This Is What Hard Feels Like
Summary
- I acknowledge that entrepreneurship is a difficult journey because you face unknown payoffs despite clear costs in time, energy, and money.
- The hard truth about running a business is that you may not see rewards for your efforts immediately—sometimes it could take months or even years.
- The payoff isn't always monetary; it's also about achieving goals, gaining respect from loved ones, or earning status within your community.
- One of the toughest parts of being an entrepreneur is dealing with soul-crushing uncertainty and the inability to predict the future.
- It's important to accept that while the path is challenging, it is normal to experience stress and doubt, but this is part of what makes the journey rewarding in the end.
Video
How To Take Action
I would suggest starting by acknowledging that entrepreneurship is tough. It's normal to feel stressed and have doubts. Here's how you can address this reality in practical steps:
First, understand that the cost is known – your time, energy, and money. But the payoff, which can be your goals, respect, or status, could take time. It’s not about quick wins, so adjust your expectations. Patience is key here.
Next, when you're paying bills and investing in your business, remember that rewards might not be immediate. It could take months or even years. So, manage your finances wisely and don't overspend hoping for a quick return.
To handle the uncertainty, focus on what you can control. You can't predict the future, but you can make smart decisions each day. Keep a to-do list and prioritize tasks that align with your long-term vision.
Lean on the small wins to keep motivated. Whether it's finishing a task or getting positive feedback, celebrate these moments. They add up and contribute to the bigger picture.
While you work towards these distant goals, look for the little signs of progress. Maybe it’s the way your family starts to see your dedication, or the respect you start to earn from peers. These are important payoffs too.
Lastly, always learn from each step. Whether things go right or wrong, there is a lesson. This mindset helps you grow and improves your chances of success.
To sum it up, embrace the journey with its highs and lows. Keep pushing, stay patient, and remember, the hard parts make the success that much sweeter.
Quotes by Alex Hormozi
"Entrepreneurship is hard because you have a known cost for an unknown payoff"
– Alex Hormozi
"You know every day that you're continuing to pay these bills both in time energy money but you don't get the paycheck back"
– Alex Hormozi
"Sometimes it's years plural before you get the paycheck back"
– Alex Hormozi
"The paycheck isn't always money sometimes it's just knowing that the thing you said was going to happen happens"
– Alex Hormozi
"It just comes down to this absolute Soul crushing uncertainty"
– Alex Hormozi
Full Transcript
whether it'll work you'll stress to make ends meet you won't finish your to-do list you wonder if you made the right call and have no way to know for years this is what hard feels like and that's okay a lot of people say like entrepreneurship is hard but I was like it's such a vague term I was like what about it makes it difficult and the thing that I keep coming back to that makes entrepreneurship difficult is that you have a known cost for an unknown payoff you know every day that you're continuing to pay these bills both in time energy money but you don't get the paycheck back you don't get the reward back and sometimes it's a week sometimes it's a month sometimes it's a year and sometimes more realistically it's years plural before you get the paycheck back and the paycheck isn't always money sometimes it's just knowing that the thing you said was going to happen happens or that maybe your wife looks at you a different way or maybe it's your your family that looks at you a different way you want status when your community whatever it is and it just comes down to this absolute Soul crushing uncertainty with the idea that no one can actually tell you and you have this unquenched desire to be able to predict the future while at the same time knowing that you can't