Are You Willing to do Whatever it Takes? (The Secret Journey Through Entrepreneurship)

“I gave it my best.”

I said this to a friend once regarding my blogging and journey through entrepreneurship. I was ready to quit. I was ready to call it quits. I go through some serious highs and lows once in a while.

Once you give it your best, what else can you do?

Then he asked me…

“Did you do everything humanly possible?”

Nope.

There’s a big difference between doing your best and doing whatever it takes.

Here’s the thing, we all get off on motivational quotes. It’s fun to read quotes and share them with our friends. It’s easy to get motivated for a few minutes. That’s why motivational articles always spread. Slackers eat that crap up.

I was posting motivational quotes, while I knew deep down I was about to give up.

This is the entrepreneurship post that you need to read. This is my journey through entrepreneurship and it’s going to change your life.

Are you willing to do whatever it takes?

This is all I think about these days. I’m being dead serious. I don’t care how many stupid quotes you post.

I want you to answer the following questions that entrepreneurs and dream-chasers have had to face since the beginning of time:

• Are you okay with being behind on rent?
• Could you stay strong if your partner left you?
• Are you willing to face the shame?
• Can your heart handle failure?
• Can you risk all of your savings?
• What would you do if you made no money for three months?
• How would you deal with a irregular income for the rest of your life?
• Are you able to deal with the peaks and valleys?
• Are you ready to let your family and friends down?

Think about all of this for a second. Really think about it. I’ve had to face most of these challenges one at a time and experience tons of heart break.

Okay, so…

Are you REALLY willing to do whatever it takes?

If the answer is no, then I have a harsh reality check for you…

Don’t waste anybody’s time if you’re not serious about your goals.

I’m serious about this. If you’re going to fail, you fail fast. Don’t waste time. Don’t bother people. Don’t humiliate yourself and your family.

If you want a hobby, that’s cool. Enjoy your hobby. Just don’t get in the way of those that are willing to do whatever it takes to get to the top.

I knew in late-2008 that when I reached out to personal finance bloggers about jumping onboard, that when they responded I had to take their advice seriously. I also knew that when I joined my pro wrestling gym and invited my family to the first show, that I couldn’t look back. I couldn’t just give up or go back to posting quotes on Facebook.

You should never waste someone else’s time. Respect it.

If you answered yes to doing whatever it takes, then keep on reading…

What’s the process for doing whatever it takes?

Decide what you want to do.

Decide what your goal will be. Figure out if it’s possible to make it.

This is where I part company with motivational quotes. You can’t do everything. You can’t play certain sports if you don’t have specific physical gifts. You can’t become a millionaire by next month.

What do you want to do? Is it remotely fathomable?

Commit to sticking it through to the end.

This once again isn’t about quotes and feel-good stories.

This is where you make an honest assessment on your risk tolerance and personal perseverance.

Are you willing to commit to the bitter end?

Are you will follow The Douchebag System? You know, piss off all of your friends and be lonely?

If you’re going to fail, fail fast.

I believe in instant makeouts at the bar. Why waste time? Always be closing. Go for the finish.

If you’re going to fail at something, then go down swinging. Don’t take forever to take the big risks.

I’ve always emailed top bloggers and shot for the stars. I even main evented a pro wrestling show long before I was remotely ready. I did a horrible job, but I learned from it.

Get used to feeling uncomfortable.

Do you think it’s easy to share your ideas with the world or to parade yourself out in front of a crowd in your underwear? NO.

Do you think doing the risky thing is comfortable? Hell no.

Get used to being uncomfortable 24/7. You may even lose some sleep.

Accept that you have to make sacrifices.

“Building a business from scratch is 24 hours, 7 days a week, divorces, it’s difficult to hold your family life together, it’s bloody hard work and only one word really matters — and that’s surviving.” — Richard Branson

People that made it in their respective fields, didn’t get paid at first. They likely got dumped and had all of their friends ditch them at some point. They likely lost all of their savings. They probably wanted to quit. They also felt like fools. They may have even quit a few times.

But guess what? They always accepted the sacrifices.

I’ve made lots of sacrifices in the last few years, but I won’t get into that today.

Put the work in.

You have to put the work in. This is simply enough to understand. Work. Don’t make excuses. Don’t post quotes.

Truthfully, this is where I get stuck the most because there are no guidelines. You have to figure out what work to do and when to do it.

Figure everything out as you go.

Nobody is an expert at time management, productivity or any of that stuff. Everyone wings it or they find a system that works for them. You need to stop reading productivity blogs and start doing.

I seriously don’t know how I get anything done. There are days where I feel like I took on the whole world. Then there are days (and weeks and months) that fly by with ZERO results. It’s scary. I hate looking back at the week to realize that I didn’t get much done. It’s the worst feeling in the world. This anxiety starts to bring me down. I feel like a pathetic loser.

The key takeaway here is: if you decide to try something unconventional, you need to figure out everything as you go. Stop looking for maps and guides!

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So here I am. My journey brings me here. I’m making money as a personal finance writer. I’m helping readers transform their lives.

I’m having a blast as a professional wrestler. I’m not getting paid, but I’m getting on shows.

The journey isn’t over.

Truthfully, I don’t even know where I am on my journey. All I do know is that I’m IN THE GAME while most of you are in the sidelines.

How do the bleachers feel?

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Are you willing to do whatever it takes?

My answer is YES. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to remain as a personal finance writer. I’m also willing to do whatever it takes to become a pro wrestler. I’m not afraid of the work.

You have to answer this question before we part company:

Are you ready to give it everything or do you just want a hobby?

If you want to begin your journey, then go VIP and leave your email in the sidebar or check out my book on Amazon. Or follow the advice in this article and share it with a friend.

“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” — Mark Twain