I’ll preface this blog by saying that I don’t care if anyone reads it.
This writing session comes in the middle of a heavy week and it’s from me, to me. I’ll be dumping thoughts (in no particular order) onto this page and I’m publishing just in case it ends up being for you too.
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It’s been almost 4 years since I quit my job and went all in on building Project Endure. The process has been both harder than I thought AND more rewarding than I imagined. I’ve experienced some of the highest, highs and the lowest, lows recognizing through it all that I’m choosing to be on this rollercoaster.
Being an entrepreneur is grueling because in the beginning, it’s a GRIND – long hours, lots of options and little direction. Each day brings a new set of anxieties, doubts and dilemmas (the sleepless nights at the start were especially hard for me).
With time, you start to figure some things out as you make new mistakes. The loose direction that you chose in the beginning combined with persistent action carves out a path that begins to take shape with each subsequent step. Without being able to see where the path leads, you trust that it’ll take you to a place that you want to be. However, along the way there are obstacles; fallen trees, large rocks, chasms and creatures. These things make you question whether or not this is the right path and the truth is… you don’t know… you won’t know until much later. It’s at these junctures that I’ve chose to keep moving; to hop the tree, climb the rock, jump the chasm and call the creatures’ bluff. Sometimes there are other people on the path and sometimes they choose to walk with you but sometimes, they don’t. In fact, there will be certain people who claim that you’re going the wrong way and others who promise to walk with you but don’t. You can’t let these disappointments turn to discouragement and stop you from walking on YOUR path. For most of the endeavor, the direction is more important than the destination and endurance is more important than everything else.
There will be times when you’re exhausted. But then you’ll remember that most great things were built by tired people and that this pursuit wasn’t supposed to be easy. There will be times when you feel overwhelmed with all that lands on your plate. But then you’ll remember that your goal was to eat and things on your plate are serving that purpose. There will be times when you’ll want to stop. But then you’ll remember why you started and that you didn’t come this far to only come this far. There will be times when the grass looks greener on the other side. But then you’ll remember that it’s not; you used to be on the other side and there’s a reason you came to this one. There will be times when you’ll have to work longer than most, harder than you’d like and without the reward you seek.
This pursuit demands ownership over what you can control and that requires sacrifice. People around you will seek comfort, convenience and to fit in. You have to embrace that excellence is an act of rebellion and to get to where you want to go, you’ll have to swim upstream and dream with your eyes wide open. You’ll have to be bold in being different, content with being misunderstood and willing to dance to your own music.
The 90 hour work weeks, the anxious nights, the early mornings, the hard conversations, the volatile emotions….
This path is not for everyone.
But for those that choose it, just know that it chose you first and it’s worth it.
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I’ll end this one with some words from one of the all time greats…
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
Steve Jobs
Do hard things.
Joe Rinaldi
IG: @joearinaldi
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