Being an entrepreneur isn’t easy. The upfront investment in time and money is significant.
The early part of the journey for an entrepreneur is one fraught with nothing but uncertainty.
You invest most, if not all of your time, money and energy in something with no guarantee of success. Despite your best efforts, things often go wrong. In the beginning, there’s an endless parade of setbacks, obstacles and mistakes. You begin to doubt yourself with every misstep. These doubts fill your waking moments and invade your dreams. Peace of mind is hard to find. Uncertainty sucks the life out of you. It drains you of your confidence and every day you wonder if it is all worth it?
It takes superhuman resilience to survive the entrepreneur’s journey.
So, why do it? Why even try?
Because the journey transforms your life.
It forces you to develop new skills, acquire new knowledge and introduces you to many outstanding, success-minded people. If you are able to survive the journey and succeed, what awaits is a better life for you and your loved ones.
Happiness and fulfillment are on the other side of the journey.
Success means no more financial worries. Success means you can send your children and your grandchildren to the finest schools, giving them a leg up in life. Success means you can help your adult children buy their first home. Success means you can pay for your child’s wedding. Success means you can spend more time with your family at your vacation home. Success means you can help family and friends who are struggling financially, survive. Success means you can use your money to help local charities do more good. Success gives your life more meaning because of all the good you can do for family, friends and your community.
Yes, the journey for entrepreneurs is difficult. But during that journey, you acquire superpowers that never go away. And those superpowers have significant monetary value that pay dividends for the rest of your life.
Tom Corley is an accountant, financial planner and author of “Rich Kids: How to Raise Our Children to Be Happy and Successful in Life”, Effort-Less Wealth, Change Your Habits Change Your Life, Rich Habits Poor Habits and “Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals.”
