How to Be an Entrepreneur

7 Ways to Embrace Entrepreneurship, even if You Work for Someone Else

Some people will say they are born entrepreneurs. Others don’t think they are cut out for it. But entrepreneurship isn’t characterized just by owning your own business. The entrepreneurial spirit is first and foremost about creative fulfillment.

Entrepreneurs are people who desire to create, grow what they create, and take ownership over it. In a way, we are all entrepreneurs. We all have that desire within us. Some of us are called to work for others, but that doesn’t mean that creative drive isn’t there. In fact, a truly healthy business will produce an environment where its employees can freely have an entrepreneurial approach to their work. They can create and they can take ownership.

If you desire to work for yourself, or to find a greater level of creative fulfillment in your life, then apply these seven ways to become an “entrepreneur”.

1. Take Control Over Your Own Life

Entrepreneurs are not satisfied with the status quo. They don’t thrive when they are managed by others and told what to do. They are self-starters. They know what they want and they go after it. They also feel a general dissatisfaction with the traditional “find a job” mentality. It just doesn’t sit right. They want freedom.

To start on the journey to living an entrepreneurial life, you much first take personal responsibility. If you want change, then you have to make it. This is the first step to starting a business or working for yourself. Everything you do, you must choose for yourself. The only person who will make you do the work is you. You must own it – all of it. You get to control what you do, how you feel, and who you help. Take control and start.

2. Choose Something

What do I do? Where do I start? How do I know it’s the right thing?

That can be a scary thought, knowing you are calling all of the shots. No one is going to tell you what to do. To truly embrace entrepreneurship, you must choose something and then act on it. Even if you are unsure, start something. Clarity comes with action. As you start to pursue something the path to take gets clearer. This is why you see many entrepreneurs who have taken many different paths in their lives. Things aren’t clear right away…and that’s okay.

Yes, you might fail at whatever you choose, but it only means you are growing. To keep going despite failure is what will separate you from almost everyone else.

3. Build Relentless Discipline

Entrepreneurship is a daily discipline. You must build the life you want. It won’t just happen. There is no such thing as the entrepreneurial lottery. You must create whatever it is you want. You must also embrace the truth that it won’t happen overnight.

The most successful entrepreneurs are very intentional with their time. They embrace structured morning and evening routines. They crush procrastination. They know where to invest their time and energy and have learned to only go after the things that matter. That means passing up things that might look great on paper, but don’t fit their mission.

4. Pivot if Necessary

Since clarity comes with action, there is a good chance you’ll change direction on your entrepreneurial journey – probably multiple times. This is actually a mature thing to do. If you start something, build it, then realize that is no longer the right path, you need to pivot.

You might lose a passion for what you’re doing. You may be pursuing a bad business idea. You may have a change of heart about what you really want. These are all good things to recognize. Even if your business is successful, you must listen to your gut and go where it leads you. Make changes when necessary. Don’t be afraid of letting go of something secure to embrace the unknown if you know you’re supposed to.

5. Never Stop Learning

Let go of certainty. Assume you don’t know everything. There is always something new to learn. The faster you embrace this truth, the faster you’ll step into a life of freedom. Read books, take courses, apply what you learn, and ask questions.

All of this will require you to embrace humility. If you always assume there is more to learn, you’ll be more willing to hear other people’s ideas. You’ll embrace other’s opinions and be able to learn from them. You’ll connect better with people from different backgrounds. More than anything, you’ll grow exponentially as a person.

6. Have a Mission That’s Bigger than Money

Don’t make money your ultimate goal. Many people are sold on the idea of entrepreneurship because of financial freedom. But if you pursue something just because of the money, what will you do once you make enough money?

True entrepreneurship is more about finding and pursuing your calling than it is about running your own business. That’s where real creative fulfillment is. It is better to profit from your passion than to be passionate about profit. Money will never fill the need to create. Entrepreneurship will give you both.

When your mission is about following your dreams and making the world around you better with your ideas, then there is a good chance money will follow. You’ll also find it easier to hire people if that’s what you want. People will be inspired by your mission and they’ll love working for you. If money is your goal, your employees will always go where the money is better.

7. Grow People and Your Business Will Grow

A lasting legacy isn’t determined by how much money you make. It is determined by the people you influenced. Entrepreneurship will bring you business opportunities, but it will also bring you many connections. You’ll meet and work with other entrepreneurs, people who buy your service of product, and lots of people who will want to learn from you. You have a tremendous opportunity to make an impact on many people’s lives.

Focus on growing people. Help them. Mentor them. Inspire them. This, you’ll find, will have the greatest impact on the business itself. It will also have the greatest impact on you – much more than money ever will.