To Fail Or Not To Fail? Entrepreneurs Speak…

Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough. ~Og Madino

To fail or not to fail? That is the question. Fail Fast. How about don’t fail at all?  That was the statement James Altucher posed in a public forum. Entrepreneurs jumped in sharing their beliefs, values and thoughts on the concept of failure.  Names have been omitted as I share excerpts:

What It Means To Fail

  • A person who hasn’t failed is more likely to have never been successful
  • The message of “fail fast” is not to encourage failure. What it speaks to is moving action with ideas instead of analysis paralysis and never-ending planning. No amount of analysis and planning can prepare you for the reality of launching something. This is what “fail fast” means. It does not mean to emphasize failure. Build it (now). Measure it. Learn from it.
  • The wisdom in “failing fast” is that you should test your ideas hard and fast. If it’s going to fail, better know sooner rather than later. But, yes, failing is not fun at all and shouldn’t be a badge f honor unless you can speak to what you have learned from it.
  • Fail fast is not supposed to be taken as a literal plan. It is a frame of mind entrepreneurs are suggested to take when there is a large unknown. The fact that it’s unknown means you have no guarantee that you won’t fail. So it makes more sense to operate in a way where you have affordable failures instead of large ones you can’t rebound from.
  • Failures are shameful, painful, and not shared. Experiment, test for the good and bad. Do something you don’t like to confirm. Get in touched with yourself. Be clear with your goals etc. You will feel more success and fewer setbacks with how you learn and experience the world.
  • We ought to believe in our ideas and craft them in a way we believe failure is not possible. The idea of “fail fast” sometimes naively lures us into playing the game to fail rather than to win
  • Is it possible to never fail and be trying new things? Pushing things to its edge or standing for things? The opposite of failure is not trying anything because its risk-free in our world. So being willing to fail and even fail big speaks to a conviction to do something maybe extraordinarily new. Failure stings …but so does living with little drive and not learning from past experiences/experiments.
  • Edison’s approach of saying he didn’t fail 100 times; he learned 100 things. I prefer to teach people and make them better not punish failure. Of course I believe in study, preparation, and teamwork to minimise the chance of failure. If our approach is “failure is not an option”, then you are like that ex-CEO of Yahoo who infamously posted how she didn’t have Plan B or Plan C, because she didn’t plan to fail. I have never met people who have used failure as a badge of honor but have met people who told me how they used an instance of failure to learn and get better.
  • If you have never failed, you haven’t pushed yourself or taken challenges and put yourself out there.

So there you have it. Entrepreneurs and leaders sharing their thoughts on failing fast. What’s your take? Do you agree?

Personally, I believe never trying is a certain path to boredom, apathy, and remaining stuck. Try something new today.

Cheers!

The Most Important Step You Can Take…

The most important step a man can take. It’s not the first one, is it? It’s the next one. Always the next step. ― Brandon Sanderson

Entrepreneurs Share Their Top 3 Skills Needed For Success…

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Tough times don’t last. Tough People do.

Entrepreneurship improves productivity, spurs innovation, and creates jobs. This is the notion postulated by the Center for American Entrepreneurship. Thriving for independence and financial growth, many are the aspirers who long for the zeal of owning and managing their own business. But do you have what it takes to dive right in?

In a Shark public forum the question was asked” What three skills do you think Entrepreneurs need to be successful? Hundreds chimed in sharing both skills and traits.

Entrepreneur Skills

  • Sales, Marketing, Relationships
  • Leadership
  • Selling, Communication
  • Salesmanship
  • Financial Intelligence
  • People
  • Negotiation
  • Ability to Sell Ideas
  • Negotiation, Sales and Persuasion
  • Time Management
  • Delegation of Authority
  • Resourcefulness
  • Creativity
  • Positive Attitude
  • Strategic Planning
  • Market Research
  • Control, Vision, and Sense of navigation
  • Critical Thinking

Entrepreneur Traits

  • Persistence, Self Awareness, Patience
  • Discipline, Resilience, and Faith
  • Work Ethic
  • Confidence
  • Empathy
  • Tenacity, Never give up, Endurance
  • Work Hard
  • Adaptability, Perseverance, Problem-Solving
  • Determination
  • Mindset
  • Foresight
  • Introspection
  • Self Discipline
  • Faith
  • Passion, Drive, Persistence
  • Hustle, Grit, Gratitude
  • No Fear

So there you have it. Excerpts of the skills and traits entrepreneurs believe to be essential to their success. Sure there are more! Do share. We would love to hear.

Cheers!

New Experiences…

Don’t listen to what they say, Go see.

To Write Or Not To Write…

black and white blog business coffee

A workaholic, an insatiable learner, and serial volunteer. That’s what I do when I’m not writing. I volunteer in activities that contribute to the growth and personal development of individuals. My passion is connected to my vision to see a world where individuals can become successful, however they define it. So I invest the time to speak with individuals and groups throughout the local, national, and international community. Totally satisfying!

In search of being refreshed, I recharge through family play and engaging in the world of film. I hunger for movies. Drama, sci-fi, action, comedy, love…, it doesn’t matter, it all works! It reboots my mind. And when it’s done, I’m able to return to my past-time,  to write.

Job And Career: Is There A Difference?

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What is the difference between a job and a career? Is there a difference and if so, what is it? Are you looking for a job, career, or a calling? What is your goal? Here are a few definitions to guide your evaluation.

Work

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Work is defined as activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result.

Job

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A job is just about making money ….a paid position of regular employment. It is basically short term.

Career

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A career is feeling good about yourself as a sense of satisfaction …what you do… something that is your identity.  A careeer is an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person’s life and with opportunities for progress. Essentially, it is long-term.

Calling

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Your calling pertains to leaving your mark on the world…a strong urge toward a particular way of life.

Which of the above depicts you? Think about it. Is it a job, career, or a calling? Do share! We would love to hear!

Cheers!

Goals: Show. Don’t Tell…

Don’t tell them your goals and dreams. Show them.

 

 

The 3 Signs Your Friends And Loved Ones Keep You Stuck…

Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck where you do not belong. ~N.R. Nanyana Murthy

Many of us have been there. We have dreams, goals and aspirations. But we must share such desires with those closest to us to get their buy-in…and in some cases their approvals. But while we wait, it can create tension, sadness, and disappointment that causes us to become stuck. Stuck because what we want to do seems way beyond our scope of accessibility.

But there’s hope if we recognize the signs of how our loved ones and friends can hold us back from realizing our dreams.

3 Signs They Are Holding You Back

1.Their expectations

Your loved ones and friends can’t imagine you dong anything else. A colleague of mine spoke about having to convince his parents that he wanted to change careers and become an entrepreneur. He was hindered by them because they were proud of him being in his prestigious job that took care of his family.  How could he walk away from that? How will they (his parents) introduce him to their friends? What’s this entrepreneurship endeavor… they asked.

2. Their Investment

Often our loved ones hinder us because they are invested in us and expect us to stay put. Are you the main breadwinner? Will you now be putting them at risk? Is it a co-worker whose job ties closely into your own? Who will they rely on if you walk away? How will they survive?

3. Envy

The worst case occurs when friends, family, or co-workers discourage your progress simply because they envy you. They want to step out themselves but have always been afraid. They don’t have the guts to do it, so they discourage you.

Today, may you find the courage to get up and do what you have always wanted to do. Step out. In some cases it might be necessary to ‘keep your mouth shut‘. Keep your plans to yourself. Then once you have put your plans in place and are ready to go, share your decision. You’ll be guaranteed of moving on to that exciting state where change thrills as you make the leap!

Cheers!

Painful. Staying Stuck Somewhere You Don’t Belong…

Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere that you don’t belong. ~Goalcast

How Will You Know If You Have Never Tried?

 

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Photo by Igor Costa on Pexels.com

How will you know if you’ve never tried? That’s the question asked by Psychologist Dr. C. Watson. I couldn’t agree with her more. Too often we rationalize why things won’t work. But we will never know unless we try. At times we may look at the experiences of friends, colleagues, coworkers and even family members and use their experiences to judge our own.

Often we are even stuck in our fear of failure. But good things come to those who make the attempt.

Today I implore you to be bold. Step out. Try. Attempt to do the thing that you have always been afraid to do. Who knows? You may surprise yourself and accomplish great things!

Try it today!

Cheers to your success!

Do It. It’s That Simple…

If you can imagine it, you can dream it. Dream it and you can become it.” –          Walt Disney

For years Walt Disney’s quote…”If you can imagine it you can do it”, hung on my wall at home. I was able to see it every day. It stayed with me during all my dreams which became goals which later became reality. My studies, writings, books, and more, all became real because of my dreams.

Dreams Don’t Come Through by Themselves

But dreams don’t just come through by themselves. We have to plan, then work it. With hard work, dedication, persistence, and the will to achieve, they become real.

From a young age, my niece always wanted to do her best at making others beautiful. After graduating, she began working with a renowned makeup organization. She learnt from the best and with her innate desire for excellence, she has excelled and now makes celebrities beautiful for their appearance at major events. Indeed, she makes me proud to see her journey realized.

On the other hand, sometimes after we have achieved, we want to move on to other things. Some may be bigger; some may be smaller (as in downsizing). Others may be to let go, relax, and enjoy the little things.

Today, whatever your goal, be sure to know that you can achieve it with the imagination, and the will to see things come through.

Today, do you.

Cheers!

Focus On Where You’re Going…

It’s none of your Business what People think of you.

Focus on where you’re going.

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