How Entrepreneurs Benefit From Taking the Harder Path in Life

My favorite entrepreneurial quote was coined by Milton Berle: “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” The only wooden thing I’ve built is a chicken coop that’s surprisingly still standing… The level of grit Milton’s speaks to is common among those outside normal employment. The cold truth is that harder paths, requiring sacrifice and focus, lead to more exponential personal improvement. Don’t shy away from fear and doing the hard things. Here are three ways that taking a harder path in life can make you a better entrepreneur.

Knowing and walking the path are drastically different.

• A recent Entrepreneur.com article took a dive into the difference between focus and clarity. In this article, they point out that clarity is knowing the target while focus is knowing and practicing the steps to get towards the target. As every self-employed individual can attest, actionable steps are the key to success. The harder path drives us towards breaking down each goal into actionable steps. That level of forced productivity helps produce more results and drives us to be better.

Remaining calm in a burning room.

• One of the most common activities in any growing business is the pivot. The overcoming of obstacles requires being calm, creative, and proactive. These traits that resourceful people cultivate easily grow in abundance in business starters. An adaptation of a popular quote could read “No business plan survives first contact with a customer.” Successful entrepreneurs know how to remain calm, find a great solution, and make sure the customer is delighted.

Building passion through action.

• There comes a joy in building something needed and useful. Satisfying customers and growing relationships are daily activities that every entrepreneur thrives off of. The truth of that joy is buried in the details of the final outcome. It is not the end result, but rather the small acts of precision that build passion. Making a routine slightly more efficient or learning a new skill helps cultivate happiness. That building of passion daily means that our work grows to fit us, not the other way around.

Taking risks comes easier to entrepreneurs than it does to others. Harness that little bit of crazy in you and make it work for you. Everyone loves an underdog. There are many paths that can lead to satisfaction, but trailblazing through the dense shrubs of a “startup” can change a person. That mental grit and fortitude can help serve a person for many years to come. I’d love to hear from you about how you knew when it was time to take the harder path in life!