“It’s not really “work” when you love what you create and create what you love!”
~ Carmen Milagro
There are many similar and varied versions of this idea. Coaches, mentors and of course celebrities often say, “Just follow your bliss” or “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” There are so many other inspirational sayings that allude to the possibility of “loving what you do,” but what does it really mean? Entrepreneurs often ask, How does one go about achieving this love mindset? What’s love got to do with starting a business or being an entrepreneur? After all, everyone has bills to pay.
I can only speak from my perspective of how I live and breathe this mantra; it actually requires deep work. The answer in its purest form is really quite simple, yet at the same time, it requires a deep dive into your sense of self before you become a start-up or an entrepreneur. At the beginning of building a start-up or entry into the world of entrepreneurship, some people unknowingly skip this process, or they ignore its value before embarking on their journey. There’s no penalty for not doing this part of the process, but there are consequences if not done, which create a shaky foundation that might topple at the first sign of trouble.
It all boils down to some very core principles that usually cannot be answered as a five-minute journal entry, but if that’s all the time you have, well, then at least you’ve thought about it and have a point of reference. The following are a few questions to ask and answer but by no means paint a complete picture of the entire process. Knowing your WHY is as important as knowing WHO you are in the process and WHAT you stand for so you can complete the HOW.
First, you must know WHO you are.
Who are you as a human being?
Who are you in your community?
Who inspires you?
Get very clear on WHY you are doing what you do or are embarking on a new path.
Why are you starting a business?
Why do you want to be your own boss?
Why do you think you’ll succeed?
Next, know WHAT you are trying to accomplish.
What are your motivations and your goals?
What are you willing to sacrifice?
How are you going to build this business?
How will you be funded?
These are only a few sample questions. There’s so much more to ask. Things will change. Plans will work. Some won’t. You may discover you don’t want the entrepreneur life. The universe may throw you a curveball. There are a million things that will happen. But I believe, once you have your foundation and are prepared to do what must be done for the vision you yourself created, you will love it, yourself and the outcome.
