Got Purpose? Become the Entrepreneur Of Your Life
Happy New Year again!
Yesterday I was looking at Craig’s List under “events.” I often go there to look at acting jobs, gigs and voice overs. Occasionally I hit upon other things of interest. Today I answered an ad that went "Someone looking to hire a person to write a business plan." Now, a business plan is pretty straight forward: you go find the outline and fill in the blanks. The tough stuff is what fills up the blanks though and you have to do things like provide a market study.
It was a great conversation with a budding entrepreneur (or maybe he has a good job but wants more). We talked for about an hour and I realized that it was the details that were the problem—I told him the outline for the plan was online, what did he really need? As it goes, he needs to do the work. By the way, I think the idea is a good one, simple, can make money without inventory. But I thought whatever it is it takes work and work isn’t always fun. But he’s willing to do the work, already has a successful thing going on and I think just needed a push.
My experience is most people don’t want to do the work—they look for short cuts. But short cuts make it longer to get where you need to go, and the long cuts take time.
Life is pretty much a series of “long cuts” and work.
Anyway, it started me thinking, can you create a job that is entrepreneurial in nature? Can you have more with what you have or do you have to take huge risks, go out on your own and give it your all? The entrepreneurial stuff isn’t for everyone.
Can the job require more of you? I would say lots more. You just have to make some decisions. You’ve heard life is short and all that but add this—life not only is short but for most people it’s pretty boring. I think a short exciting life is probably better than a long boring one. You pick! I was talking to my BFF ("best friend forever" for those of you who are not social networkers--or 12 years old) and we decided that excitement was truly important and that we have to try our best.
If you pick the less boring, how do you do it without betting the farm and using all your savings?
You’ve probably heard this before, do you own a business or a job? Michael Gerber wrote a book several years back called the E-Myth: the Myth of the Entrepreneur. In his book he asks whether you own a business or a job. His experience being that people go into business because they love what they do rather than looking at a business for what it’s designed to do--which is make money. Why are you doing what you’re doing? Do you love it, do you have goals for the job or is your job just filling up space until another one comes along?
Are you making money?
How about taking your job and turning it into something special? I don’t care where you work or what you do, decide how you are going to get the most out of your job. Decide to become the entrepreneur of your life.
Yes there’s a difference between being an employee and an entrepreneur...
Employees get paychecks and get to complain about the boss. Entrepreneurs get to take risks, share responsibilities and have no one to blame other than themselves. They also get to make their own glory. How does it sound so far? Hey, you can stay where you are, but life is short and it might be short and boring. What a combo!
Got purpose? Once you decide that you want more from your job, decide what gives you meaning and purpose in your life and how you can work this into your existing job. Purpose will help transform you into an entrepreneur.
Take action, do something! Take a step forward; doesn’t have to be big just take the step.
Don’t wait to be perfect. If you wait too long, the rules will change. Besides, waiting to be perfect is just an excuse for not doing anything. It’s the “I’m not perfect, I was born with low-self esteem thing.” We were all born with low–self esteem. Self esteem comes from getting out there, trying stuff, having some wins and some losses. You know the rest, dust yourself off and take another swing at life.
You’re in charge. You change it, you make it happen. Get some goals that makes sense. Don’t take short cuts, do the work. Need a business plan do the work? Get the statistics, find out what people think. Get creative with what you need. Read books on your career, advertise on Craig’s list for people with interests like your own.
Trust yourself that you know where you’re going. You don’t need to talk with what I call the “dream stealers" -- those who are lazy and judgmental, the ones that know how to do everything but don’t produce results.
Work at it even if you don’t feel like it. This is the true sign of people who make changes in their lives, they do it because they know they’re on the right path: their path. You never know what this will turn into.
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