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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
What is stopping you from fulfilling your dreams?
These are some mental anchors that prevent you from taking off.
1. “I lack studies”
Other ways in which it appears : “It is that I did not finish high school”, “It is that I do not have a master’s degree”, “It is that I never studied this or that”, “It is that I have not received the diploma”.
It is true that formal studies are important. Most formal jobs require some degree or level of studies, and in some it is absolutely essential. Doctors, lawyers, and other professions are required by law to have certifications and degrees in order to advance in your career. If you have the opportunity to study … study! And never stop preparing.
However … most businesses or ventures do not formally require them. I know of dozens of very successful entrepreneurs who did not finish high school or did not go to college. If you have the concern to start or advance, do not wait to have more diplomas! Get started now, look for spaces, contact mentors, learn along the way and study as you can: there are courses, diplomas and even tutorials on the internet for millions of things. Don’t worry: everyone feels a bit ‘imposter’. You keep walking.
Harv T. Ecker says: The future is not for the “studied”, but for the “scholars”; of those who learn daily.
2. “Business is not my thing”
Other ways in which it appears : “It’s not my genetics”, “it’s that they didn’t teach me at home”, “it’s that my dad never hit him”, “better a safe job than inventing”, “it’s that I’m terrible for money ”, etcetera.
It is true that we all have different talents and, in addition, we learn what we see at home. There are people who have a greater natural facility for numbers or sales, and there are those who learned the life of a business at home.
However… most business skills are perfectly achievable with study and practice. There is no “business gene”: what exists is passion and perseverance. Business is a type of strategic and relational game, like chess. And just as you can go from not knowing how to play chess to being a good chess player in a relatively short time, you can also learn to run a business. It will take time and effort, but it will pay more than anything you invest in it.
You may not make the planet’s champion in chess. But you will be a great chess player and, in the business world, that is more than enough. The first step to being good at something… is being bad at something.
3. “I’ll start as soon as …”
Other ways in which it appears: “I will start as soon as the wedding is over”, “I will start as soon as the children grow up”, “I will start as soon as the pandemic passes”, “I will start as soon as this crisis is over”, “I will start … when I feel ready” .
It’s true that life doesn’t always make things easy for us. It is also true that some people have more advantages or facilities. It does not always seem like the ideal time to undertake.
However… the reality is that if we sit down until the ideal moment arrives or when we have the time, the money and the momentum, then we will simply never start anything. The time to start is today: there is no other. Life never gets easier, we get more skilled. It’s the beginning of Stephen R. Covey’s proactive habit: don’t wait for things to happen, but make things happen.
To be able to take a wave … you have to know how to surf first. And for this you have to get into the ocean. Waiting on the beach is useless.
4. “I don’t want to complicate myself”
Other ways in which it appears : “How lazy to register with the hacienda”, “I like the theater, but I don’t like to sell”, “I like computers, but I don’t like to get hired, pay payroll … “,” The administrative part is very boring … “.
It is true that we all enjoy our talents and passions when we are in the zone, when nothing distracts us. It’s wonderful to do what we like, how we like … and get paid to do it. That’s the dream, right?
However … every time I hear someone say that “there is no work” or “there is no market” for what they do (be it artists, teachers, philosophers, engineers … whatever), what I see is a person who simply does not want to grow. Like a child who wants to spend all day on the playground, doing “what he likes.” There is nothing wrong with doing what we like (on the contrary!), But anyone who wants to be successful must get out of this comfort zone as soon as possible (which later becomes a zone of frustration). It doesn’t matter what area you move into: you have to go out there and learn portable business skills: communication, sales, basic finance, basic administration, English.
There is business everywhere: but you have to want to learn the “boring” part, the business part. Once you master it, you will go back to doing what you love . Only now with money and freedom.
5. “I tried and failed”
Other forms in which it appears : “No, I will not try again”, “No, they have already applied it to me”, “No, it is not worth risking”, “No, I am already old for those things”.
It is true that the road to success is neither linear nor straightforward. Sometimes things don’t go our way; There are obstacles and threats in every business and in every company. It is also true that failures hurt and cost.
However… the failures we learn from are some of the strongest building blocks to building a new project. The millionaires I know have failed not once, but many times; some have gone bankrupt several times. Many of them had to shut down during the pandemic … and rise again. Those who reach the end are not those who always win, but the resilient: those who rise again after falling.
Alejandro, a great friend of mine and a service entrepreneur, once told me, when I wanted to abandon a project, these words that have stayed with me since then: Learn to rest, not to resign.
6. “One thing at a time”
Other ways it appears: “I am very orderly”, “I do not like to be distracted”, “I focus on one project at a time”, “I am not multitask”.
It is true that… it is important to do what we do well, and it is a habit of success to give 100% in each activity and project that we undertake. In addition, we must be loyal to our work, if we have it, and to the company that trusts us.
However … your day has 24 hours … and your life many years and many roads. Undertaking in your free time, studying at night or dreaming on Sundays is not a lack of loyalty or order, but a real need in a complex world like ours. A permanent job is not enough, many times, not even to cover our needs (savings included!) And, furthermore, it is not guaranteed. In conclusion: undertaking today is not a luxury, but a necessity. Start now, today, wherever you are.
Do not quit your job, but start designing a side business that increases your income and allows you to learn business skills that are insurance for the future.
7. “I need money to make money”
Other forms in which it appears: “Money calls money”, “I need wool to start with”, “I’m waiting for the inheritance from my uncle …”, “It’s just that my salary is barely enough …”
It is true that many businesses need money to start operating, but Chava, a friend of mine and serial entrepreneur, made it very clear to me: You don’t need to have money to start a good business! If it’s a good idea … you can start small, or you can get that money. And if it’s a bad idea … better not even start it.
There are also thousands of businesses that require little or no initial investment. Remember: when you have nothing to invest, invest your time and effort. That also has a value: and it is a lot.
To know more: It is not the same to persuade, than to manipulate
8. “Being rich is bad”
Other ways in which it appears : “No, that does not touch me”, “It is that employers exploit workers”, “It is that Elon Musk does not pay taxes”, “You have to take away the rich”, “Better to be poor and honest ”.
It is true that there are dishonest, exploitative and deceitful people. It is also true that there are these people at all points of the spectrum: there are poor cheaters and dishonest, too; they just don’t make the front page. In reality, some of the most generous, honest, and inspiring people I know are wealthy people. They are people who want to help… and they have what to do with it.
Money is not bad, nor does it make you bad. It is a tool, like a brick: you can use it to build a school or to kill the neighbor. Many young people in the world believe that the rich are bad and thus sabotage their own careers while growing resentful.
Free yourself from this anchor and, on the contrary, become very very very rich so that you can help others, build a better world and also have security and freedom for your family.
Finally…
Your. If you.
You can grow, undertake and be rich.
If you. The one sitting in front of this screen; the one who has been so wrong; the one who can learn so much, the one who dreams at work. You, the one who feels insecure, the one whose legs are shaking.
You can and it works. Entrepreneurs, businessmen, visionaries and builders are needed. It takes people to play it. When you grow up, Mexico grows.
Start where you are: small, poor, with doubts. Do not be afraid and, if you have … undertake with fear. But undertake.