Entrepreneurs: Quit Whining and Do the F___king Work!
Friday, November 6, 2009 at 09:07AM I'm feeling spicy, energized, and unstoppable this week so be prepared because my direct choice of words may shock and/or offend you or someone you love. Hopefully you'll get inspired or upset enough to take some massive action or change your life in a positive way. Sometimes it takes a little egging on, razzing, a direct challenge, or an "I've had enough" moment to spur us into action.
The following post was inspired by this post by Jay Goltz, an author on the New York Times Small Business Blogs.
There's a lot of whining and complaining that happens in post and in response I posted a comment so direct that it probably won't get published.
Three of the most powerful things I've learned throughout my entrepreneurial career are...
- The ability to mentally separate me from my business and results my business produces
- The ability to sever any and all emotional connections to money and,
- That success in anything is simply a process that has most likely been done before. It is nothing magical, secret, or special.
When you learn how to use your mind like a Jedi Business Master you will be able to easily compartmentalize anything you want and flip your business mind on and off like a light switch.
We also have to always be diligent and mindful about applying and accepting labels to ourselves because all labels typically come packed with a bunch of false garbage that includes associations, assumptions, and stories that are not helpful and possibly even destructive to our ability to be the best we can be.
It is obvious from his post, that Goltz has allowed his mind to associate all kinds of limiting and destructive traits (“…obsessive, competitive, intolerant…crazy, self-absorbed…”) to the label of "entrepreneur." Thus, he has created a self-fulfilling prophecy which has, quite evidently, been fulfilled.
It also seems that Goltz has allowed repeated failures to trick him into lowering his standards for success and settling for less than being his full potential when he says, “I have redefined what it means to achieve my potential. Sometimes controlling your ambitions can be a good thing. Sometimes smaller is better.”
If you find yourself starting to whine and complain or you begin buying into stories like Goltz's about how “hard” entrepreneurship is, you need to cut your mind off and get back to work. Get back to doing the process of entrepreneurship. That's right...I said "process." A huge mistake we entrepreneurs make is buying into this fantasy world where entrepreneurship is described as a "journey" an "adventure" or a story about a lone "hero."
Entrepreneurship is a process that you learn through hands-on experience, education, and through other people that have already learned and are masters of the process.
Step outside yourself, outside the label “entrepreneur” and all the unhelpful junk you’ve associated with it. Put an end to your childish need to feel special because you're part of this "entrepreneur" thing. Go out and find out what you have to do to get exactly what you want, start taking action, and don't let a damn thing get in your way. Do whatever it takes, be willing to work as long as it takes to get your goals. Don't let anything or anyone tell you that you can't get exactly what you want, exactly how you want it and you'll be well on your way to achieving Jedi Business Master status.
"Failures" (or learning opportunities) will try so, so hard to trick you into settling for less and giving up on your dreams by making you feel that your dreams are beyond your potential. Your potential is as you define it, not as external circumstances may try to dictate. Go forward without emotion. Learn the process. Do the f---king work and get the results. End of story.
Now, if you're angry, inspired, or neutral, post a comment below. Or, if you're fired up and ready to take some massive action to ensure you get what you want, don't post a comment because you need to get to work.
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