Do You Have the Right Motivation for Being an Entrepreneur?

It’s no mystery why people are choosing this path which years ago was considered extremely outside of the norm and incredibly risky. There are lots of plus sides to an entrepreneurial approach to your career. Being your own boss, shaking off the shackles of working for ‘the man’, deciding your own work hours, pursuing a career or industry you have genuine passion for. For many it’s also a case of proving something, though this is usually proving something to someone else rather than simply themselves. Perhaps a teacher who told you that you didn’t have what it takes, a parent who wasn’t supportive, an ex girlfriend or boyfriend you want to show off to, an old boss who’s face you’d love to rub success in to. Hey, we’ve all been there for some of those aspects. What you need to ask yourself though is, is this enough of a reason to influence such a big decision?

Motivations like these are quite short sighted. It’s like scratching an itch for short term gratification but are these driving forces going to serve you well when you’re not earning well yet and are still growing? When you’re up all night fleshing out business plans? When your friends and peers are buying homes and starting families ahead of you?

Motivation for being an entrepreneur needs to come from a deeper place with foresight in mind. Like any journey you embark on, you need to have a clear idea of where it’s going to lead you. What kind of life do you want to build and is the path you’re on ultimately going to take you there? Sit down and think of your ideal retirement. What does life look like, what do you have and what did you sacrifice in the meantime to get there? Having a long term goal, aim and ambition which really means something to you and you can continually work towards is the kind of driving force that will get you through the tough times and out the other side. 

Start with the right end in mind and plot your course.