If you are looking to become an entrepreneur but don’t know which way to go, this article is for you.
Is this it?! Sitting on the couch and watching TV for the rest of my life?!
Or going out for beers with friends every evening?
What is wrong with me?
I don’t want to spend my life like that!
If these thoughts are often crossing your mind, rest assured – there’s nothing wrong with you. What is happening is you are experiencing the most important moment in your life: you realise you’re worth more than wasting your time and your life away. This is the moment that will change your life forever.
1. Discover yourself to discover your purpose
Many of us have a 9 to 5 job that pays the bills and use our time off to indulge in our hobby or develop our interests.
If your job is a perfect match to your interests – congratulations! The latest statistics say that more than 70% of workers don’t feel satisfied with their career choices.
If you don’t count yourself among the happy employees, you may look for different ways to feel fulfilled. Entrepreneurship is one choice you should take into consideration.
But how do you go about? Where do you start?
Your first step down the entrepreneurship lane is to discover yourself.
Answer the following questions:
What drives you?
What are your skills, talents or abilities?
What your passions?
What are you interested in?
Many say they don’t know what they want to do with their life; they don’t know how to live a purposeful life. I believe that’s a lie or more accurately put – they are afraid of acknowledging it to themselves.
The reason? They most probably bury their ideas on what they would like to do under layers of denial or maybe years of someone telling them they would never be a lawyer or an actor. Arnold Schwarzenegger was told he would never achieve his dream of being an actor because of his strong Austrian accent. They know what they like. They just don’t allow themselves to believe it.
Open yourself to new experiences. Broaden your horizon. Take yourself out of your comfort zone. Learn something new.
It’s often a journey
Some know these answers very early in life while others discover them at the end of various personal or professional journeys.
Alibaba was born out of Jack Ma’s dream and frustration: his unfulfilled dream of using the internet to facilitate business activities for Chinese SMEs and his frustration with the bureaucrats he worked with in Chinapage, his previous project.
2. Define your purpose
Take your time and figure out what your goal is.
Is it related to children? Or perhaps people travelling by airplane? Women aged 25 to 45? Is it education, entertainment, skills development? Focus on one aspect of people’s’ lives, write your goal down and picture the end result.
What is your end goal?
Where do you want to get to?
How does your end goal look like?
How is your goal changing the world?
How is your end goal changing people’s life?
What is your vision?
Richard Branson’s vision was happier passengers so he started the Virgin Atlantic where passengers are treated with courtesy, care and respect. His purpose was to offer passengers an amazing experience.
3. Turn your purpose into reality using your skills
Your strengths are your unique selling point. Your skills and abilities will differentiate you from other entrepreneurs. There may be others with the same purpose but you will fulfil it in a different way – your own.
How do you reach your goal?
How do you make that picture perfect vision come to life?
This is the moment your abilities or strengths come into play.
How can you use your talents and abilities to make your purpose a reality?
Both Kevin Systrom and Jan Koum had programming skills. The former saw mobile photos as an awesome opportunity for people to share their lives so Instagram was born while the latter got annoyed that he was missing calls when he went to the gym so he started WhatsApp.
