It’s been said: choose a job that you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.
This applies to everyone, and in particular to entrepreneurs. Therefore, I truly believe that there is no point of starting your own company or business unless you’re pursuing your passion.
Starting your own company requires a great deal of courage, commitment, energy, and tenacity. It’s a long and trying journey. And to reach your destination successfully you’ll need many things. These include the right skills, the right partners, the right idea, a solid plan, great execution, and luck.
And yet, most of all you’ll need passion. True passion.
Dan Coughlin writes that: “there are only three sources of great passion that I know of. You either have to love what you do, love who you do it for, or both.”
So don’t settle. If you’ve decided to become an entrepreneur find an idea that’s close to your heart. One good approach is to explore problems or needs that truly matter to you. And, try coming up with innovative solutions.
Intuit founder Scott Cook hit on the idea for Quicken financial software after he watched his wife’s frustration as she struggled to keep track of their finances.
And if entrepreneurship is not for you, you can also volunteer your time and skills to a worthy cause. It’s especially rewarding when you’re doing it for people you truly care for.
My daughter is a child with special needs. She’s attending a therapeutic daycare provided by a non-profit organization called Beit Issie Shapiro. Their mission to improve the quality of life for children with disabilities and their families.
I’ve recently started working with them, voluntarily, in areas of strategic planning, marketing, and fundraising. It’s by far the most rewarding and valuable work I’ve done so far in my career.
Life is too short to waste any of your time on things that don’t create value to you and/or others.
So if you feel that “you can’t get no satisfaction” perhaps “all you need is love”. Stop what you’re doing and start doing something you truly care about.
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Get serious. Most people who try to become entrepreneurs end up flopping on their faces and working 9-5 in jobs they'd be happy to leave. "All you need is love" is fine if you've been at the top of the hit charts, but you have to be ready to end up undiscovered and stay in the Liverpool club circuit all your life. If you have enough pasion for a shot at being a successful entrepreneur, you don't need anyone to tell you that you need passion. The only good idea in the whole piece is to be practical: address a problem that you know, and if enough people have the same problem and your solution works, you'll have a shot. But don't ignore the real world. You can't take love or passion to the makolet.
Dear Louis,
Thank you for the comment.
Doing something that you love and are passionate about doesn't automatically guarantee you success. However, it definitely increases your chances, and surely makes the experience much more meaningful.
Best Regards,
Ziv.
Ziv, nice perspective on life .
You don’t have to be entrepreneur, gamble on all or nothing…Still most people prefer to stay at the comfort zone of 9-5 without stopping to ask the most important two question algorithm one should ask – 1. Am I satisfy with that? 2. What am I going to do about it?
There are always steps you can take and change. And yes, nothing comes without risk otherwise we are just executing our life…
Best Regards,
Tal
Hi Tal,
Thank you for the comment. You're making very good points.
Best Regards,
Ziv.
Ziv, Doing what you love is something akin to motherhood and apple pie, it sounds great and everyone is for it. However, in many parts of the world (all parts if we look hard enough) people work long hours to scrape out a living, and have no choice about it. Doing what you love becomes a luxury few can afford to pursue.
Hi David,
Thank you for the comment. Indeed, having a choice in life is something we tend to take for granted.
You're making a good point that for many people in this world choice is limited if at all.
However, I believe that still many people do have a choice, and yet they get stuck in jobs, relationships, places, etc. that don't make them happy. Often is due to the fear of change. Other times it's due to pursuing the "wrong" priorities (money, status, etc.).
Best Regards,
Ziv.
What if you simply don't know what it is you would love to do 24/7 ? Orli
Hi Orly,
Thank you for the comment. That's a great point.
For many of us it takes time to figure out what is it that we really love and want to do. Often we try out several things until we find the one that's right for us. It may take us several years.
My suggestion is not to be afraid to try new things. To be open to new opportunities and ventures. And at the same time, check with ourselves why we're doing what we're currently doing. And if we're unhappy with the answer, pursue something else.
Steve Jobs once said that every morning he would look himself in the mirror and ask: if this was my last day, would I still do what I'm about to do today?
Good Luck and Best Regards,
Ziv.