But from time to time, we all take a battering. I have never seen a business go from start-up, to growth and through to successful sale or exit where everything was perfect. And it’s at these ‘challenging’ times when the entrepreneur really shows himself or herself. It’s what sets us apart from the ‘pale imitations’ of the real thing.
Most of the successful entrepreneurs we work with have at some point taken a real battering, but they pick themselves up, dust themselves down and drive forward relentlessly (hopefully, learning from the mistakes they made).
Nevertheless, it’s at these points where our entrepreneurial spirit takes its biggest battering.
At times, because of the pressures of running your own business, your entrepreneurial spirit gets lost, hidden and often subdued. You must fight against this. It’s your entrepreneurial spirit that gets you up in the morning. That says, ‘Here’s another day full of opportunities’ (the ‘NON’-entrepreneurial spirit says, ‘I wonder what problems we’ll have today!’ – there’s a big difference).
One of the best ways to keep your entrepreneurial spirit alive and kicking is to keep working ‘on’ your business, rather than ‘in’ it.
That’s what makes you entrepreneurial. Reading success books (autobiographies written by sports stars, film actors, and business millionaires) and, of course, reading this article will keep the juices flowing and keep you thinking differently—as we do as entrepreneurs.
But you must keep the fire burning. Don’t take it for granted. And don’t let others squash your thinking. It’s what keeps us pushing our businesses forward. Have a great month.