The hidden phases of every entrepreneurial journey
Which Phase Are You In?
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There are 2 types of individuals reading this article.
- Those that identify spirituality as too “woo woo” for them
- Those that attribute some or all of their success to spirituality
For those that think spirituality is too “woo woo”, here me out — especially if you’re tired of not reaching your goals and being on the edge of exhaustion (I too have experienced this).
For those that attribute some or all of their success to spirituality, congratulations, you’re more “awakened” than the rest of the world.
Before we get into the nits and grits of the hidden phases of every entrepreneurial journey, let’s start with the definition of what spirituality is:
“Spirituality is the concept of a belief in something beyond the self”
Or, we can reference the Google definition:
“Spirituality is the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things”
Whatever your definition may be, essentially it’s believing in something bigger than yourself. It may be your purpose on why you’re here on this Earth, or it may be a calling to a higher source or power — this begs the question, how do we relate spirituality to entrepreneurship?
Throughout my many interactions with entrepreneurs, one thing remains constant, there is always a desire for being “meant for more”. That is what the journey of entrepreneurship really is. It’s a test for your desire and ability to gain more out of life.
Believe me when I say that it’s not a coincidence that you stumbled upon this article. You were and are meant for more.
Now, let’s get into the three phases of every entrepreneur.
Stop Being a Cry Baby
Oh, how I hated hearing this call out growing up. If your experience of entrepreneurship is anything like mine, then getting used to crying is a skill that you’ve truly learned how to envelop yourself within.
I often associate the baby phase with the “beginner” stage of an entrepreneur.
Why is that?
Well, when you really think about it, in the beginning, we really do not know what we are doing.
We may shove random food in our mouths as babies, the same way we attach ourselves to random ideas in the beginning. We realize eventually that the food doesn’t taste good, and then we feel like shit.
“Entrepreneurship feels like shit in the beginning, because you don’t have your shit together. But once you do, things will get better”
When we are at this stage, we have no boundaries, “hello to those long working nights until 3 am.”
We sometimes feel hopeless and wonder why the fuck we started.
We are testing to see if we are actually “meant for more”, and we come to find out that it may be easier to be homogenous to the status quo rather than anything different.
You reach this incredulous point of exhaustion and tiredness that you are one latte away from burning out.
This stage in entrepreneurship is often the most painful, and it often weeds out the entrepreneurs that are “hobbyists” vs. “businesses”
I can safely assume that this is why we get failure rates of 20% within the first year of business, simply because people can’t get past this stage.
Surrender Already
In order for you to graduate from the baby stage to adolescence, there is a level of you that simply needs to surrender to the outcome. Fully detach yourself from the outcome and in some ways truly dig deeper on why it is you’re doing what you’re doing.
This is the point where I truly believe a higher power comes in.
Simply put, it’s when you’re truly at rock bottom, where you’ve exhausted all your resources and beliefs about what “entrepreneurship really is” and beg for help to dig yourself out of the hole you’ve created.
Maybe it’s a whisper to keep going Maybe it’s a knowledge to take rest Maybe it’s a remembrance that you are meant for something bigger than yourself
Whatever it may be, when you take the time to surrender, you’ve transitioned from baby to adolescent -> this is where you awaken.
Awaken My Love
Okay, now you think that there may be a higher power at play here. Maybe it’s when you truly didn’t give a rat’s ass about what happened next that things started miraculously getting better for you.
Now you’re at the point of awakening.
Awakening to what serves you and what doesn’t.
For me, after hitting rock bottom in one of my businesses, it was almost a whisper to look up the definition of “energy medicine”. I’ve never heard of such a thing, but I had a hunch that it’s something that I should dive deeper into. Low and behold, I can say that I’ve definitely transitioned over from thinking spirituality as too “woo woo” for me into someone who accredits much of my success to it.
Back to what serves you and what doesn’t.
You realize you can’t continue to keep going the way you have been. No more late nights, no more saying no to family, no more saying no to yourself.
Release the “work hard, play hard” utter bullshit. It no longer serves you and it’s what got you here.
As you transition to adolescence, the same way you’ve learned many big lessons during this time, you will learn many lessons in this phase of entrepreneurship.
Take this time to be present. It can be simple as pointing your attention to “in the moment”.
Do away with this thinking that you’ll be happy when you reach “x goal”. Be happy now.
True joy, love, and gratitude come from the present moment. Why?
Because the “now time” you’re in is a PRESENT.
Be easy on yourself during this phase, show kindness and compassion, you’re learning and this phase is the best phase to be in.
Maintenance Checks Steer Off Reality Checks
Okay, you’re at a point in your business where things felt more stable. You have a more stable work schedule, better relationships with your family, and a better relationship with yourself.
When you’ve reached a point of stability in your business, you’ve reached the phase of adulthood.
Now, that doesn’t mean you stop learning as you did in your adolescent years. It becomes easier to learn lessons because you’ve developed the skill of awareness.
In this phase, you maintain the balance between being in the baby stage and acting like an adult.
It’s okay to cry. You will come to terms with lessons a lot more quickly when you do. You’ll also allow yourself the time and space to do so. It’s a natural rhythm to entrepreneurship.
Going back to balance, this is the phase where you really have to make sure you’re sticking to your boundaries here. Often it’s when we think we are doing our best that we have this craving to go back to our worst.
We think to ourselves “yeah we can keep on pushing”
Or
“I’m bored, so I want to work instead”
Embrace the discomfort of the in-between, the middle, the grey area.
It’s difficult, but learning how to be content with the middle may be the hardest thing you’ll ever have to learn. There’s not always going to be a disaster or an incredulous win; often, when you have stability, it’s a lot of time spent being in the middle. And for some (including myself) it can be incredibly boring.
So take this time to explore.
Explore new hobbies (that doesn’t involve you turning it into a business). Dive deeper into your spiritual practice. Relax.
Embrace the boredom, because it will allow you to enjoy the times when you’re productive.
When you realize you’re an adult in your business, you can look back at your journey and see how much growth you’ve accomplished during this time.
In summary, there are 3 phases of entrepreneurship: baby, adolescent, and adult. Most businesses fail at the baby stage. It is true when you surrender to something bigger than yourself that the real learning begins. Embrace boredom. It allows you to truly enjoy your periods of productivity.
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