If there is a flaw I have to admit about myself, it’s not being patient enough when it comes to success. Success is a compound interest created by all the work you have accomplished built together. The pieces of failures and lessons that I have learned all add up to a success story.
I’m 26, and in another 4 years, I will reach 30. It’s a scary feeling. Maybe I am heavily affected by it because I come from a line of hardworking Asian families where success is determined by your wealth, relationship, and connections. The desire for success gets heavier as the days go by.
That is why I genuinely believe that if you plan to become an entrepreneur, you will be cursed with the hunger for success and the dread of being patient.
The Curse
Sitting by a restaurant to order food, enjoying walking by the beach, or simply sitting down and talking to a friend about life seems like a luxury now.
Time seems always to be working against you.
Steve Jobs, even till his dying days, spent it on perfecting the iPhone. Something that he found more important than family or personal time. In his dying breath, his biggest regret is not spending enough time with his family.
What is an Entrepreneur’s Greatest Regret?
The answer is not taking up an opportunity.
Opportunities come and go, it’s whether we would like to seize them. And to do that, we need to be patient. If we are too overworked, we would never have the time to explore new opportunities and learn new skills.
Patience is an underrated skill for an entrepreneur.
You may have to starve for a day or two simply to look for better opportunities. It’s a tough decision to do. On one hand, you could be doing the same old work and hope the work pays off. Or you could meet someone that has an opportunity for you while you were taking a break from work.
So, the question comes…
How do you stay patient and wait for an Opportunity?
The more time you have for yourself, the higher your odds of finding an opportunity. In some sense, you’re increasing the chance of stumbling on an opportunity. It’s one of Peaky Blinder’s entrepreneurship rules when it comes to running a business. As the saying goes:
luck is when preparation meets opportunity
As a business owner myself, I found myself having stumbled across many business opportunities to work with that I am proud of working with. The way I set myself up for opportunity is automation.
I hate to work on something that cannot be automated
Thanks to the Internet, almost anything can be automated and costs way lesser to manage than before. For example, there is now lesser need for an accountant to file your business tax thanks to online banking accounting software.
Running a business is getting cheaper, and your chances of meeting an opportunity are increasing.
The Power of Patience
Patience you must have, my young Padawan. Have patience and all will be revealed. — Master Yoda; Star War
It’s easy to turn a blind eye to opportunity when we are focused on the immediate day-to-day grind to success. Sometimes learning to enjoy patience can be enjoyable.
