Many
people have dreamt of running their own business and becoming rich,
but few actually set off on this challenging path to success.
And of the few whom have attempted, the majority failed to persevere
and move on with dogged determination once they encountered setbacks.
What caused them to fail or withdraw from their dreams? In
my opinion, too often than not, it is our minds that are playing
tricks on us.
Human beings are communal creatures. Since young, we are subject
to different rules and regulations and trained to conform to various
stereotypes, expectations and social norms. We like to compare
our performance with our peers and feel pressured to measure up
to their achievements. We resist changes, uncertainties and
failures naturally. Exchanging one's rice bowl for pursuing
a dream is generally frowned upon and not welcome by the people
around us.
The reasons are obvious. Running your own business involves
taking a calculated risk. The business world is evolving all
the time. The future is uncertain because you are venturing
out into uncharted waters. You cannot anticipate every move and
hope to learn and solve everything in one go. While you have
done your research and taken every step to prepare yourself for
the challenge, things might still take a turn for the worse and
your business fails to take off.
When that happens, you risk losing everything you have saved in
the past ten, or maybe twenty years. And you will lose more
than just your financial resources. When you re-enter the job market,
you will find yourself set back a few rungs below your peers on
the corporate ladder. Worse, in some society that adheres
rigidly to standards and norms, you might find yourself shut out
from a corporate career, as no one would believe that you would
ever settle down in a job.
You will also lose a steady source of income when you run your own
business, especially during the start-up period. This is the
biggest deterrent for those with family commitments. Very
often, you hear an aspiring entrepreneur says he need some time
to set aside a sum of money for his family before he can venture
out to pursue his dream. And very often too, that day never
comes. Why? How much money should be set aside?
How much is enough? Nobody knows, and it is human nature that
nothing will ever be enough.
When these negative factors reside in your mind, your vision will
be cluttered, your confidence wavered and your drive weakened considerably.
And most of the times, you will end up choosing the path of least
resistance - to stay put in your present job - and resign yourself
to the "fact" that entrepreneur is an exclusive breed and you do
not have what it takes to become one.
Is that true? Well, to a certain extent, yes. What set
them apart from you is perhaps their mental strength. They
have a never-say-die attitude. They thrive in uncertainties
and adversities. Nothing seems impossible to them. To
these possibility thinkers, everything can be learned, every problem
can be solved and every adversity can be turned into opportunities.
All that they require are a positive mind and a dogged determination
to succeed.
Failure to them is not final, but an important step to learn and
prepare for the next step to success. They are prepared to
rough it out when times get really bad. Many entrepreneurs
do not become successful overnight. You have probably read
many rag-to-riches stories about how entrepreneurs weathered through
numerous hardships and setbacks before they became successful.
This feat is certainly not for the weak-minded. It requires
great motivation, determination and mental strength to persevere
to the end. Some people think that entrepreneurs are motivated
by their greed for money. I beg to differ. A motivation
driven by materialistic greed will not be able to withstand the
test of time. In the above cases, those entrepreneurs would
have given up long ago before they tasted the fruit of success.
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Patrick Tan, a former journalist and entrepreneur, offers a complete
range of e-commerce solutions, services and free resources to help
you build a successful career online. Visit his site at http://www.aloha-city.com
for more information. He publishes a free newsletter to share his
experience and business know-how. Subscribe Now! basics@aloha-city.com
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