This blog is about the dark side of entrepreneurship that isn’t fun to talk about. While this lesson comes from entrepreneurial experience, it transcends the world of business and applies to every human endeavor. For that reason, I hope that you’ll give me the next three minutes of your time and focus in on the truth that you might be avoiding.
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It’s been five months since I left my job to pursue complete ownership of my time, energy and effort. I’ve written about the transition before and so I won’t do that again here. Instead, I want to focus in on something that I didn’t realize before I left my job but something that has been weighing on me since I left. There’s a constant, baseline urge to run away from the stress that is entrepreneurship; to choose comfort over challenge.
There are weeks where everything is going well and life just feels smooth and then, in a matter of minutes, everything seems to unravel. I’ve experienced a few sleepless nights, I’ve tiptoed the boarder of a few panic attacks and I’ve had to lean into faith throughout the process. Beneath the ebbs and flows of life as an entrepreneur, the temptation to quit is like the hum of the A/C unit during summer – it’s always there even if you don’t always notice it.
“Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.”
Earl Nightingale
I’ve come to realize that intense emotions in the moment can exacerbate the urge to run away from hard things. In tandem with this realization, I’m also learning that the ability to step back, tap into stillness and look at the big picture is a skill that spans the continuum of all human endeavors. Whether it’s running a business, training for a race, making a move or anything in between, we will all experience moments of stress and moments of doubt. However, like Nick Bare has expressed, “doubt is only dangerous when we doubt ourselves,” and that couldn’t be more true.
Whether you’re running a business or just experiencing the temptation to run from a challenge in your life, don’t do it. If you believe in yourself and trust your process, lean into the truth that consistency compounds over time and good things happen to people who do good things. This is not advice to continue beating your head into a wall or traveling down a path past red flags. Please, seek guidance and get help as needed to make intelligent and informed decisions. This blog is a call to action to push further into the discomfort of life. Just like buffalo run into storms, the sooner you can face your struggle, the sooner that you can learn, grow and come out on the other side. I should also add that while life can be challenging I wouldn’t change this current path for the world – it’s right where I’m supposed to be.
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The last thing that I want to mention here is that no matter how you’re feeling, you’re not alone. There are people out there who are going through similar (maybe not the exact same) situations and are experiencing the same wave of emotions that you’re feeling right now. The people who come closest to their full potential are the ones who continue to expand the borders of their comfort zone; the ones who march forward with confidence even when they don’t feel confident. With that being said, let me leave you with a powerful quote to help with your next step, whatever it is.
“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Happy Thanksgiving!
Joe Rinaldi
IG: @joearinaldi
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