3 Catchall Facts for the Entrepreneur in You

No matter who you are, you're the entrepreneur of your own life. You're the one who decides what paths to go down and which ones to avoid. I've learned that success in business is all about bringing that mentality to all of life, not just the hours spent at the desk. So, without further ado, here are a few pieces of wisdom I've picked up along the way.

1. There Are No Hacks
   If you're busy trying to find a shortcut to the finish line, you're going to be extremely disappointed. (And before you deny this, working smarter and cutting corners are not the same thing.) Starting my business took everything I had, and its foundation was built on failure after failure. The key is not to take anything personally, whether it's your shortcomings or the shortcomings of others.
   Entrepreneurs learn to think differently and are willing to fail regardless of where they are. They challenge themselves to execute ideas in different ways and build better strategies as they go. Only a fraction of my success can be measured in the mechanics, the rest is the approach I took to every problem and opportunity in front of me.
   It ultimately comes down to how you see the world: are setbacks the bane of your existence or are they an opportunity to learn something?

2. You Have to Start Right Now
   If I had waited to start until the time was right, there is no way I'd have ever made the first move. I never felt ready for any of it, and few people ever really do. When I wrote down the first word of my business, when I launched my first idea, when I secured my first big client, I was terrified and felt hugely unprepared. The only reason I was able to get those things done was that I did them knowing failure was a possibility and not being afraid of it. The timing will never be perfect.
   The key to business success is to set small, achievable, measurable goals. You're not beginning with the vague idea of becoming a billionaire. You're starting with setting up your office, nurturing relationships, and learning everything there is to know about your trade. Because I truly loved what I was doing and I was 100 percent committee, I found a way to muddle through my insecurities and fears to come out on the other side.

3. **Conservation Is Everything **
   I had to run my business on very limited resources, which meant that I had to really watch how I spent every penny and second I had. While you will have to spend money to make money, your overhead should be as low as humanly possible. I had to drink off-brand ground coffee to stay awake during those late-night sessions, and I'm glad I did.

A lot of people want to be their own boss but there's no doubt that entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs alike have their work cut out for them. The key is to take it bit by bit. It was all the micro-decisions I made that added up to macro success. Success doesn’t happen overnight.