Suddenly it happens,
after overcoming obstacle after obstacle, we come falling down and hit the dirt to taste reality. Achieving our goal
won't be as easy as we thought. As the dawn of reality sets in, it's easy to see
why many projects seem too daunting and are left unfinished. The passion, drive,
and overall enthusiasm gives way to stress, fear and sometimes depression.
"Why won't this just work?!" we ask ourselves, as the world seems set
on keeping us down with each added task to our list of growing to do's.
What we don't
realise is that this is part of the process, and that these obstacles aren't what
they seem to be, road blocks. They are in fact clear markers for navigating to what
we have set out to accomplish. More like sign posts or foot holds. Looking at every journey
we embark on, A-Z, we can be overwhelmed by the sheer distance we need to cover
to get to our destination. What if we just look at A-B and forget the
rest, what about B-C? It's all about framing and perspective, so make it work
for you not against you, which is our natural tendency. Here is another question, did you ever think you could just hope straight from A directly to Z? I hope not, we need to accept that there is always going to be ground to cover to get us from where we are now to where we want to be. So be thankful if you are facing new challenges, these serve as street lamps on what would have been a very dark and arduous journey.
"Nothing
worthwhile ever happens quickly and easily. You achieve only as you are
determined to achieve… and as you keep at it until you have achieved"
-Robert H. Lauer
So now if we think
about the difficulty of the task, and the time it will take to achieve it as a
sign that what we are trying to accomplish is in fact worthwhile, how do we
feel? I'm pretty excited.
Enter the 4 P's of
entrepreneurship Patience, Persistence, Perseverance and Passion.
We need patience
because MOST things don't happen overnight like all of the success stories in
the media would have us believe. There needs to be a willingness to accept when
we mess up, and to accept every added challenge we are given. Look at it more like
"don't put your foot here" and "this is a possible place to put
your foot" respectively. Need I remind you how many light bulbs Edison
designed before getting it right?
We need persistence
and perseverance because we often won't get it right the first time.
Persistence and Perseverance are the equivalent of being willing to go through
the process of re-evaluating our decisions and actions. It's all part of the
cycle in taking that next step to our final destination. This definitely does
not mean charge ahead blindly, it means learning from our mistakes and
successes. We need to do more of what works and less of what doesn't. Looking
at our journey this way makes it a much more rewarding experience. "Look
at all I have learned" instead of "look at how much I've messed
up".
Finally we need that
passion. It's unlikely that we will be passionate all of the time. We need to
think back to the early days of our journey, our why. It helps down to write
down your original vision so you don't lose track of what you're working for, and
always add to it. Re-visiting this often will keep you on track and full of the
grit needed. Don't just read it, visualize yourself in a world where you're
living your vision. Play a song that really gets you pumped up, close your eyes
and see it. What does it look like? How do you feel? How has the lives of your
customers changed? How has the world changed? Who are you to stop this from
happening? If you don't make this happen who will? Now look at A-B, what is it
in the scheme of things now?
Stay present, focus
on what is directly in front of you, laugh at every challenge you're given with acceptance as you realise these are just getting you closer to your goal. Remember no mountain has ever been too tall, no ocean too wide, to stop our
species from achieving our dreams. Now let me see your war face!
