynerchuk, the man behind the successful marketing company Vander Media, says that he never took a vacation for years and kept working even on weekends. In his words, it wasn’t easy but decided to do sacrifice vacations because he wanted to be successful and that required total dedication of time and energy. If something goes wrong in his company, he takes responsibility for that because he owns the company. He is just a call away, even when he is on his birthday vacation. There is no option of complete cut-off. This is the common story of the majority of entrepreneurs. So, if you are planning to start your business, you have to be mentally ready to sacrifice a lot. Your passion and dedication for business will take you away from family and social life, at least in the early days, when you have to get involved in all possible affairs of the business. Since family members and friends will not be in sync with your mental frame, you might feel lonely in your journey. The mantra is simple, it is your dream, and you have to make sacrifices to make your dream a reality. Frankly, you won’t find many people who could make sacrifices to realize the dream. When going gets tough, it is very natural to weigh worthiness of sacrifices you are making in the entrepreneurial journey. In these moments of self-doubt, when you couldn’t see results visible, it is your perseverance that keeps you on track. Every entrepreneur goes through this process, so you should also be ready with a commitment to sail through troubling waters.
It is not just about incubation and building-phase. Even when you are riding at full speed in your entrepreneurial journey, the challenges are bound to come. Success brings joy, but that does not give you the space to relax. You have to remain alert to face new challenges on a daily basis because your team will do things as told, but as an owner, you will always be responsible for the ultimate outcome. Good or bad, it is going to be your cup of coffee, and you cannot pass the burden of proof on someone else.
Even the finest of the mind with an unlimited source of energy needs time to relax and recharge. Everyone should go on vacation to de-clutter the mind, but as an entrepreneur, you don’t have the luxury of complete isolation. Despite building a highly decentralized decision making process, your inputs will be required at all possible levels of business operation. Gary Vaynerchuk, a self-proclaimed extrovert, says that there are so many things he keeps it to himself. For a person running multiple million-dollar companies with a long list of clients, there are always so many things going on in mind, but still, you feel lonely. You will also have a similar feeling in your journey. Acceptance is the key here. Just accept this as a part of entrepreneurial life and build your system accordingly to maintain a right work-life balance. Do things that you love to do because your inner joy will decide the fate of your venture.
I can say it from my own experience as an entrepreneur; we tend to put more pressure on self than anyone else. Since it is a process of shaping the dream you have to look after all aspects of building a successful company. Working on ideas is, by nature, very engrossing. So, we tend to get involved in things of lesser importance, which in turn adds too much pressure on self. If you don’t know how to balance the pressure, then this could be very stressful. Most of the people are not conditioned to endure this kind of added pressure, and they ultimately succumb to self-inflicted wounds.
The entrepreneurial journey is bound to be stressful and emotionally taxing. Just accept this fact and stay focused on your goal to see your idea take shape. Your passion for creating something will help you rise and shine with a healthy bottom-line. You are not alone; you have your dream by your side. This is what entrepreneurial freedom is all about. Live it to cherish it!
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