The Curse of the Entrepreneur

Let me tell you a quick story that I hear time and time again. The main character changes, but the story remains the same. It goes something like this…..

I’m not sure that I know what I want to do when I grow up. So far, I’ve bounced from job to job, making just enough to support my family. However, I get bored easily with each job and start looking for the next best thing.

As a result, I’ve run though my life feeling unfulfilled. I don't really know what I want to do. I have lots of ideas, but I don't really know which one to pursue

I think I want to do something on my own. I may want to own my own business. I’d like to be my own boss. In my previous jobs, I’ve loved building something new within my role and I’d love to do that with my own company. But, that takes a lot of work and money. I don't really know how to do it or how to get started. I guess I'll keep looking for the perfect job for me.

The reality is that this person does know what they want to do when the grow up - THEY WANT TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR!

Here's the really cool news about this......You can be an entrepreneur just by deciding that you are one. That's it! No school to complete, entrance exam to pass or interview to ace.

So, why do I call this a curse? Well, because frequently there is something holding wanna-be entrepreneurs back from pursing their dreams. For instance, you've got to support your family and yourself financially. Frequently when you stop working at your ‘regular’ job and start an entrepreneurial-venture there is a period of time where you make little to no money.

Or, it may be fear holding you back. The fear of failure, the fear of getting in over your head, or the fear of the unknown.

That's generally the curse.....money and/or fear. You're cursed because you want to be an entrepreneur, but are stuck in a job and can't be.

Personally, I don't believe in the curse. We live in the age of the entrepreneur! With the internet, it's easier than ever to follow your individual entrepreneur dream.

You’ve got to start somewhere. If you think you have the entrepreneur-spirit within you, then go for it! Decide that you are an entrepreneur and find a way to apply that to your life. Don’t go through life saying, I don’t really know what I want to do. The reality is that you do know…..you’re just afraid to try it.

Here are a few resources that I recommend to help you get started.

So let me ask you this, how do you cure this curse? How do you get started? How can you follow your dreams? In a few days, I'll add another post with some of my ideas. But, I'd like to hear from you.

If you are an entrepreneur, how did you get started? If you would like to be an entrepreneur, what's holding you back?