It’s not all glam and glitz.
It takes courage to leave behind the safety of a monthly paycheck and build a business from the ground up. By now, we all know that being an entrepreneur is no easy feat. And too often, the confidence that an entrepreneur portrays easily masks the struggles that they face.
It’s always the success stories that are talked about. What about the struggles and difficulties? Just how brutal is the road to entrepreneurship? It’s time to be honest about the price that entrepreneurs secretly pay.
1. Maintaining Focus
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Part of why it’s so great to work for yourself is the freedom that you have. You are your own boss. You fix your own hours and schedule. However, freedom is a double-edged sword. It can even turn out to be a curse if you don’t exercise discipline. With no one keeping tabs on you, it’s easy to get distracted and lose focus. What was meant to be a productive day can end up full of Youtube videos and Netflix. That’s not even covering most of today’s modern-day technology and distractions.
I bet you have multiple tabs open right now and at least one of them is social media. As an entrepreneur, it is crucial to keep yourself in check and fend off unnecessary distractions. Set up a daily to-do list the night before and check them off as the day goes along. Working in a public space such as a cafe, coworking space or library can also help. The background noise and activity around you will keep you from giving in to the quiet of your home.
2. Being Relatable
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Although there is an increasing number of entrepreneurs these days, it’s still likely that within your group of friends you are the only one who has chosen this path. As supportive as your friends and family might be, they will never be able to fully understand the struggles that you go through. And that makes it a struggle in itself. Likewise, your peers might lament about their daily grind in their office jobs, and you’ll find yourself unable to relate or contribute to the conversation.
The key is to fully accept that you have chosen a different path for yourself. And unless they are entrepreneurs themselves, none of your family or friends will ever be able to completely understand the difficulties that you go through. Not many of us are able to cope with bottling our stresses and from time-to time we need to speak with someone who can relate. Go out for networking events and acquaint yourselves with fellow entrepreneurs. You’ll be surprised to find that no matter the type of business they are involved in, the struggles you face are similar.
3. Gaining Respect
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Most entrepreneurs are in their twenty-something. As a young person forging your way in the industry, it is inevitable that your actions, ideas and thought processes are put under the microscope and scrutinized. Feeling like you’re not being taken seriously is a blow to the ego and can cause an entrepreneur to lose confidence in his or her own abilities.
It will take time to prove that age is just a number and to gain respect from your peers, employees and competitors. Some things you could do to assist the process is to be consistent and keep yourself open to feedback. Remember that respect begets respect. Treat another person the same way you would like to be treated.
4. Inability To Relax
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Entrepreneurs are hustlers, and hustlers often have their minds all over the place. Unfortunately, that also means that it is hard to completely relax without some part of your brain still worrying about your business and work. And when you can’t relax, the stress permeates into all other areas of your life. Be it having dinner with a loved one or when you are out and about with your friends – you won’t enjoy yourself when you’re there physically but elsewhere mentally.
Remember that self-care is absolutely crucial in order to avoid a burnout. You have to take a break every now and then in order to achieve greater heights and reach your milestones. As you schedule your hours for work, make sure to include some downtime for yourself where you’re completely devoted to nothing else but yourself. There are many ways a person can de-stress, be it through sports, a spa or just listening to music. Find what works for you and commit to it.
5. Handling Criticisms
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Some entrepreneurs keep to themselves intentionally for fear of being criticized. And the truth is, there is no way to avoid criticisms completely. On the contrary, you will be criticized multiple times regardless of your achievements. There will be people who say that you won’t make it and haters who pass snide remarks. Even Mark Zuckerberg is criticized from time-to-time, despite how established he is.
Recognize that there are constructive criticisms and non-constructive criticisms. Take the constructive criticisms into consideration, but keep in mind that non-constructive criticisms are never about you – it is about them. Perhaps they feel inadequate in their own lives, or they could be jealous of your achievements. No matter what it is, never take it personally. And don’t close yourself off. Because people who support your cause are out there, you just need to find the right ones.
6. Dealing With Uncertainty
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There are countless matters that keep an entrepreneur tossing and turning at night. One of it is uncertainty, and along with it comes stress and anxiety. There is no way to find out what’s going to happen tomorrow and you’ll never know for sure if your business is going to fail or fly. Having this anxiety gnaw at you is something every entrepreneur will encounter.
But the fact is that the only thing certain in life is uncertainty. It might be challenging to find joy in challenging times, but it is a choice that everyone has the ability to make. Do it enough and it will become your brain’s default setting. You’ll find that having a spirit of unrelenting positivity in the face of uncertain times will help you in both your personal and professional life. Positivity is a contagious energy which will weave itself into many areas of your life.
