Sacrifice. The critical element to entrepreneurial success…or is it? I read an article recently written about what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur. The factor they listed as THE most important was sacrifice. Unfortunately they painted a picture of the life of an entrepreneur as a life of sacrifice. Even more unfortunate was that I was at an event recently with graduating entrepreneurs about to set out into the world to make a difference in their own unique ways and in talking with several of them FEAR that they were about to head out into a life of sacrifice predominated many conversations.
Now to be fair I do not think the author of the article meant sacrifice to mean a life of sacrifice but that is how is came across. The idea of it seems to be what people in general think being an entrepreneur is. IT IS NOT! At least it is not if we design things properly and act in alignment with our vision.
Yes, early on you must commit fully and dedicate yourself to the hard work necessary to create the foundation for your business and set the stage for the phenomenal growth that can follow. Yes there is sacrifice. At the same time there is vision of what you ultimately want for your business and your life and there is alignment to that vision from the very start. If there is we begin to set the pattern of living the life we truly want while we are “sacrificing” somewhat early on. The concept is that of delayed gratification. Some will see this as an all or none thing, a black and white or on and off concept of sacrifice and then some day in the future we will have what we have been working so hard to achieve. I believe it is more of a continuum where all along there are elements of sacrifice as well as elements of living your dream. Early on there WILL be more sacrifice and gradually there will be more and more living your dreams.
Step by step, moment by moment you will be living your dream each step along the way. Your dream will continue to evolve and grow as you experience success upon success. This pattern of living will reinforce itself very positively eliminating the fear too many have at the start.
Yours in health,
Brent
“Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.”
Beginning with a degree in exercise science and kinesiology, Brent Haydey has evolved over thirty years as an entrepreneur; building four businesses, and as a health, executive, and life coach.