The most important skill when starting a business.
Throughout school, I had a constant feeling that I was a failure. I was lacked motivation and hunger to do well academically and I wasn’t exactly good at sports. I enjoyed playing football (soccer) but my plans for after graduation were not really a concern. I struggled for many years after. Jump to today and I’ve found satisfaction in my professional life.
Entrepreneurship isn’t easy. It requires patience, perseverance and a long-term attitude but there’s one very important thing I’ve learned in the past few years of running two businesses and it’s this: know yourself.
Let me explain.
Business requires a number of skills, ranging from foresight and a strong mind set to knowledge of accounting and marketing. But we are often being told that anyone can handle the pressure of running a business. The truth is not everyone can. There’s no blueprint for starting and building a successful business (any course or individual who says otherwise is lying). You can plan for years, know your product and industry inside and out but when push comes to shove, the pressure of years without stable revenue or profit will break 90% of people. That is not to say that those who stick it out are Trojan-like fighters who are better than others. On the contrary, many are often too weak to quit.
I realised at 32 years old that I couldn’t work in a job where I had to ask for permission to take time off or to suck up to the right person in order to save my career. I also knew that when something I wanted was unavailable I thought of how I could bring said thing to me. It became an obsession that led to me willing to risk it all to make it work.
Self-awareness has been the best thing that I’ve learned from running my own business. It’s allowed me to lift my head up with pride and be able to live my life on my terms. It’s far more important than any financial reward. Does that mean everyone should live their life like that? Not at all. Live for yourself and prioritise what matters to you. It’s the only way you’ll find happiness.
