There comes a time in the life of most entrepreneurs when the challenges seem overwhelming. You’ve suffered one setback after another and you seriously think about throwing in the towel.
You question yourself.
- Maybe you don’t have what it takes after all?
- Maybe your breakthrough idea just isn’t realistic?
- Maybe you should quit now rather than continue to make a fool of yourself?
Self-doubt leeches into your heart and soul. Despair begins to take over. It happens all the time. But I’m here to tell you why you should never ever give up on your dreams.
Consider these six reasons:
1. What’s the alternative?
If you give up now what are your options? Where are you going to be in life? Adrift? Aimless? Imagine how that is going to make you feel. Perhaps there’s a particular product or service you’ve launched that is plainly not going to be “the one.” Regard it as nothing more than a detour on your journey to success. We all get side-tracked from time to time and, although you don’t know what it is right now, there’s probably a good reason why Opportunity #1 didn’t work out. But you’ll realize the reason why when you succeed with Opportunity #10 or Opportunity #20. Take a look at billionaire author, J.K. Rowling of the Harry Potter series. She was rejected 12 times, before she finally got her first chance. Perseverance paid.
2. Mistakes happen.
There’s not a straight line to success. You’re going to hit bumps in the road that at the time feel like mountains. But you can get over them. In fact, making mistakes is virtually a necessary part of building a business. If you’re not making mistakes you’re not experimenting. You’re not trying new approaches. You’re not going anywhere. The key thing is to make sure that you learn from the mistakes.
Failure is a necessary part of the journey, but it’s never the end, until you make it.
3. You need passion in your life.
If you give up on your dreams you’re living a life unfulfilled. I can’t imagine not being passionate about something. Do you really believe you can build a large company and help tens of thousands of people if you have a wishy-washy approach and don’t feel strongly about your personal endeavour? If you don’t have a mission, if you don’t have a purpose, don’t you think that’s a waste of why you were placed on this planet? Live life with a purpose and you will never be bored. Absolute, conviction is everything.
4. Anything can happen.
Don’t give up today—because the breakthrough you need might happen tomorrow. All of the hard work you have invested in yourself will pay off in the long run. It may well be that you’re running in a marathon while you were hoping it would be nothing more than a sprint. If you’re at the point of giving up, give it another shot, and then do the same thing again the very next day.
5. The joy of success.
Most of all, don’t surrender your precious dreams because one day you will achieve them. And, when you do, the ecstasy will make all of the agony so worthwhile. Imagine being able to celebrate with your family and friends who have been rooting for you. Just think about the pleasure you will all feel. Crossing the finishing line and winning your personal goal is a sense of accomplishment that’s almost indescribable. So go for it and don’t quit because you certainly don’t want to miss out on the experience of savouring it.
6. Proving them wrong.
Last but not least…don’t give the naysayers the satisfaction of seeing you give up on your dreams! There’s nothing wrong with wanting to prove them wrong. It’s quite common to have people in your life who are the dream-stealers. It might be colleagues or business acquaintances or even, sad to say, family or friends. They are negative influences, sowing seeds of doubt. Cheers to those who doubted you because eventually they will want to be part of your dream.
Dreams are essential for an entrepreneur, and with determination you will achieve them. The road is never an easy one, but it’s absolutely worth it.
Your dreams are only awake if you are.
Featured on: Your Career, posted by Gurbaksh Chahal
