I have just read 13 Rules for being an Entrepreneur by Alan Knott Craig. It is a great book for any stage of your journey. I can see why I only started a business at 41. I had a lot to learn. All the advice given in the book is for entrepreneurs. I recommend reading it yourself, so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
What I took away from the book
It’s OK to stay away from energy vampires.
Learn to say no to certain people or just ghost or block people who suck and drain the life out of you. You do you! They are accountable for their own actions and how they think or respond. Learn to have healthy boundaries in business. It’s OK to say ‘No!’ and do what is best for you!
Stay around those who motivate you to aim higher, encourage you to not give up and inspire you to do great things! Align yourself with the right partners. Collaborate or network with like-minded individuals. People who boost your energy levels and do not suck you dry!
“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”
– Mark Twain
Don’t let people upset you.
I am still learning this, As I always want to believe the best in people but some people are just out to use you for their own good and do not know your true worth or benefit you in any way. A dear friend advised me to always know my worth and people will pay your asking price if they see my value. They won’t pay if they don’t see the value you bring so then cut them loose.
Alan says it is OK to sometimes ‘play dead’. Don’t take calls, don’t reply to emails and don’t respond to insults. There are always going to be the bad reviews, the naysayers and the general difficult person. Just understand that they are always around.
“Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
– Winston Churchill
Failure is OK for an entrepreneur.
Have the courage to quit or end a contract that is not working out, especially if the other party are not delivering. It is OK to fail as failure is a stepping stone to success. Alan says failure helps you to focus on your priorities and enables you to reflect on lessons you have learned that you can grow from as a person.
“Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself” Charlie Chaplin:
There were many other takeaways from the book! I am learning that being an entrepreneur is not for sissies! You need to be able to hustle, take risks, fail often, deal with difficult people, and not put all your eggs in one basket but also learn to focus and know when to do what!
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
– Mark Twain
