I am basically starting my new-entrepreneur journey with nothing, and it really is a bit over-whelming. I have no money, I have no time, and sometimes I have no energy. As I write this, I don’t even have anyone reading my new-entrepreneur blog posts yet, so I don’t even have a following. Apparently, I’m going to need a following to be successful!
So if you are reading this now, congratulations first on finding it! And I would guess that you are most likely feeling the same way!
The questions for me are, does having nothing stop me from getting something? Will starting out with nothing stop me from being a successful new-entrepreneur?
I have read article after article, blog post after blog post about people who are starting out from the same position that I am in, and they have either achieved the success they desired, or they are well on the way to achieving it.
I believe I can do it also. For me, it isn’t just a cursory “oh yeah, I could do that,” sort of belief. It’s a belief that I feel whole-heartedly, that goes deep to my core being. A belief I feel within my very soul.
If I didn’t truly believe it, I wouldn’t be here writing about it with no guarantee that you will one day be here reading it!
But wait a minute. If I have belief in myself, belief that I can become a new-entrepreneur, belief that you will be reading this post, what else do I have?
What else do I Have?
It’s time to stop and take stock of what I do have. Not everything I have is tangible and can be held in my hands. Some things are intangible like my belief, but in most cases, they can be more important than any thing else.
Here are some of the items on my list, and the ways in which they help me:
1. I have my reasons, my incentives, my why. This provides my motivation to become a new-entrepreneur. They are the reasons why I want to follow this journey I am on, and well worth exploring in their own right. Together with belief, they are probably the two strongest possessions I have that will help me succeed. Sometimes, however, incentives alone may not be strong enough to lead me out of complacency, and I feel it is such an important topic, that I am going to explore it fully in another blog post.
2. I have my family. I am very grateful to have a wife who believes in me enough to allow me the time and space to work on my entrepreneurial projects, even though she is yet to see a return on the fruits of my labour. Together with all my children, they also provide me with the motivation, a big part of my incentive to follow through on my dreams.
3. I have a full-time job. While it may take up most of my time and energy, and I may not always enjoy going to work, it does provide a solid income for me so I can live comfortably and support my family while I explore, research and work towards becoming a new-entrepreneur. I really should be more grateful that I have my job, but it is also another incentive leading me along the road to success.
4. Alright, I’m not completely flat broke. While some of you may be, I do have some money put aside. But I have not earmarked that money for becoming a new-entrepreneur, it is put aside for my family in-case we ever need it. However, we don’t really spend a lot of money. I am lucky that my wife does not like to spend money on extravagant or unnecessary things, and I just don’t like to spend money full stop! We live well with in our means and that means I can divert some of my work income into my new-entrepreneurial business.
4. I have a computer. Ah, a tangible asset that I definitely require to set up my online business dream. Some people may have television, or their Play-Station high on their values list of possessions. My computer is very high on mine. I love to program, I love to write, and I love to work on my projects and ideas. My brother-in-law spends most of his spare time playing games on his. I have better things to do…
5. I have ideas. Ideas are great, and you need to have an idea for something to do in order to get started. But you only need ONE IDEA. This is probably one of the things that affects me making progress! I have so many ideas that I can’t decide between them! Jumping back and forth from one to another until I don’t know which one I should be working on, and end up working on none. Actually, I came up with another idea not 2 minutes ago as I wrote the section “I have a computer”. Maybe I should write about all my ideas and sell them to people who don’t… Argh, another idea! And another subject I’ll explore in another blog post.
6. I have a website. Yes, this website. new-entrepreneur.com. All right, I admit I have many more, in various states of completeness. I think I buy a new domain name every time I have a new idea! But this website is the main project that I am now working on, to share my insights with you as I follow my new-entrepreneurial journey. It is the first website that I am going to try and monetise, and although it will never be complete, it will document the story of my journey, and provide the resources, education and launchpad for my next project. My hope is that you will get something out of it too, and depending on the success of this project, I will not be starting my next project with nothing!
7. I have a team of trainers, mentors and a community of like minded people. For the past 10 years I have been on a solo journey to become a new-entrepreneur. So far, I have nothing to show for it. It’s not that I am not motivated to work on it, it’s just that I chose to do something that I love, and it is taking A LOT LONGER that it would if I had the money, time and energy to devote to it! I have not and will not ever give up on that dream, but for me to reach my goals quicker, I have realised I need to take a slight detour. I have joined a team of like-minded people who are all following their own path to success. By joining with them, I am receiving a great education in both my own self development and mindset, as well as a step by step guide to designing my future success and the knowledge I need to accomplish just that. By joining this team, I am now a member of a community of people that I can call upon for inspiration, guidance and continued motivation. For me, being a part of that community vastly improves my chances of success over struggling and toiling away on my own.
Completing this exercise has taught me that I have more than enough to follow my dream of becoming a new-entrepreneur, and crushed my initial doubts. When I write a list of what I do have, and what each contributes to my big picture vision, it seems I am not starting with nothing at all.
For those of you playing along at home, it’s now your turn. Write your list and discover what you are really starting with. What stands out in your list?
To watch a free video about the team I have joined, click here.