3. Get new friends.
Okay. So you may not have to cut ties with everyone you know, but you will have to cut back on conversations with people that don’t support your dreams. I cannot stress how important it is that you learn to surround yourself with positive people that will champion your goals. If you have friends, family or acquaintances that don’t — let them know that you love them and that you’ll be pretty busy over the next year.
It may sound harsh, but the reality is this — ““The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity. An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people.”
“As you grow, your associates will change. Some of your friends will not want you to go on. They will want you to stay where they are. Friends that don’t help you climb will want you to crawl. Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream. Those that don’t increase you will eventually decrease you (Colin Powell).”
4. Change your mind.
Another reality is this … a majority of people have been taught, trained and indoctrinated to go to school, get a degree, find a good job and work until they’re too old to actually enjoy the “fruits of their labor.” This works for some, but it isn’t an entrepreneur’s American dream.
If this is all you know, you’ll have to spend a sufficient amount of time reprogramming your employee centered thought process. In corporate America you may have spent time taking orders, learning covert “CYA” techniques and elegantly passing the buck — but when you own your own business the buck starts and stops with you.
Start by grabbing a few titles from our recommended reading list, Top 20 Entrepreneurship Books of 2011 and connect with like-minded people that are actively in pursuit of their entrepreneurship goals.
5. Start and stay lean.
Invest in the necessary, prepare to put in the work and learn how to quickly and efficiently cancel out your weaknesses in business. This requires a lean mindset.
Instead of focusing on challenges, train yourself to become solutions-oriented. If you lack a particular skill set, partner-up. Develop lean goals that address key areas and focus on daily execution of profit-oriented tasks — things that will indirectly or directly contribute to your business becoming cash flow positive quickly.
The best part about these startup tips is that they are easily achievable for those that are dedicated to making their dreams a reality. The truth is, I saw my friends’ potential years ago and its tremendously rewarding to know that she now see’s it too.
I’m sure I could share a laundry list full of dos and don’ts but the reality is these core areas will set her up for success and help her develop confidence in her abilities to navigate her personal journey as an entrepreneur.
What other tips do you have for professionals leaving corporate America to pursue entrepreneurship? Let me know in the comments section below.
Connect with Erica Nicole on Twitter.
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