Is it worth it?
It’s the question we all ask ourselves at some point.
As entrepreneurs, and especially solopreneurs, growing a business can feel overwhelmingly difficult at times. We wear a lot of hats and our minds are always spinning with new ideas to increase revenue and reach more people. Most people don’t become or stay entrepreneurs for the money. As we all know, that can take awhile to build up.
However, there’s something inside of us that drove us to quit the 9-5 in pursuit of something greater. Whether that be a more flexible schedule, being our own boss, and/or sharing with the world what burns inside of us in hopes that we can have a positive impact on people’s lives.
But we often come back to the question, “is it worth it?”
Most of the time that question pops up on hard days or in hard seasons in our business. It is usually around the time where we’ve been pushing so hard for so long and it feels like our progress either stagnating, or worse, going backwards. We sit there, staring at our computer, head in our hands, just trying to muster up the strength to keep going.
Sometimes, just an email of appreciation from a client, or a new lead on our website, or a sale can snap us right out of that place. But what about the times where those little boosts aren’t happening? What do we do then? Can we snap ourselves out of the downward spiral we are on the edge of?
Success comes down to a few key factors:
The stories we tell ourselves - are they positive or negative?
The community we surround ourselves with - are they encouraging or the “misery loves company type,” or worse, are we doing this alone?
Our mindset - is it a fixed mindset or a growth mindset? an abundance mindset or a lack mindset? do we feel like an imposter or do we show up with confidence?
How we answer these questions determines our next step and if we give up or keep going. It also shows us areas we need to grow in. Growing in mental fitness requires practicing skills and tools that help re-train your brain to stop the spiral and get back up and try again.
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One of my favorite quotes on this topic comes from David Goggins’ book Never Finished. It outlines the life of an entrepreneur (and athlete) so accurately.
“That is what belief does for you. It takes failure out of the equation completely, because you go in knowing the process will be long and arduous. And that is what we do.
Because to overcome all obstacles and bump up against the outer reaches of your capabilities is the pinnacle. In those rare, fleeting moments when you are washed in the sense of infinite possibility and overwhelmed with glory….All the knockdowns, breakdowns… and every bit of the pain, doubt and humiliation is worth it.
But the only way to get there is to continually seek greatness and always be willing to try - ONE. MORE. TIME.”
— David Goggins, Never Finished
This is what GRIT is. It is the ability to get back up time and time again, despite what it looks like and feels like because you are so focused on the goal that ultimately nothing is going to keep you down. You may be down for a minute, an hour or even a day. But if you can engage the right mental fitness tools and skills to pull you back up, you will be able to answer the question: “is it worth it?” with a resounding yes!
Then and only then will you find the GRIT inside of you to try again one more time.
#BeGritty
