This ain’t what I signed up for.

Hard work. Patience. Perseverance. Resiliency. Delayed gratification.

None of these things are sexy.

They don’t make for an appealing brochure!

But that’s what it takes to build something that lasts. Something that you value and are worth your time and energy.

The first entrepreneurial venture I tried in my late teens was quickly obliterated because I had none of these qualities other than hard work. My whole work life up to that point was in hourly wage jobs. You clock in, you clock out, you get paid once a week. It was simple and transactional.

Being an entrepreneur blows that mindset up. Things become less linear and transactional.

One of the many reasons I love it when people start their own businesses is because they get to develop some of these values that positively impact all areas of their lives.

If you’re looking for the easy button, go find a job somewhere. Let someone else tell you what they need, and then you do it. You’ll get paid on a regular basis. There is security in that. You get to go home at a decent hour, and they’ll often give you benefits like health insurance and a 401K…as long as you continue to make them successful.

That ain’t a bad path for most people. It gives you plenty of freedom to focus your time and energy on other areas of your life!

But is it your path?