Who is an entrepreneur? Someone who walks around in a land filled with opportunities – or at least what look like them – and unable to sleep due to that restless itch to create, succeed and make a dent in the world. That’s an Entrepreneur. And in becoming an entrepreneur, mere mortals take on not only a calling that changes their lives, but also embrace a lifestyle that becomes a matter of thinking, living, breathing and dreaming like an entrepreneur.
If you ask those who live and breathe Entrepreneurship, they will tell you that it is less of a means to make moolah and more of a lifestyle, the seeds of which were perhaps sown many years back. An entrepreneur is always at work, their head brimming with ideas and images that entice them to give up everything else. If you are an entrepeneur or on your way to becoming one, you most likely embody the following five attributes as a way of life:
#1 You Are Perpetually Inspired
“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” – Jack London
Inspiration strikes you like a tidal wave out of literally nowhere. Walking down the street and looking at a sign in the window can trigger a million ideas on how that sign can be tweaked to suit your business. You wake up in the middle of the night (if you sleep at all) with a brilliant idea that needs to be executed first thing in the morning, before breakfast.
You thrive on inspiration and you can find it in the most unlikely places, and turn it to your advantage.
#2 You Are Influence Personified
“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” – Dale Carnegie
This is something that you want to continually exert. And we are not merely talking about a marketing campaign or a social media plan that grabs eyeballs. Every entrepreneur worth his or her salt knows that making more than just an impression on everyone you meet is a matter of creating a sphere where you are recognised as an influential voice – and one that the potential customer will remember when in need of services that fall within your niche!
You exude a certain kind of vibe – the one that most people call Personality.
#3 You Dissect Potential To The Bone
Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence is the key to unlocking our potential.” – Liane Cardes
We are not just talking about tapping into a universe of opportunities to make a buck here. The real entrepreneur lives and breathes potential. Playing it by the ear is what every entrepreneur knows to be a life long reality. You start with one idea, get hit by a better version along the way, scrap it almost at completion and go back to it like good karma when faced with that new white paper or blog you follow, filled with findings that change your worldview altogether!
You don’t give up, you don’t give in, but you do give your best to a possibility.
#4 You Ideate On The Commode
“To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science.” – Albert Einstein.
Now this is a lifestyle hazard that every entrepreneur meets in his or her journey – and multiple times a day! Developing a storyboard for a new idea happens at random times – during meals, at the mall, or even when you are tuned into that oh so boring conversation which has your wolf pack enjoying the latest gossip.
Much to your own chagrin, you cannot seem to allocate a specific time to this activity – it pretty much comes and goes at will, even during the five minutes you should be concentrating on clearing your system of last night’s ideation party.
#5 You (Don’t) Know Time Management
“The key is in not spending time, but in investing it.” – Stephen R. Covey
An entrepreneur knows only one time – the time to do business. This is something that most entrepreneurs will agree with. Not only do you do everything like an entrepreneur but you also excel in managing everything as per a strict time line and to do list. Except when it comes to your business.
That pretty much happens all day – and you cannot seem to find the switch to turn it off even if you want. Irritating but true! You think you would want to put off calls until the next day. But no – there you are, handling calls, drawing up plans, signalling to staff, drinking coffee and tapping your foot to keep time; all at once!
So what lifestyle patterns and changes has entrepreneurship brought about in your life? Share your thoughts with us!