Are you an entrepreneur—a pioneer? Here to establish a new niche market or invent some life-saving cure?

Maybe you simply idealize the benefits of self-employment.

Do you feel compelled to go above and beyond normal routine to breathe life into your dream? Is something driving you—motivating your potential? Are you yourself to the point of exhaustion, failure and defeat?

Have you given up yet—resorted to a life of obscurity?

If you’re feeling totally uncomfortable and lacking belief in yourself, I assure you that whatever it is you’re passionate about is within your grasp.

Most of what’s truly worth achieving is not going to be within arm’s reach when we set out to accomplish it.
It will likely seem nearly if not utterly impossible in the beginning—whatever’s standing between us and our imagined reality.

We might have the wrong motivation for wanting to break out of societal expectations and go our own way as an entrepreneur.

There’s only one way to leverage success—through a storm of relentless commitment. Embracing courage in the face of fear. Trembling, sweating, panicking, wondering how we’re going to feed ourselves or pay the bills—constant uncertainty and discomfort.

Misery, heartache and tears—emotional catastrophe and the brink of collapse at any given moment will shadow our progress every step of the way. Shying away from our own greatness because the intensity of a new life scares the living hell out of us will most certainly loom.

False bravado makes us stand out like a sore thumb and lack of experience in treading new waters will leave us gasping for air. Midnight panic attacks, broken-off relationships and loss of all perceived comforts will make us feel inadequate—sick to our stomachs.

Yet, somewhere deep down within our soul, something continues urging our self-imposed limitations off the cliff until, one by one, we’ve finally shed enough of what’s held us back from our success.

Celebrate each success, no matter how big or small and face the heartache and failure just the same—as simply another hurdle to overcome. A glimmer of hope will arrive on the horizon, but it will still be out of reach. Some people, being the skeptics that they are, will lack the vision we have to see our dream through.

They’ll have to see it to believe it before even considering the idea of celebrating us. Until then, we’ll be just another bum—a has-been or more likely a has-been not. At least that’s the perception.

Many people will envy our growth and will not adorn us with support or encouragement. Steer clear of these types of people. When confronted by them, know your elevator pitch—express your humility in the work you’ve deliberately set out to do and reveal only as much as you’ve already accomplished. Leave the work still cooking in the oven in the darkness. There’s a saying, “Never talk your good away too soon.”

Have you ever felt like as soon as you shared your enthusiasm with someone, it’s suddenly like the luster has been lost and instead, discouragement prevails? This reflects a lack of belief and conviction in our own work and is being outwardly expressed as doubt and skepticism by others. Regardless of whether we fully believe in ourselves in any given moment, we learn to avoid damaging the potential energy with polluted ideals or the limiting beliefs of others.

Persist through both waking and resting periods. Creativity knows no boundaries and if inspiration arrives at 3 a.m. get up and jot down whatever it is your intuition is revealing. Rise and set early. Turn down obligations and spend the extra time it takes outside of your normal life to work on whatever it is that propels you.

Let the critics sit on the sidelines and learn to overshadow their pessimism with our own vibrant optimism. Selective hearing—dogs and cats, children and elderly people seem to have mastered this. Quit procrastinating—spend your money wisely and better yet, save wisely. Minimize your debt obligations and be willing to spend the hours, days, weeks, months and sometimes years it will take to realize your fruitful endeavor. Run towards whatever gets you closer to this new life and away from whatever will seek to destroy it. Misery loves company.

Saying “but” and complaining cancels all forward momentum; avoid making excuses and start acting. Energy must move to groove. Give up the excess in life and learn to love simplicity now. Explore passageways that lead to happiness, joy and fulfillment while we’re building our empires because attaining it does not buy the fundamental properties that innately exist within us.

I read somewhere about a study done on happiness where multiple millionaires were asked if making their first million made them happy or happier and their answer was a unanimous “No.”

We must cultivate that which we wish for to grow and bear abundance.

Remember, hours of busy work does not equate to productivity. One or two hours of thorough productive work each day is far more advantageous and effective than the illusory eight, 10 or 12 that might make us feel like we’re accomplishing something. Check out the 80/20 rule (Pareto principle) and minimalism. Avoid the hamster wheel.

I’d recommend curbing the substances that fog our judgement. Ditch the people who accept their lackluster reality and condone our own ambitions. Get out of town—literally. Move someplace foreign to your senses, where we’ll be forced to come into our own without the home town judgement.

Another saying, “We become like the five people we’re around most.” It helps to look around and determine if we’re surrounded by winners or losers. I’m sorry to sound blunt, but are you inspired by people who’ve attained their own success or dwelling with what I call time-wasters who value social hour more than genuine productivity and advancement (they’d rather lavish in their image)?

What are we willing to lose in order to gain? What’s worthy of sacrifice so that our commitment leads to success?

There’s only one thing stopping us in our tracks—the failure to act.

Good luck, I have faith in you my fellow entrepreneur.

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Author: Thayne Ulschmid

Editor: Sarah Kolkka

Image: BenRosett/Unsplash