Optimism and Realism a Needed Understanding For Entrepreneurial Success

In an article, Optimism vs Realism: Which Breeds More Entrepreneurial Success? Jerry Jao shows that the entrepreneur should have an balanced understanding of optimism and realism. It seems both are a true reality of entrepreneurship. Failures can serve as learning experiences for the future. While success cannot be taken for granted. An often heard motto is, “ you can’t rest on your laurels.”

One area I have always lacked in was the legal aspect of business. Why? I was always so optimistic about my abilities to get new clients and provide a service, that would bring repeat business.  Jerry Jao shares that studies do confirm a strong link between successful entrepreneurs and optimism, but this should not lead to delusion. In my case I believe the delusion was rooted in seeing the marketing and service as the entire business model, as it is simply was components to the whole business. This is a major mistake, often the legal aspect of the business offers a safety net and alternatives. Here are some legal mistakes made by entrepreneurs.

As anyone contemplates entrepreneurship, make sure you have a proper balance of optimism and realism. A good working knowledge of each is essential as an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur DNA

I was reading Mark Suster's blog on Entrepreneur-DNA and decided to share my insights on the concept. In the blog Mark share insights about thirteen points that make up the DNA of an entrepreneur. Just be reminded that DNA is replicating, it continues to make of copy of itself. My experience has shown even if you work for others, you have this make-up within yourself that leans toward entrepreneurship. Your mind is more oriented toward making decisions and leading others.

One way or the other you have ideas and the willpower to make sure a project is completed. It is not just that you want a good work performance rating and you want to maintain you job. There is also some frustration there because you skill set never has an opportunity to play out in you being the boss. Many people or on the sideline, yet have such creativity. Some people have tenacity as mentioned in Mark's blog to never give up. This is very different from people that just do enough to get by, or use only the effort needed for the requirements of the job.

Today my point is simply, look within and see if you have the DNA traits of an entrepreneur.
If so then it is time to start thinking of ideas and ways to allow you, as entrepreneur to replicate into a small business.

Intuition

What is intuition? I would define it as a connection to your inner inclinations. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines intuition as a thing that one knows or considers likely from instinctive feeling, rather than conscious reasoning. Consciousness is being awake, but for this writing, I refer to being awake, as understanding the impact and historical role of imperialism in our lives.

Personally, I feel intuition is a God given gift that makes each person unique and special. Consciousness is always relative, but is based on facts and information. But how does the entrepreneur use his intuition for success? How can the entrepreneur be instinctive in our current environment? They must be totally influenced by spiritual disciplines along with practicality. Practicality must be added because this brings the entrepreneur needed balance.Our inner inclinations must be marinated within developing ourselves through spiritual enrichment along with the practicality of the business and social environment.

It  is nearly impossible for the entreprenuer to start and stay on course because the signals in society are suspect with a specific agenda. Let me be clear, such economic indicators as the stock market and CPS survey along with many other surveys that are false indicators of the status of the nation. This means if you saturate yourself with only this information your inclinations will not be based in reality. It is based on another’s reality. However, what does your intuition tell you? Should you have a small business? Is it possible for you to begin a start-up on your own or with family? Maybe a family business can redirect energy in the household that may be going in a less productive direction, but you must trust your intuition. Here are some blogs that portray practicality not often seen in everyday media. Check out Max Keiser and also Democracy Now. Your intuition is crucial because it allows you to respond  to your inclinations.

Focus

Why is it so hard to focus? Whether we have to focus on weight, our relationships, or a bank account, it is always difficult to stay focused. As I thought about the focus a entrepreneur needs, I realized that we lose focus because we cannot keep a concentrated effort on a specific agenda. In Thomas Oppong's blog, 11 Habits of Remarkable Entrepreneurs , one of the habits he feels is key, is incredible focus.

Recently I watched two movies, Cast Away with Tom Hanks and All is Lost with Robert Redford. In both of these movies the major character had to focus intensely on survival. There was only one focus, survival. Here is why it is so difficult for us to become focused and any activity especially as an entrepreneur. It is very hard, yet not impossible to focus with an intense passion on just one thing as in the above movies. 

What is needed for focus is an intensity on all the actions needed to reach the goal. In both movies improvision and creativity was of paramount importance. The question is in today’s society, how can we reach and maintain this type of focus. 

In my opinion, since we experience so many distractions, and also have so many responsibilities. The answer seems to lie in the ability to set time aside, specifically  uninterrupted time, so this focus can be put into practice daily. In this way, several things begin to happen. Confidence can be built, components for success can be focused on, and the process keeps you in the moment. This type of application is seen in Kemetic Philosophy, recreation is the very act of life, a consciousness of each moment of your life and your connection to what is developing at each moment. So recreation is not running six miles or lifting weights, or doing Pilates, yoga, recreation is the ability to re-create each moment. 

This makes perfect sense if we think about our physical body. At any moment we have millions of actions that maintain our body, constantly re-creating our bodies. Yet, we have forgotten that the most important focus should be on re-creating the world we live in. We have delegated these responsibilities to others, and this has not worked well. So how do we increase our focus? We must be dedicated to a specific time slot that we can re-create in. It may take a little longer, to reach a goal, but the end results will be satisfying and life-changing.

Erosion

Would it be, to far fetched to say, it seems people in this country are just eroding away. For those of us that been detached from our homeland, we celebrate holidays that don’t have any significance to us, other that it is another day off from work (if you are working). If you are someone that has no sense of purpose other than your place in hell or heaven or reincarnation, then I am talking to you.

As I thought about this topic, what came to mind is the handrail or banister that begins to rust and erode over time because of the elements. It loses it’s look and usefullness over time. The culpuit is the air and elements. In a real sense we may suffer from the same culpuit, the air and elements. I will define the air and elements as those voices that we are exposed to that erode our natural constitution.

Those elements consist of half-lies, mistruth, mis-directed truth, all having a devestating effect on how we see our world and see ourselves. So what can we do about it? I think first we must be aware of the erosion, we need to call it what it is. Then we must realize as individuals we must take action to slow down the process. How is this done?

If I remember correctly about the handrail or banister, depending on the state of erosion the paint has to be removed first.Then the rust has to be removed and a protective coat added for the metal, so it can maintain it’s properties. How does this relate to you?

In my mind erosion is a negative subconscious conditioning from the culture. Specifically, whatever voices negate our connection as people. Someone may say, what’s wrong with our culture? We all need to live in truth. Truth is what gives us a place to stand, all of us, not some of us. Our culture allows some of us to stand tall, but I believe the world was made for all. What about you?

Each of us need to slow down the erosion process, by replacing negative subconscious thoughts with a proper understanding of truth and how it contours our life, families and world.

Building Blocks

For years building blocks have been created to teach children the foundation of building. We can also use building blocks as concepts to move toward starting a business. I do not assume your success will be a multi-million company, but rather an opportunity for a person to do something they like and at the same time make a living or acquire supplemental income. The building blocks I refer to consist of how one gets from one level to the next in this process.

Today, it is not a guarantee to be able to go to college and then get a great job or even get a job. I suggest if you don’t know your strengths and weaknesses then you should check out some  free self-assessments on the Internet. This would allow you to  get a better understanding of what you do well.

This could take some time, it doesn’t usually happen by taking one test, you may have to take a few tests to arrive at the correct insight. After that is done you can start to look at possible small business ventures that may work for you. Will you need additional training? Is there cost involved? There probably will be cost involved, do some searching and see if you can find a series of YouTube videos or a website, maybe a blog that teaches what you need. Then see if you can work your way towards your goal or start your business. You may feel funny attempting this on your own, so get a friend or partner to help in the overall assessment. Make it a project. The longest journey starts with the first building block.