Most entrepreneurs are masters at keeping inner struggles hidden in a deep and dark dungeon. Those inner fears will never show.
No matter how strong and independent you are, I do believe you should have a confidant… a mentor that you can share your struggles with.
While we are talking on 2 separate levels of humans who are making life better for all of humanity:
- Soldiers
- and Entrepreneurs
there is a similar attribute they both must possess:
Masking their fears and struggles
The soldier cannot show fear as he leads his unit into an area known to have a heavy enemy influence.
The entrepreneur cannot hint to his/her tribe that they are worried about the debt they just developed in manufacturing that fantastic idea that will solve a slew of problems.
We know that many soldiers come home suffering from psychological problems, with P.T.S.D. being at the top of the list.
And entrepreneurs… Well, I suggest you read this award winning article entitled The Psychological Price of Entrepreneurship.
I have decided to talk about what many entrepreneurs will shy away from… Our struggles. Do any of these fit? If they do, read it completely because I will give some tips on overcoming those entrepreneur struggles.
Entrepreneur Struggles #1: Maintaining Focus
There are a myriad of things that can take our focus off priorities. This is especially true for the entrepreneur who works at home alone, the solopreneur. The temptation to go to Facebook, Linkedin, Google+ or email multiple times will take your focus off the tasks that bring in the money.
The first step in defeating this is to make a plan of action for each day. Stick to your plan. And I suggest giving yourself a reward for each task completed on time or early. That reward could be a 10 minute social media visit… But make sure and set your alarm.
There is a great app to help you stay focused called Freedom. You can find it here.
Entrepreneur Struggles #2: Using Too Many Methods
This is a monstrous struggle for entrepreneurs. The primary subject is marketing but can also fall into other areas.
In a recent meeting with tribe members, the subject was brought up of creating multiple groups and communities around one service. While I believe it is a great idea my first question was, “who will manage those groups daily?”
You could hear a pin drop because managing social groups is a time consuming task.
I have learned that it is best to test a method and if it works, stay on top of managing that method and you can then add a second method. If you use too many methods without managing them, clients will lose faith in you and you may lose faith in yourself.
Entrepreneur Struggles #3: It Has To Be Perfect
I have found that a high percentage of entrepreneurs are also perfectionists. Perfectionism and entrepreneurship can war against each other. If you are always trying to get something perfect, you will use up your resources without releasing your idea.
Because it will never be perfect!
Wow, that sentence can grind a hole in our esteem, can’t it?
But it is true. You just have to know that perfect is unachievable, so release it already and make amendments and revisions as you find them.
Entrepreneur Struggles #4: Micromanaging
This struggle can destroy an entrepreneur’s tribe. It goes hand-in-hand with the perfectionist struggle. As entrepreneurs, we have our set ways of doing things and when a tribe member or freelance agent does it in their own way, the temptation to “hover” over the top of them is huge.
Micromanaging does not work!
If the temptation comes, you have to just resist it.
- Is the person getting the work done?
- Is it timely and completed to specs?
- Are revenues growing?
Why should you try to “fix a wheel that is not broken?”
If the answer to any of those questions is no, instead of micromanaging, just talk with the person and explain your position. If it keeps sliding backwards, find a different person.
It is that easy.
Entrepreneur Struggles #5: Separating Rational From Irrational
What this essentially comes down to is fantasy dreams versus reality dreams. We may have a great idea, but we must use something that entrepreneurs have an issue with… Critical Thinking!
We have to research and measure costs both in money, time and customer acceptance.
I am completely pro risk taking, but those risks need to be calculated.
Don’t be like the person who bets $100 to win on a long shot racehorse because the horse pooped before the race. That is not a calculated risk.
Conclusion
Now, I know there are many other entrepreneur struggles which I will touch on in coming posts.
They are hard to talk about and accept, but the best way to overcome a struggle is to recognize that struggle. If we don’t see it and discuss it, how can we defeat it?
I truly hope this post helps you realize your struggles.
Before I close out this post, I want to mention another struggle that many entrepreneurs face… Recruiting.
To help entrepreneurs defeat that struggle, I (along with some key tribe members) developed an app that turns recruiting into an enjoyable experience. It takes the stress out by eliminating resistance.
Get the Rocket Recruiting App here.
Thanks for stopping in today and may your business climb
To The Top!
