The Challenges of being an Entrepreneur
The Challenges of being an Entrepreneur
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Ready to be the next Sara Blakely, Tory Burch, Mark Zuckerberg, or Oprah Winfrey? It took more than luck to get them where they are today. It takes hard work, precision, dedication, and sometimes loneliness. Yes, you read that right; many entrepreneurs don’t tell you about the negative side effects of becoming an entrepreneur. One thing they really don’t tell you… it’s lonely at the top.
Let’s be real… being an entrepreneur is stressful. We hear so much about their successes, their hard work, overcoming challenges but not their actual struggle with becoming or being the CEO. The pressure of the demands, responsibility, and uncertainty of your success is based on your decisions. It gets real REALLY quickly.
Here are a few things you should keep in mind when starting a new business and becoming an entrepreneur.
People Problems
When starting a business, you will be interacting with a lot of different people, which means different personalities. People are dynamic, you might have the best team but keeping that work environment healthy takes a lot of time and effort on everyone’s part. Keep in mind, personal issues will arise at some point. How you handle the situation will determine how your team dynamics will be affected. Communication and respect is key.
When it comes to success, you will see sides of people you won’t expect. Your closest friends might be your biggest supporters. These friends could also surprise you and be extremely envious of your success that they can’t handle it anymore. From ghosting to confrontation, friends or even family members can be jealous or upset by your success and career goals. Don’t let that faze you. Friends come and go. Do what makes you happy. Stay humble and respectful and always remember that you are building YOUR empire.
Lack of Time
Running around and feeling like there aren’t enough hours in a day is an entrepreneur’s norm. If you’re feeling this, you aren’t alone. When creating an empire you will find yourself losing time. There are deadlines to meet, meetings to attend, phone calls to make…the list goes on and on. Your schedule is maxed out and the pressure is on. Before this becomes an issue, you should invest in a Time Management strategy: taking regular breaks or create a prioritization system. Take it slow and integrate these strategies slowly into your routine.
You will find that you are not going to have the time you use to to enjoy friends and family. This is going to cause a lot of stress on you and some friends might even stop inviting you to places. When we first started our business, all of the friends we use to party with and go out during the weekends just stopped inviting us to places since we never had time. We see them going out on Facebook and posting pictures of the good time they are having while we where taking a break from a deadline we had to meet on Monday. It’s hard to get use to, but you are doing it for no one else other than for you.
Letting Go
Are stressful situations in the office lingering? Are you hurt by comments from ex-friends or family members? Or are you taking things a little too personally? Letting go is hard. As an entrepreneur creating something from scratch, you will be criticized for your decisions and your actions. You will start having doubts and believe in the naysayers. It is normal to feel this way. Challenge but normal. Don’t let your stress or high anxiety get the best of you. You will find happiness in client reviews and completing a project.
Here are a few tips on how to manage stressful situations, your anxiety or depression:
- Exercise: 30 minutes a day will help reduce your anxiety. Try: indoor cycling, running, walking outside (get some fresh air), or
- Stretch: Simple Daily Stretches or Yoga, whatever fits your lifestyle
- Separate your Work and Sleep, turn off your computer or cell phone an hour before you go to bed.
- Create Tomorrow’s To-Do list: unload everything you need to do the next day. Planning ahead will take your mind off of what needs to happen today.
- Find your Tribe: make new friends who have similar interests as you. Motivate each other.
If these don’t work and you are feeling too overwhelmed, please talk to someone. There are so many other entrepreneurs in the same situation right now. Having people depend on you to make ends meet is not an easy task or a light one. Always listen to yourself and recognize the signs of being depressed.
