Read a great post on the four elements of entrepreneurship by Seth Godin. An awesome read as is expected from Seth.
He describes the traits of people who act like entrepreneurs:
And what do people do when they’re acting like entrepreneurs?
1. They make decisions.
2. They invest in activities and assets that aren’t a sure thing.
3. They persuade others to support a mission with a non-guaranteed outcome.
4. This one is the most amorphous, the most difficult to pin down and thus the juiciest: They embrace (instead of run from) the work of doing things that might not work.
And here’s the most profound thought:
If you’re hoping someone can hand you a Dummies guide, giving you the quick steps, the guaranteed method, the way to turn this process into a job–well, you’ve just announced that you don’t feel like acting like an entrepreneur.
Does that ring a bell? We’re all seeking a dummies guide to getting things done just right. Particularly when we’re starting out. Be it an entrepreneur or a manager or a writer/blogger/copywriter or a speaker or even a consultant (gee, what do I specialise in?)!
We all want a process, a roadmap to get stuff done. So that we conform to everyone’s expectations and are tagged as capable or talented or an expert. We’re afraid of taking risks because we want to control the outcome. We want a measured result and want to project our progress as a success. Number do matter, after all. Doesn’t it?
Oddly enough, we learn the most when we go all out and take a risk. Failing is a great teacher. Sure, you can shorten the curve by following a process. Or perhaps by the modeling the successful who’ve been there and done that, but you will have to walk the path nonetheless.
If you want results. Safe results. Mediocre ones. Follow a process. If you want to learn, go in-depth and master something. You can’t escape the grind.
And that’s what it takes to be an entrepreneur.
It’s not about the riches but about the process (yikes! journey!).
What are you waiting for?