How many times have you wanted to quit? How many times have you asked yourself if you're crazy for being here? How many times have you asked yourself if everyone else is right and you just need to let it go?
As an entrepreneur, there isn't a day that you don't experience a gamut of emotions surrounding your vision, dreams, goals, naysayers, sales, lack of sales, mountain tops, and valley lows.
Entrepreneurs are more than just dreamers, we're stubborn. We believe deep down that we can make a difference, leave a legacy, change the direction of our life, and creates something much bigger than ourselves.
But unfortunately, we have seen too many barely get started to only quit.
Life steps in to show you that you're too busy to make room for your new idea.
Money invested is scary because it has no promise of a return.
Time is disappearing from your watch because the J.O.B. takes up too much of it.
Bills need to be paid.
Kids need to be fed and clothed.
Drama sneaks back in to remind you who's in charge.
People don't respect a dream that isn't receiving a paycheck.
Second-guessing and asking yourself if starting a business is really meant to be.
Everyone experiences these things. Even the most successful entrepreneurs are not immune to life, drama, time, money, and confusion.
The first thing to realize is that EVERY entrepreneur has hurdles they must overcome within their personal lives. Just because you decided to start a business does not mean that obstacles disappear...it means they're just beginning.
We must each make a choice if we are willing to weather the storm for the greater cause. Too many hit the storm to fall back and quit. Afraid of their survivability through it and feeling their lives sucking them back into its old ways. They give up, lose hope so quickly, and believe that:
Their timing is off.
They must wait until the kids are out of the house.
The economy has to improve first.
They need to convince family and friends first.
That life needs to settle or be perfect to go for it.
As you probably already know, this isn't how it works. But how is it that some still push through? Why do they keep going? Why haven't they already quit?
The future vision is bigger than the past or present.
They know that the best time to quit is NEVER. They accept the risks, they accept the
responsibility, they accept the ups, and they accept the downs.
- They know that this isn't the end, it's a hurdle to clear.
- They realize that it's deep in frustration and failure that their best ideas will be born.
- It's when nothing else has worked that they're willing to try something new they were unwilling to try before.
- It's the belief that through the persistence and relentlessness that they will finally break through...and not always in the exact way they may have originally planned.
The end-vision may always be the same, but the road to get there will not be as you expect. To reach the massive vision you have, you must grow into the person who can handle it. It's our journey that must prepare us for the prize.
So if you struggle with the idea of quitting, ask yourself if you really mean it.
Ask yourself if you can really give up your dreams.
Ask yourself if you truly believe you are not meant for more and that the dreams you have are meant to stay just that.
Tell yourself you're strong enough, capable enough, and worthy enough to accept the challenge and to push forward…even when "reality" is screaming in your face.
We know life can beat us down and that we can become weary. We aren't saying we've never experienced drama, pain, loss, and heartbreak. We can say that the entrepreneurial spirit...a woman's entrepreneurial spirit is not one to be taken lightly.
This is not your time to quit, this is your time to:
Reflect and make adjustments.
Invest further into tools that make it possible
Devour resources to improve your mindset and knowledge.
Daily remind yourself why you're here.
Comment below!
We'd love to know what keeps you going every day as a woman in business and why you haven't quit.
Let's inspire someone else today, let's support and unite other women in business.