It’s been over six years since I made the leap. I still remember the day I finally quit my day job to become an entrepreneur. Hands down, best decision of my life. But it’s not to say that creating and running your own business doesn’t have its challenges. Oh, it does.

Everything in life has its pros and cons. It basically comes down to what kind of challenges would you rather live with. Or like Elizabeth Gilbert likes to say in her book “Big Magic”, “Which shit sandwich do you wanna eat?” LOL. Sounds gritty, but the woman has a point!

Over these magical, albeit challenging years, I’ve learned a TON about running a business. And I feel like anyone who’s brave enough to take on this path could use a little extra help along the way.

So here are the 6 most important lessons from my 6 years in business that I believe will help you stay on track.

 

1. There’s no such thing as overnight success

I used to believe this silly myth, but unfortunately, it really isn’t true. You cannot achieve success overnight. And anyone who tells you that you can is lying, most likely trying to get your money, selling some “magical blueprint for success”, which never works.

You know those ads you see online that promise you if you’ll take their course or whatever, you’ll make loads of money before you even finish the course? Oh man, I despise those.

The truth is that everyone has a different path and everyone needs to figure out their own way to success. Success also means different things to everyone. Building a business takes time, no matter what path you choose. The sooner you accept that the better because searching for overnight success only leads to disappointment.

 

2. Perseverance paired with consistency really pays off

If I wasn’t as tenacious as I am, I wouldn’t still be where I am now. I would’ve given up a long time ago. If you want to be an entrepreneur, you gotta realize that it will require a LOT of perseverance. You can’t just give up when things take a little longer than planned because once they do start working out, it will make all the waiting so worth it.

Keep taking action because consistency is key.

 

3. Automation really rocks

A lot of entrepreneurs work alone and can’t afford to hire assistants at the start. You’ll find really quickly that there is a lot to do on a daily basis. This can lead to massive overwhelm.

That’s why it’s super helpful to find as many automation tools for your business as possible. Zapier is a perfect example of an automation tool. And things like Planoly are a must for your social media posts.

Batch tasking and automation tools are major time savers.

 

4. Having an open mind is key

Every entrepreneur needs to have an open mind. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was “Be stubborn about your results, but flexible about how you get there”.

That means being open to different possibilities. Being stubborn about doing things “your way” may not serve you. Some of the best ideas I ever had seemed the craziest at first. You really never know until you try, so be open to trying things you’ve never done before and miracles will follow.

 

5. Being resourceful is necessary

As Tony Robbins says, “It’s not about your resources, it’s about how resourceful you are”. I started my business with practically zero capital and it didn’t stop me. One thing I can say is that I’ve always been open to learning how to do everything myself. And now I’m super glad for it because six years later I’m more knowledgeable about business than I ever thought possible.

If you can’t afford to hire help or pay for expensive resources right away, don’t let it stop you from building the business of your dreams. Be resourceful and figure out a way to keep going. There are a ton of free options for learning on just about any topic online if you’re willing to do the research.

 

6. Taking time off is vital

This was one of the biggest lessons for me in the 3rd year of being in business for myself. In the beginning, I used to work pretty much every day, random hours including weekends. All it did was lead me to massive burnout. I felt tired and frustrated all the time.

It wasn’t until I created a structured work schedule for myself that I finally started feeling clear-headed. The best thing I ever did was put a stop to working on weekends. No matter what’s happening in my business, I make sure to take those two days out of the week to recharge my batteries by completely unplugging from my business.

That means I don’t even turn on my laptop for any reason. I leave it shut off on my desk and close the door to my office. And to be honest, I feel way more successful now than before. Life is all about balance. Even if you love what you do, it’s important to give your brain a break and take yourself away from that work on a regular basis. Only then you can expect to create some of your best work.

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