Why Every Entrepreneur Needs to Prepare in Order to Succeed
Everyone wants to be successful at something, whether that’s a hobby, a career, a business idea, or something else, but what does it take to actually get there? As a highly successful business owner, I love to share what I’ve learned with entrepreneurs, especially those who are just getting started. And one lesson I haven’t heard often enough is that it’s important to prepare for success.
Jumping into your entrepreneurial journey unprepared for success is like embarking on a back-country hike without a compass or any hiking gear. You might be able to reach your destination, but it’s going to be more difficult, and it’s likely you’ll run into trouble.
Luckily, just like a hiking trail often has friendly hikers to point you on your way, the business world is full of people like me who love to mentor other entrepreneurs.
This is how I recommend preparing for success:
Define success
It may seem silly, but defining what success means to you is a step too many people skip. If you don’t define what success looks like, how will you know when you’ve reached it? More importantly, how will you know you’re heading in the right direction?
I recommend starting small. Success doesn’t have to mean making huge amounts of money, gaining notoriety, or supporting your dream lifestyle. Those things can become your goals eventually, but it’s best to set realistic, achievable expectations. Maybe that’s just making $1,000 a month. Once you’ve reached that point, you can assess what’s realistic and set a new goal that’s higher—maybe even enough replace your regular income. Just like you shouldn’t embark on a long backpacking trip without having first completed some significant day hikes, you can set yourself up for success by defining it within your reach.
Celebrate when you achieve your goals
Whatever you defined success as, make an effort to stop and celebrate when you reach that level. I can attest that it’s easy to get wrapped up in the momentum of reaching your goals and allow them to morph into larger goals without stopping to celebrate what you’ve achieved.
If you manage to make $1,000 a month in recurring revenue, that’s a fantastic achievement! Now you know what you’re capable of, and celebrating that gives you an opportunity to reflect on what went right and what you might want to achieve next. The best part is, achieving those goals will energize you for the next stretch of your journey as you decide what it looks like.
Appreciate the journey
Focus on the journey rather than just the goal or outcome. This is absolutely vital to success because it’s what allows you to show up every day and put in the effort that’s required to get where you want to go. If you don’t enjoy the process, you may have set the wrong goal for yourself. The reason hikers hike isn’t just to see the sites at the end of the trail—they love everything about the process, from the early morning drive to the scenery along the way and even the sometimes strenuous act of putting one foot in front of the other.
Make an effort to appreciate all the steps, including the challenges and failures. Embrace them. Failure is a part of success, and it’s necessary because you’re never going to be able to get everything right on your first try. Enjoy the process of learning and don’t put too much pressure on yourself by focusing only on success—if you enjoy the process, you’ll get much further much faster because it will motivate you to put in the work regardless of the outcome. That persistence is what leads to success over time.
Focus only on what you can control
Some of the best advice for life in general but especially for business is to only worry about what you can control. Circumstances will always change, industries and markets evolve, and opportunities come and go, but what you’re in control of are your own actions. Sometimes those outside circumstances will influence your success, but you can’t count on them to do what you want or expect. The best path to success is to simply show up every day and keep making progress. Eventually you will break through despite setbacks and failures.
Don’t set out on your entrepreneurial journey unprepared. Start by defining success and bring along the right mental tools to help you reach your goals. And don’t forget to celebrate at every waypoint!
