How You Define Success Can Make or Break You

by vanessa | Mar 1, 2022 | Blog, Entrepreneurs, personal development, Success

HOW YOU DEFINE SUCCESS CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOU

How do you define success? It can make or break you the way you define it.

When I was younger, the way I would define success wasn’t positive. It didn’t help me to grow or evolve. It took me a while to understand that the reason why I wasn’t growing, all came down to the way I would define success. Most of us define success as this linear line. There’s point D and we want to move to point A. A lot of us don’t realize that success isn’t linear. There isn’t a point system we need to tick to climb the success ladder. If that was the case than we all would be successful.

It is true that we need to follower those who are successful. They are also strategies that can help us become successful, but it isn’t that simple. Often, success takes different forms. They are people who become successful as a teenager or in their twenties or thirties. Then they are people who become successful at a much older age. Success isn’t about the destination, but the journey. How you define success can make or break you. It can build you up or push you down. Often, our mental gymnastics determine what happens next or what chess pieces move. That is why going into the new year you need to change how you define success.

Take it from me this is important. What I have learned is that when you change how you define success it changes your worldview and you grow much faster than if you keep to a rigid description of success.

The story you tell yourself

When I was in my early twenties, I saw success as a ladder that I needed to climb. This is how I would define success. I needed to tick boxes, here was the thing I didn’t understand what success was. I would watch MTV cribs and wish that one day that would be me. I wanted to be famous. I wanted my face to be plastered on magazine covers and to be interviewed. That is how I defined success. To me if people didn’t really know you then you weren’t successful. If you weren’t an A lister than no one really knew.

It was a rigid way of looking at success. I was interested in the glamor and that was what mattered. The more people knew me then I’d have made it. Here’s the thing this isn’t the right way to define success. This is way of defining success can break you because it pushes the notion that you need to be famous to be successful. That’s not true. They are a lot of famous people who don’t have money. Then they are successful people who aren’t as well-known as A lister but have a lot of money.

What story are you telling yourself? Why are you telling yourself this story? Yes, it’s important to understand the root of the story. Here’s mine. I was a late boomer. Always behind everyone else and I wanted to prove people wrong. I believed to do this I needed to be famous. That wasn’t the truth, I had nothing to prove, but I needed to discover that for myself first.

Your why

Successful people have a strong why. A reason why they want to do something. Being successful is just the reward. If you want to just be successful then you will never reach your goal. Even if you do it won’t feel rewarding. This is the wrong way to define success. It is the reason why so many influencers look unhappy or are depressed. They described success the wrong way. Have you ever watched celebrity interviews, I used to. I watched a lot of them. My favorite was the E True Hollywood Story. Every one of those that were interviewed would say they wanted to entertain people, make them laugh or cry.

They didn’t start of just wanting to be successful. At least not the greats. It was about making people happy or giving them something to root for. Successful entrepreneurs all started with wanting to make the world better. I’m talking about those that make a difference. The ones who have given the world a solution or provided opportunities. They will last for a lifetime because their reason wasn’t monetary. We get the definition of success so wrong.

It isn’t about how much money you have in your bank account. That is a reward. It is about the solution or what you have given the world. How you define success can push you forward or back. It can build you up and change your worldview. So define success the right way. Your why is the link to how you define success. If your why is strong than you are bound to become successful because you are thinking about the bigger picture.

Bigger picture

When your why is strong than you can lean on a bigger picture. When I was younger, I had no idea what I wanted to be known for. I loved writing and I wasn’t too bad at it. But I also loved acting. Writing to me didn’t seem profitable, but I had no idea how to get into acting. I jumped from one thing to the next without any clear idea of how to get to where I wanted. Remember how you define success can also give you a plan. It can give you a bigger picture and the clearer your vision is the easier it is to plan your life.

My vision was blurry so many years I wandered trying to figure it out. That wasn’t easy. I followed every guru under the sun. Okay, maybe that is an exaggeration, but it felt like that was what happened. I tried a lot of things, but never came to fruition. I tried freelancing then ecommerce and I settled on blogging. It gave me a clear picture. I started seeing the bigger picture. How I could turn my blog into a machine. When you settle on one thing it is easier to understand where next you need to go. Most of us follow what every guru says. There is so much information out there that it is easy to get information overload. Here’s the thing, you got to focus on a few gurus because the more gurus you follow it won’t be easy to understand what route you should take.

That’s why it’s important that the way you define success takes in the bigger picture. This will motivate you and encourage you to keep going regardless of the obstacles in your way.

Also Related: 13 Habits of Self-Made Millionaires

Ups and downs

They are two roads in life. The busy highway that everyone takes. On this road you will see lots of sights and cars. It’s crowded so it often takes forever to get to your destination, but it does look like you will enjoy the journey. Then there’s the other road. This one people don’t travel on it a lot. It seems as if there’s no much to see. The road isn’t in good condition, they are a lot of pot holes and the grass isn’t luscious. But if you keep down on this road, you will see so much more. Sights and buildings that you won’t see on the other road.

This road is filled with more adventure. I’m guessing you see where I’m going. How you define success will also give you room to make mistakes? Because that is success. There’s no exact map. No exact route you should take. They are so many obstacles and road blocks. Success isn’t easy. Heck, it is one of the hardest things you will ever do. Starting your own business or doing something most people won’t isn’t easy. If it was then what would be the point? It would be as joyful as interesting or exciting. Success is all about the journey. The experiences you will go through just to get to the end of the rainbow. It’s never ending. There’s so much you will learn about yourself and life.

However you have to accept it has ups and downs. Even when you become successful, you will always have to tweak things. Most of us think it ends right there once you become successful. No. It isn’t that simple. You will be met with so many road blocks. But that is why it’s so worthwhile. How you define success matters?

How do you define success? Has the definition helped you or do you need to work on it. Let me known in the comments section.

KEEP P USHING

VANESSA

Are You Feeling Left Behind? Forge Your Own Path

by vanessa | Feb 23, 2022 | Entrepreneurs, motivation, personal development

Are you feeling left behind. forge your own path.

Most people feel left behind. Here’s a simple solution how to deal with it.

No one knew social media would be seen as a vehicle to compare ourselves with other people. That has happened. Many of us feel left behind. We feel as though we aren’t achieving the success we always dreamed about. Social media often shows the best the world offers. Children and teenagers excelling at a rapid rate that many of us can’t dream of.

This is a problem for our self-esteem and general sense of worth. How can we compete with teenagers making their first million? Yet we’re struggling to even figure life out. We beat ourselves for not getting it sooner. Studies show that many people feel left behind in life. Most people want to achieve something grand, but don’t know how to do that. They see themselves as falling behind in life. Here is something staggering. In 2011, it was stated that 200 million Americans wanted to publish books. Yet, in 2022, only 0,03% of the population is a writer.

Here is another interesting fact. In 2018, it was stated that three out of five people want to start their own business. To be exact, 62% dreams of starting their own business. That is a staggering number. They are many people who feel left behind in life. More than you know. They are a lot of reasons people don’t go after their dreams. A lot of reasons they give up the goose. These facts show they are so many people with lofty dreams. Very few achieve them. That is why they call it the 1%. Most people give up way too easily.

Below I will point out how you can start going after your dreams even if you feel left behind in life. Before I go on. I need you to know something. We all have a choice. Either we let fear in or we face it. We can’t do both.

Comparison getting you down

Most people compare themselves to the next person. So and so is doing this. Why can’t I? So and so bought a new car. Moved into a new apartment, building complex, city or country. “Did you see what this person is doing on social media?” Social media has become a viewing room. Something to entertain us and distract us from going after our dreams. It makes us insecure. As we look at well-crafted social media feeds or even glance at people’s profile.

Here’s the thing: comparing yourself will make you feel left behind. It will make you question your decisions. Consider them and wonder why you aren’t doing X and X. Yet, you’re still alive who says you can’t. It’s almost as if we think we need to achieve our dreams at a certain age or timeline. If I don’t achieve this at this age, I’m a failure. Here’s the thing: the people who achieved those things earlier had a different childhood from you.

Their experiences made them who they are. Just like your experiences made you who you are. Why do senior citizens choose to learn an instrument? Many of them wake up with regret and wonder where the time went. I admire senior citizens who do that. Because it isn’t easy to learn anything new. Even when you’re young. Yet. Few people do. Few people choose to learn something that will build them up. That’s the thing. You decide who you want to be.

You decide where you want to go. The choice is yours. Don’t let comparison put you in a box. Don’t allow it to trap you and stop you from going after what you want.

You give too much power to fear

Many of us give fear way too much power. We see it as this force that can cause us to stop in our tracks. That is why many people feel left behind in life. They give fear too much power. When was the last time you did something you were terrified about? I’m terrified of heights, but I have done lots of things that make people wonder if I actually am.

Why do I do that? Simple. Because I don’t want to give fear too much power. If I do that, then fear will control my life and decisions. I don’t want to ever be in a position where I feel as if fear has too much power over me. I can’t let that happen. You shouldn’t as well. I once heard someone say fear are fake events appearing real. And that is true. When you’re afraid of something, often we exaggerate. Here’s an example. I was in an elevator once. The ones that have windows. I imagined it crashing to the ground. Will that ever happen? Unlikely. Unless I’m in a movie. Movies aren’t real. What happens in movies won’t happen in real life? Certain instances they happen. Like getting eaten by a shark. But you’ll only encounter this if you swim where sharks are.

Most of these things are situational. Many people allow fear to sink in. That is why they feel left behind. The best way to avoid this is to not give too much power to fear.

Social expectations

Society loves to give expectations. As if that is a parameter of success. Society will say you need to have done this at this age or achieved this in this time frame. Rules should be broken. The reason you’re feeling left behind is that you’re using society to determine what your life should be like. When I was in my early twenties, I felt like this a lot. I wanted to achieve so many things. Get my life going. But the thing is, I did not know how to do it. I was concerned with how people saw me. I didn’t work on how I saw myself.

That is the problem. We spend too much time wondering how people see us. Thinking that if I do X, then they’ll see me in a better light. Who cares what a stranger across the world thinks of you? Who cares what your aunt Mildred thinks about your singleness? The reason I say this is that there has to be a point where you care and defining yourself based world says about you. You can’t control what people think. That is just a fact. What you can do is think about who you want to be and where you want to go.

That should matter more than people’s opinions. People will always have opinions. Whether or not it’s true. You can’t let people’s opinions make you feel left behind in life. Not everyone is the same. Therefore, your journey won’t be the same.

Success isn’t linear

Success isn’t linear. It’s not a step-by-step system. Even if you think it’s a staircase. That’s often not the case. This is the number one reason you feel left behind. You see success in a straight line. It isn’t. They are ups and downs in life. You will achieve something great than the next thing you know is you hit a slump or a land mill. Why? Because that is how life is like. If life was linear, it would be boring. You wouldn’t enjoy it as much as you enjoy it now.

You wouldn’t experience the fullness that life offers. We need to understand life isn’t meant to be easy. It isn’t meant to be simple. As hard as that is, this is how we can achieve great things in life. We need to realize feeling left behind is normal, but it doesn’t determine where we go next. Whatever milestone you make, that is a step in the right direction. If you come across obstacles, that’s alright. That strengthens you. It builds you up. Pushes you out of your comfort zone. Creates opportunities that you never knew were even there.

Forge your own path

I used to think success was linear, so I’d follow the gurus’ advice. I’d think that this is how I’ll be successful. Few of us can follow someone successfully. Some of us don’t have that opportunity. We just don’t. We feel left behind because we believe we should follow someone’s path to become successful. That isn’t true. There has to be a point where we forge our own path.

This can look different depending on who you are. For example, who says you need to go back to university? Many people want to make more money. Several articles suggest going back to university to achieve this. This is just the opinion of a few people. That doesn’t mean if you choose to go down a different path, you won’t achieve anything. No. You can start a business. Create several income streams. Sell your mother’s cookies to your next-door neighbors. Home sit pets. The list goes on. They are so many things you can do.

We remain in a box when we don’t see the opportunities waiting for us. There’s so much you can do. You just have to go outside and see what you can achieve. Forge your own path. This is how you won’t feel left behind. Don’t look at other peoples’ success as the only way you can become successful. You just need to push yourself and you will find so many opportunities. Unbelievable opportunities you never thought you would ever achieve. It will takes time. But if you don’t give up. You would be shocked at all things you can achieve.

Why do you feel left behind in life? Loved to know. Comment below.

Keep Pushing

Vanessa

How To Stop Glorifying Busy and Sabotaging Your Goals

by vanessa | Feb 16, 2022 | Entrepreneurs, motivation, personal development

how to stop glorifying busy and sabotaging your goals

Here’s how you can stop glorifying busy and sabotaging your goals

Many of us don’t understand the difference between being busy and productive. Because of that, we glorify busy and, in the end, that sabotages our goals. It sounds weird, but it happens to many people. Going into the new year, you need to understand the difference and how you can achieve your goals. You might have a lengthy bucket list of things you want to do in the new year. That’s great, but you also need to realize that your time is precious. If you want this year to be better than the previous year, then your habits need to change.

I struggled for the longest time with my goals. I did not know the difference between being busy and productive. What I soon realized is as a society we glorify busy. This doesn’t help us with our goals. Why? Because often we are doing everything else than what we are required to do. We focus on acting as if we are achieving something, but we aren’t. This is because we spend our time on time wasters and not on things that will push the needle forward. They are a few ways you can stop glorifying busy and sabotaging your goals. I will go through the list so that you understand if you stop this, then you are on your way to being more productive.

One thing you need to realize is it will take time to get to where you want to go. That’s alright. You don’t need to rush. Sometimes it’s alright to slow things down. Figure out what you want from life and go from there. You just need to keep that in mind. If you do, it will be easier on you and you won’t get crushed if things aren’t going as fast as you wish they would.

Reduce time-wasters

What are time wasters? This is one way you are glorifying busy and sabotaging your goals. Time wasters are basically activities that don’t help you with your goals. Let’s look at an example: if you are starting a business and then you focus on making money from bitcoin. That, in fact, is a time waster. I know what the internet is saying. Bitcoins and NFTS are the new way to make money. It’s all hype and no substance. Let’s say you have little money. How much time will you dedicate to learning about bitcoin.

Let’s say you dedicate four hours per day. Now, this has nothing to do with the business you want to start. Yet, you are focusing on bitcoins. I get it. We all want to be in the in-crowd. The problem with this is that it isn’t easy. No one will tell you that making money from bitcoin and NFTS is difficult. You will need lots of money to make money from this. You will also need to hire a coach because it isn’t as easy to make money from it. And it’s saturated. Everyone and their grandmother want to make money from crypto currency.

Chances that you will make money from it are slim, so you need to keep your options open. That means you must figure out what you should do next. Another thing that can be a time waster is spending way too much time on one activity that doesn’t count or add value. You shouldn’t spend two hours writing an email to your subscribers. If you are creating a site, then don’t think too much about it. The longer you take, the longer it will take you to accomplish your goals.

The above are examples of glorifying busy and this will sabotage your goals.

Increase income generating activities

Do you want to make more money than you should focus on increasing your income-generating activities? I learned about this phrase a few years ago. Many of us don’t focus enough on income-generating activities. We spend too much of our time glorifying busy and that sabotages our goals. Now, here’s the exact opposite of it. Focus on making money. Now, if you are just starting, that doesn’t mean you can’t make money.

Take advantage of the global market. It comes with its own problems. Sure, but it has benefits. Because of the global market, they are many opportunities out there that you might not have realized. These opportunities can open so many doors for you. So, what are income-generating activities? Okay. It has to be an activity that will produce income. Even if it isn’t today. It can be soon. Posting videos that will help your business grow or that are beneficial will help you generate income. Watching cat videos won’t. Writing emails to your subscribers weekly will help you produce income sharing Facebook videos won’t.

In the beginning, it will take time for you to figure out what an income generating activity is and what it isn’t. So it’s important that once you figure this out, you spend more of your time doing that. This will help you achieve your goals so much faster.

Have a detailed goal list

The reason it’s so easy to glorify busy and sabotage our goals is because we don’t have a detailed goal list. For the new year, you need to understand what goals you want to achieve and which ones you don’t. Often you can break it down by quarter. Have different set goals for the first quarter than the second and it goes on. This will help you avoid burnout. Glorifying busy is easy, and it is easier to sabotage our goals by doing this. Therefore, it’s important to have a detailed goal list.

For example, what are your top three goals? What also helps is to have three goals for your personal, spiritual, and business. Why? Because if you aren’t growing you are dying. We focus way too much on our business goals that we forget we need to grow in other areas. If you grow in other areas, everything will link. You would be shocked to discover you’re progressing faster than you imagine because you aren’t focused primarily on one category.

This is how you stop glorifying busy and sabotaging your goals. By having a detailed goal list for your three categories. Here’s an example of your personal category learn a new language or travel more. Then, for your business goals, it can be to have 1000 followers and the list goes on from there. Whatever it is, you need to write it down or keep it in perspective. Why? Because you then realize why you are doing what you’re doing. This is an easy way to stop glorifying being busy so that you don’t sabotage your goals.

Passive income is the way to go

Here is another way you can stop glorifying being busy so you don’t sabotage your goals. One way to accomplish your goals at a faster rate is to make passive income. Why? Because you won’t have to worry about capital coming in to help grow your business. It will also help you achieve your goals much faster. Since they are limited hours in a day, you need to make money.

They are dozens of ways to make passive income. Some vary from beginner friendly to complicated. It’s best to start with the easy ways to make money and move from there. It all depends on what you will do and how you will achieve it. Passive income is one of the best ways to make money because you aren’t working for the money. You can do something and you will still make money. Few people can say they have achieved that. This will also make your time well spent. When you are making money, your perspective shifts and you calculate your time better.

The above are a few examples of how you can stop glorifying busy and sabotaging your goals.

How will you stop glorifying busy and sabotaging your goals. Comment below.

KEEP PUSHING

VANESSA

How to Tap Into Your Motivation Sources?

by vanessa | Feb 9, 2022 | motivation, personal development

How to tap into your motivation sources

This is why you should ditch your perfect vision to find your calling

Many of us wish our lives were movies or at least an episode of a TV show. Unfortunately this isn’t a Hallmark movie. Things happen and often we have no control of them. They will things that you had planned that didn’t pan out. 2021 was that year for me. I had a litany of things I wanted to achieve. Out of my top ten list, I only achieved one thing. Did it suck? Yes it did especially considering I had built up this excitement and then everything bombed. For many of us when that happened, it crushes us and our motivation well dries up. You might be wondering how to tap into your motivation sources.

We all have motivation sources. A well that we can use when we need a boost. Though, sometimes it inconveniently dries up and leaves you suck with the bill and no way to pay. In this blog post, I will list three sources of motivation. Before I go on here’s something you should know. Life happens. As much as that saying is annoying. It’s true. Most things are out of our control. Just like a weather forecaster can only predict the weather and not control it the same is for you. Most of us have this in build sensor that knows when danger or problems are around the corner. You know when things aren’t working out. At times you can stop things from escalating, Though, most times you can’t. That doesn’t mean you should give up. Nor does it mean that things won’t work out in the end. No. That’s not it at all. If you want to be successful, you need to learn how to tap into your motivation sources.

What does success mean to you?

We all have different definitions of success. When I was a kid success meant lots of money. The definition though has changed because of my English lecturer. He often said success depends on what you want for your life. This is one of the easiest ways to tap into your motivation source. Understanding what success means to you can motivate you. It can up fill your well. Answering this question will become your motivation source. You see our definition of success can inspire us.

Having lots of money isn’t a bad thing, but it’s a loose definition of success. Success can mean just going for your dreams. It can mean saying no to what people want you do. Success can represent where you want to go or live. As a young kid I wanted to travel the world and I still do. I wanted to live in those countries. The thing is I achieved that even before I started my business. I achieved that because I believed I could. Now, most would say that I wasn’t successful because I didn’t have money in my bank account. That’s the problem. We have this lofty descriptor associated to success.

Being hard on yourself won’t help you tap into your motivation sources. As I said life happens. They are things we can’t control so if that’s the case then you need to celebrate what you achieved when no one was watching. You need celebrate yourself because that will help you understand what success means to you. It will also guide you to tap into motivation sources so you can achieve more.

Appreciate the invaluable lessons

Some things can’t be bought. Your health and genuine relationships can’t be bought. Another thing that can’t be bought are invaluable lessons. This is another way to tap into your motivation sources. What lessons have you learned and what has it taught you about life and yourself. Invaluable lessons are like a goldmine because it teaches you so much about yourself and what you are made of. Are you made of bronze or silver? Now, you will know once you reflect on the lessons you have learned.

This motivation source can push you outside of your comfort zone. When I was in my early twenties, I went through a lot of obstacles, but you know what that gave me guts to do things I never imagined. I did public speaking, debate and even joined a talent competition. The lessons I learned pushed me out of my comfort zone. Many of us don’t tap into this motivation source. Even though, it’s one of the best. Why? Think of it like this what have you been through? What did it teach you about yourself? How did you react to it? Life is hard. Most of us have to pick up weapons to battle the obstacles that face us everyday.

Very few of us crumble when life throws curveballs. Because life has made us stronger. It has strengthened us and has pushed us. If that didn’t happen then we wouldn’t leave the house. How many people crumble when they face obstacles? You are stronger than you think. You are braver than you think. You are smarter than you believe. It’s important for you not to forget that.

Remind yourself of what you faced because that will help you to push the needle forward. If you got over that breakup you never thought you, then you survived heartache. If you managed to get up when you were fired then you can deal with anything that comes your way. This is a way to tap into your motivation sources and it will surely inspire you to keep going.

What do you want your story to be?

This is a more unique take of how to tap into your motivation source. What if a writer wants to write your biography? You are sitting opposite the writer and they want you tell them your story. What will it be? What do you want your story to be a part? We all have a choice what we write down. We all have a choice what we want our stories to be part. The thing is you might not have much control about what happens in the grander scheme of things. You do, have a choice in your actions.

Your actions are important. That determines what your story will be about. You have a choice what people will see when they read your story, Often we think or rather believe we don’t have a choice in our actions. When I was twenty-one I lived with this girl. We were friends at the time. She told me I needed to change. Back then I had issues. Guess we all do. Even though, I didn’t agree with her about most things. I realize she was trying to help me out. I hated change. I could blame it on my nomadic ways. As a kid I jumped one from school to the next. I could blame it on the people who never stuck around like my siblings. They left when I was really young.

If I’m being honest it was all on me. I was no longer a kid therefore I had to take responsibility. My story is about a girl who learned how to love herself. It’s a story about battling the odds, acceptance and resilience. At the end of my book, I want to inspire people to chase their dreams no matter how many odds are stacked up. What do you want your story to be about? This is how you can tap into your motivation source by inspiring yourself to never give up.

Also Related: 13 Ways to Stop Being a People Pleaser

Who inspires you?

This is another way into your motivation source. Who inspires you? For the longest time my inspirations were celebrities. Now I don’t have one particular person who inspires me. I do get motivated by people’s success though. Years ago that wasn’t me. I was overjoyed when my friends achieved something great. Still, I used to compare myself. Why couldn’t that be happening to me? I’ve learned to be present in the silence. I’ve learned to be present when the world was ablaze. It wasn’t easy, but I’ve come to understand the waiting period isn’t supposed to be.

When I was twenty-three, I spent a whole year waiting to go back to university. That was hard. My peers graduated. Some of them even started a business and appeared on magazines. I was stuck. Waiting. For the rain. For a miracle. For God to open the door to my life. It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t easy celebrating when my life wasn’t moving forward. But I realized that their success was a testament to never giving up. I learned that to lift my glasses to celebrate their victory. The people in our lives can inspire us just as much as the top 1%. You don’t need a Tony Robbins or the big guns to inspire you. Often it’s the people who know who can inspire you.

When I started looking it like that my viewpoint changed. I started celebrating more boldly because they had achieved something that many deemed impossible. Looking at the way the world is it’s not easy buying a house. That should be a celebration dance. Here’s another thing, when the people around start doing great things that will inspire you because you will want that as well. This is why it’s important who you surround yourself with.

Here are a few ways you can tap into your motivation source.

How will you tap into your motivation source. Let me know in the comments section.

KEEP P USHING

VANESSA

An Open Letter Aspiring Entrepreneurs? Never Give Up

by vanessa | Feb 2, 2022 | Blog, blogging, creativity, Entrepreneurs

An open letter to aspiring entrepreneurs: never give up

This is an open letter to aspiring entrepreneurs that will surely motivate you.

When I was younger, I didn’t want to be an entrepreneur. I saw it as a fruitless and thankless profession. To me, it seemed boring. That was before my eyes were open to what entrepreneurship is really about. So, this is an open letter to aspiring entrepreneurs. I wish when I was starting out I found something like this. A blog post that would give me the much needed reality check I needed. That’s why I’m here. To give you a reality check. One that will help you understand a few things.

This is what you should know. Since this is an open letter to aspiring entrepreneurs, I want to be honest. Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone. When I started I was like everyone should to do this. No. Not everyone should be an entrepreneur. They are a lot of reasons. First is that it isn’t the easiest thing to do. Many days, you will be broke before you make money. They will be a time when you want to chop your hair off or throw your computer at the wall. See. That’s how frustrating it can be. How nerve wrecking it is? This open letter to aspiring entrepreneurs: I need you to see the bad before I encourage you. Because for those who stick around and truly want to be an entrepreneur, I want to help you not to give up.

Another bad thing about entrepreneurship is the early mornings. If you like sleeping in bed, then yeah, entrepreneurship isn’t for you. Now, some people are natural morning or evening people. They wake up early or sleep until late. You are an owl or a lark. As they say. Entrepreneurship takes it one step ahead. I am a lark. So I sleep early around 8 pm and wake up earlier, around 3:30 am. Now, imagine doing this daily. Whether you want to. Maybe you can do this here and there. I have to push myself to wake up even when I don’t want to.

These are a few tidbits I have. They are more. But now for those who want to stick with it. This open letter to aspiring entrepreneurs will help you to never give. Because that’s what we need, the motivation to keep pushing and not throw in the towel. Entrepreneurship is a lonely road. One full of potholes and obstacles, but it’s worth it.

The journey is worth it

The journey is never ending. There’s always gonna be growth, improvement, adversity; you just gotta take it all in and do what’s right, continue to grow, continue to live in the moment – Antonio Brown

Way back in 2018, I started a blog. That was the start of something wondrous. It’s been said that life comprises moments. Moments that teach us so much about ourselves. That is what entrepreneurship is. This is an open letter to aspiring entrepreneurs who have felt that they are missing a mark. I need you to realize that the journey doesn’t stop. It’s never ending. You will always have growth and improvement. I had to go through massive adversity to come to where I was. It wasn’t easy. Not by far. But I have learned so much about myself because of that.

I chose not to give up, and I was rewarded with improvement. Often we are stuck on the financial rewards and don’t realize that they are other rewards as well. I will not tell you the journey was easy. If I did that, would the journey be worth it? I always say that if you could wish to be anything, would it be worth it? Often, the answer to that is no. It would cease to be worth it.

Why? Because you didn’t earn it, so you don’t deserve it. Nothing worthwhile comes easy. That’s just a fact of life. Something that often we forget to acknowledge. This open letter to aspiring entrepreneurs will make you realize the journey will lead you to destinations you never imagined.

Your Why and How?

We all have dreams. Things that we imagine. I have had many dreams as a child. One point I wanted to be an actress than a psychologist and the list goes on. I never stuck with one thing until I found entrepreneurship. It was because entrepreneurship was bigger than I could imagine. This is an open letter to aspiring entrepreneurs, who are also dreamers. We are the future. Entrepreneurship, that is. It’s the future of the world. Why? Because entrepreneurs have grand dreams. They want to make the world a better place. To inspire and encourage.

So, it all comes to your why. If your why and how aren’t strong enough. Let me elaborate. You need a bold why. One that showcases why you are doing this. Why do you want to make the world a better place? Why do you want to be an entrepreneur? For me, I wanted to inspire millennials who don’t fit into the typical profession bracket that there was another way. I also wanted to encourage those who hated the 9-5 that they can in fact start a business and make money. My how was through stories on my blog and using media to encourage, inspire and inform. Your why will differ from mine and that’s a great thing.

Your why should be personal to you. That way, it will have room to grow and improve. Your why should also have a target audience. That helps you to narrow it down. We all know the saying that if you try to help everyone than you help no one. The same applies here. You got to have a target audience. You want to dedicate your why to.

Also Related: Do You Know Your Why?

Freedom of choice and time

As hard as entrepreneurship gets, the one thing that keeps pushing me is the freedom that it offers. I can do anything I want. If I decided I wanted to learn to pilot a plane, I could learn how to do that. I dedicate this open letter to aspiring entrepreneurs who want more choice. Here it is. The opportunity to have more freedom.

That there is a gift because most people don’t have freedom. They certainly don’t have options. Entrepreneurship is one of the few careers out there that offers freedom with time and choice. If I wanted to take a three-week break thrice a year, I could. Whereas with a job, unless I worked there for years, I couldn’t and you would always have to seek permission from someone else.

I’ve always been the person who hated that. Seeking permission to take a break. I also hated constraints, so I know entrepreneurship is the right fit for me. It gels well with my personality. I like the freedom. I also want to become financially free and entrepreneurship is the only career that can provide that. When entrepreneurship becomes harder, thinking about the destination helps to push me. Sometimes the destination can seem lofty, so I stick with things that I know would help to get me out of bed.

We all want freedom. Not all of us will get it. So, to all the aspiring entrepreneurs who feel trapped, entrepreneurship will give you time and choice. That’s not a bad thing. Even before you hit your destination, you can still have freedom of choice. Not time, but choice. The choice to make your decisions. To listen to your gut without being reprimanded if you get it wrong. That’s what I look forward to. Entrepreneurship has opened a world of wonders that used to be closed. It has given me insight that I never knew I needed.

As I’m ending this open letter to aspiring entrepreneurs, I know it will be hard. Entrepreneurship isn’t easy, but it is worthwhile. So whenever you want to give up, just remember why you started this. That should help motivate you.

What is your main takeaway. Comment below.

Keep Pushing

Vanessa