Having an entrepreneurial spirit isn’t for the faint of heart. It takes a certain personality type and drive that simply doesn’t fit everyone’s lifestyle. There are unique challenges that come with being an entrepreneur –never having enough hours in the day, for one– but if you find yourself deeply frustrated by the typical 9-5 grind, perhaps taking a long look at yourself and your skill set will reveal an interesting new chapter in your life.
1. Money is Secondary
You know you have an entrepreneurial spirit when you have a passion in something that is beyond monetary gain. Of course, getting paid for what you do is very important, but start-ups take time to manifest into something huge. If you gravitate towards companies or causes not just for a large paycheck but for the vision behind it, investing that energy into one of your own creations may be a rewarding venture.
2. You have Confidence and the Skills
Being blindly confident may be helpful in some situations, but knowing your worth through experience and wisdom makes all the difference. If you find yourself tapping your foot in meetings, knowing full well there’s a better way to save time and create more room for innovation – you may consider taking a leap of faith in yourself instead.
If you have both optimism for the future of your company and a skill set that can weather the storm, you have a masterful combination to succeed.
3. You’re Up for the Challenge, Even if it Means Risk
Are you the first to take on new challenges? Is there an intimidating project that you’re willing to tackle head on? Being an entrepreneur means taking daily risks in the hopes of success. If you immerse yourself in new challenges and feel not only accomplished but excited, creating a business may be yet another mountain you will feel motivated to climb.
The second, perhaps most important part of risk taking, is sticking around to see what happens next. Taking a leap of faith into uncharted territory is scary enough, but bouncing back and starting over again can be even scarier.
4. You’re Out of the Box, and People Don’t Get It
There are many visionaries and creative types that think beyond what is in front of them. While most people are trapped within limits they’ve put on themselves, your brain tends to have many (sometimes outlandish) ideas. These ideas take you in directions few others would never consider. The next time your co-worker looks at you quizzically, keep this in mind: some of the worlds greatest inventions and fortune 500 companies were once strange, outlandish ideas.
5. Flexibility is Key
Adaptability is a wonderful attribute to have in any capacity, but what about when you’re a new entrepreneur? In the workplace that could mean working with different personality types, or changing the direction with a project. The risks are much higher when it comes to your own company. If you’re open to changing the course of your dream (even if that means swallowing pride sometimes), you’d succeed to much higher heights than your original idea could have let you.
Lastly, being an entrepreneur takes bravery. You are putting yourself out there for potential failure in a big way. However, if you find yourself being stifled by your current career, or your creative energy is being wasted, taking the plunge into the unknown may not be so bad after all.
This is a guest post by Josh Elkin, founder of Best Coast Marketing – a marketing agency which helps increase their clients’ traffic through organic link-building. Josh enjoys writing about entrepreneurship, marketing, productivity and self-improvement.