A Daring Adventure
In June I began working full time on Extreme Entrepreneurship. The time between then and now has been an amazing experience for me. One which it is time to start recording. Here are some of my observations:
Rollercoaster of Confidence and Doubt. In past months, I have experienced some of the strongest self-confidence and the strongest self-doubt I have ever had. I am becoming a much more modest person as a result of going from thinking I’m a genius to feeling entirely incompetent in the span of hours.
Self-Knowledge. My lowest point on the rollercoaster was when I dared to be fully in the presence of my self-doubts. In one of his speeches, David Hawkins, author of Power vs. Force, says that if you accept yourself fully, for both your strengths and weaknesses, then you become immune to criticism from others. He suggested writing down all the criticism you have of yourself to identify and then accept them. I tried this exercise one night and was ready to give up the company. I felt like I was holding it back, that I wasn’t strong enough to help it succeed. But this feeling of inadequacy slowly went away and I began to realize that all these fears that had been festering at the back of my mind were false. I was strong enough and competent enough. I could see my strengths and weaknesses for what they were and I began making plans for how to manage them.
Deepening Relationships. Michael too has been coming to know himself better. And as a result, we are able to work better as a team – both inside and outside of the business. Inside the business, we’ve taken responsibility for the tasks we’re most naturally inclined to do. We’ve identified each others strengths and weaknesses without judging them, and used this information to our advantage. Outside of the business, we are supportive and accepting of each other, which provides a sublime environment for the growth and the energy needed to reach our goals.
Discipline. I have always been an incredibly disciplined person. When I was entering the workforce and paying my way through college, this was probably my greatest competitive advantage. I was dependable. I would produce quality work ahead of schedule. It has always amazed me how much doing this alone sets you apart from the crowd. But building a business and relying on its income to survive requires a whole new discipline, foreign even to me. It means getting up early every day and working through the day consistently instead of retiring to the comfortable looking bed in the other room. It means being willing to get your hands dirty with the detail tasks you feel are below you. It means making scary and significant decisions multiple times a day. It means constantly checking in on yourself to make sure you are staying true to your values and goals. And it means facing your deepest fears of failure and rejection. Every day.
Facing Fears. There are so many fears that I have had to face in this endeavor, I don’t know where to begin. Sales calls are one. I never want to make sales calls. I suppose it is a fear of rejection, and I am working on my skills in this area. But there is no way to be profitable without sales and one thing I’m definitely learning is that following up by phone is a key way to get sales. Another fear is that I’ll run out of money. Having struggled with money for most of my life, being financially comfortable is no doubt at the top of my goals. And this threatens that in a big way if it fails. I believe I can build myself up again if that happened, but it would mean more years of struggling to get by.
Acceptance. All of the above has led me to a greater understanding of myself, the world I live in, and how I want to live my life. As Helen Keller said, “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing”.
