It’s Your Journey
As an entrepreneur, you are glued to the seat working on the same stuff all by yourself. Sometimes days and weeks pass by that you get to interact with another person including your friends. And, then there are those times when you wish that awesome thing you have been working on gets noticed by people. You put your best foot forward and launch your product, share it on your blog or on social media and wait for a shower of likes and comments. But, sigh! It hardly gets noticed even by people who are close to you or admire you the most. And, you keep wondering, what are you missing? Why such a feeble response? If you ever experienced this, then you are not alone my friend. Although I am referring to entrepreneurs here, this is not just limited to them. You may be a writer, an artist or anyone working alone on your goal. This post is not about “How to be successful?” It is about how to make your solo journey more enjoyable and fulfilling.
It’s Your Journey
One thing that every entrepreneur must understand is it is their journey at the end of the day. No matter what support system you have, how many people love you; it is the path that you have to walk. No one else can walk on it for you. It is your journey! Period.
In today’s busy routine, when people do not have time to talk within the family, who would be able to understand the flood of thoughts crossing your mind every moment or connect with your work as you would? And, it is certainly not something that you should count on. Note that I am saying you should not count on. That does not mean it cannot happen. If you are one of the lucky ones who have someone walking with you throughout the journey, good for you. Don’t lose them along the way. But, for others who do not have this luxury, you have to believe it’s your journey. It is also a good thing in many ways as it makes you completely responsible for your actions. The success is yours and so are the failures.
Of course, that is not to say that you ignore your support system. A lot of the entrepreneurs can cherish their dreams because someone is supporting them. Be it taking care of finances to family needs, that support system is crucial. They are doing their part so that you can live your journey. So, be grateful to them, but don’t expect that they will connect with your journey the same way as you would.
Embrace The Journey And Not Just The Destination
Entrepreneurship is a journey beyond comparison in many ways. It has challenges, hurdles, and rewards. But, it is a lot more fun when you embrace the journey itself. Then it is not something that you look at separately. It becomes a part of you and you become a part of it! You will work for hours and days and yet not feel tired a bit. Every day you wake up you are as excited about the journey as you were on day one. Isn’t that interesting?
The destination is certainly important. But, if you only care for the destination and not embrace the journey, it is like being stuck in a long flight. You are checking your watch every few minutes hoping the journey ends soon. And, if it keeps getting stretched, you are more and more frustrated. However, if you embrace the journey, it is like a cruise. You are enjoying every bit of it.
Prepare For The Marathon And Not For The Sprint
This may not come as a surprise to many. But, being a runner I could not think of a better analogy. Sure there could be short entrepreneurial stints that could get you to your goal. But, for many of us, it is a long haul. So, it is important that you have the stamina and patience to live through it. Some runners run only to meet the specific goal and not an inch here and there. Whereas, there are runners who just enjoy running. They are not looking to only run a certain distance and be done with it. They are enjoying every moment of the run. Entrepreneurship is a lot like that. Many times you would not know how much effort would go in, how long will it take? But, if you have stamina and patience, you will see through it. This is also about embracing the journey, but a really long one.
Clarity In Ambiguity
As funny as it sounds, you need to have a clarity even when things are utterly confusing. You are carving out your own path. So, there are bound to be times when you do not know what lies ahead or how to proceed. But, if you stay focused and analyze the situation, it is quite likely you will be able to bring in clarity. Even if you do not have the answer, you will at least know the problem or what you are trying to accomplish. And, when you keep working on it, you will eventually resolve the situation. Almost every time I got stuck in such a situation where I have spent hours (sometimes even days) without any breakthrough and nothing else seems to help, I like to take a step back and analyze what exactly is the issue and what am I trying to do? Invariably, bringing in that clarity often leads to a solution. You may have to break it into smaller pieces and work with these before you could resolve the entire situation. But, hey that’s a part of the journey!
Do Not Neglect Your Loved Ones
As entrepreneurs, we are heads down working on our own things. Sometimes you even lose track of time. I sincerely believe an entrepreneur’s journey is incomplete if they get disconnected from their loved ones. So, make sure you give them that time and attention. After all, they are also living their own journey. It may not be as complex or as fascinating as yours. But, if you are not there when they need you, your accomplishments are diluted. Along the same lines keep your loved ones informed on what you are doing. Of course, not to bore them with details. But, just so they know where you are in your journey. I think this is very important in relationships. Do not just reach out only when you have a need. Just share where you are on a regular basis. Having that openness will go a long way in building relationships where they would understand you better making your journey more enjoyable.
Happy journey!
– Nitin
Also published on Medium.