W04 How Will You Measure Your Life

 My life is a culmination of the choices I make. Choice is huge in entrepreneurial work. Knowing how to make effective choices and take the right action steps can set you apart from others. 

This week I had to unlearn the following: If I work the hardest, I will get ahead and find success. This by itself is not true. Knowing how to make effective choices and work efficiently is a more powerful tool to success than simply working hard. For example, I can sit and stab a bag of ice in my freezer with a fork for five minutes to get enough ice out for my drink. This takes hard work, and eventually gets the job done. I also might be pretty annoyed after or have a sore arm. The alternative to this high effort method is taking the bag of ice out of the freezer and hitting it on the counter top once or twice to loosen the ice. Not only is this method faster, it also uses less energy and breaks up the ice to be ready to use for the next several drinks! It is not all about working hard, it is about finding effective solutions and making smart choices. 

I know I can work hard, I am still learning how to make my work count. I often want to rush to a solution and do something as quickly as possible. This is not always prudent, especially in entrepreneurial work. I find myself repeating this mantra, "It is worth the time it takes to learn a new skill". With starting my new business I need to walk before I run. I need to move with intention and make intentional choices. 

My final takeaway this week is that fear is part of the process. It will come up throughout my entrepreneurial journey. And, I have the skills to know how to mitigate that fear and move through it. It is worth it to take the risk than to not do anything at all. Taking the risk, regardless of failing or succeeding will lead me to living a full life. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

W01 First Entrepreneurial Entry

 Here we go!  I started BUS 110 this week at BYU-Idaho. It is Into to Entrepreneurship. I feel if I can successfully write entrepreneur without looking at the word by the end of the semester I will have succeeded. Here are my two reflections on this week: Make Journaling a Habit: Inspiration will come- and it will also go. Recording thoughts and inspiration as it hits is a way to keep it. Inspiration builds as you learn and grow. Tracking and recording what you are learning and how you are growing will enable you to turn that growth potential into reality. I have wanted a reason to journal for a long time but haven't turned it back into a habit since I was a teenager. I hope this class will kickstart me back into journaling. This will be increasingly helpful as I start my business this year.  Track Lessons You've Learned and Lessons Not Yet Learned: It seems obvious to track lessons you learn in order to reflect and implement them. However, after reading Your Entrepreneur...
Read more

W08 Overcoming Challenges

Challenges will arise. Fears and doubts will creep in. Setbacks will happen. How will I deal with it all? This is why it is so important to view entrepreneurship as a journey and a mindset, not a destination. Setting continual goals, holding firm boundaries, and evaluating progress in meaningful ways will empower me to find growth despite rising adversary.   As I start my small crochet business- no one knows who I am. It will be hard to drive sales and build a customer network in a market that is already oversaturated on certain platforms. To over come this I plan to follow advice from David Carrington "Know who [you] are and what the brand is. And consistently execute the brand." This means putting a lot of research and work into the brand development of my company. My colors and logos need to be consistent and intentional. My purpose behind my crafted items needs to follow my brand pillars and align with my long term goals. This will require a lot of introspection and plann...
Read more

W13 A Journey of Gratitude

            Risk Management            Is the risk of entrepreneurship worth it? This is something that has been a central focus throughout the semester. My conclusion is the risk is worth it. While entrepreneurship seems to carry a heavier sense of accountability, I do not think the risk is inherently greater than other options. Layoffs still happen at “secure” companies. People still fail and lose their jobs. Even if the risk is higher than other careers and lifestyles, the payoff is worth it. My perspective on this completely shifted from the start of this semester. From my husband losing his job last year, to reading all the case studies and finding my entrepreneurial drive -I am left with one question, “why not me?” If others can follow their passion and find success, why not me? I am no longer terrified of risk. It is worth it and I am excited to see where my entrepreneurial journey takes me.     ...
Read more