I just interviewed my thousandth entrepreneur. Mind you, this is not a conclusion from formal tracking. I myself have been an entrepreneur almost twenty years now. From day one, I have tried to learn from every entrepreneur and business owner that I met. This past week was likely my thousandth interview and I asked this particular fellow the question I always ask: “How do you handle all the different challenges you face?”
Interestingly the most successful of these entrepreneurs seem to have a very consistent response. They inevitably say that challenges are simply a test. Business challenges aren’t there to make us give up, they are there to see how serious we are about our success. They are they to make us prove that we want success. An interesting way to see a challenge, right? Empowering, right?
The next time you face a challenge (which I suspect is like, right now) don’t ask a weak question like “Why me?” Ask better questions. Ask the question that successful entrepreneurs ask. How badly do you want it?
A corollary to that question is: “What are you willing to do differently to be/do/have what you want so badly?”
True!
“why NOT me?”
Very well asked.
I’ve always found that to be an important question… to the point that at one time I had custom drinking glasses etched with a big boldface “HBDYWI” on the side.
That particular challenge had to do with weight loss; I had these yucky protein shakes to drink every morning. They were very effective but not entirely tasty, so I made up the special glasses as a reminder of “Which do I want more, eggs and bacon? or to fit into nicer clothes…”
The glasses helped, and I did reach the goal. But reminders of WHY we persevere are key 🙂