This week’s episode has a very short and sweet message that took Steve Hoffman a long time to figure out. When it comes to entrepreneurship, there is always an inherent risk - and where there is risk...there is failure.
Always a Problem
“The only thing I know about being an entrepreneur is that there is always a problem,” Steven said. When it’s not this, it’s that. And that kind of constant conflict can wear down your determination, patience, and confidence. It can get discouraging - especially when those problems lead to a mistake.
“We look up at these icons like Steve Jobs. But he made lots of mistakes and people, and people only remember his successes,” Steve mused. He’s right, of course. No one really talks about the monumental failures that successful people have been through, and that’s the secret to succeeding through failure.
It’s Just Not a Big Deal
Can you remember the first mistake you made in your business? Chances are, you probably can’t. Sure, you might remember the first huge mistake you made, but those day to day mistakes that are causing you stress today just aren’t a big deal.
“The one thing I learned is that whenever things aren't going the way I think they should, I need to step back, and I need to say to myself, whether it's a small thing or even a big thing, I need to say, you know, ‘In five years, will this matter?’” Steve advised. “And the answer is that probably you'll never think about it again. 99% of those things that stress you out, they don't seem like anything.”
This mindset change doesn’t happen overnight, and Steve even admitted that he didn’t learn this trick until several years into his entrepreneurial journey. But once you can master this kind of perspective, the day to day stress of owning a business doesn’t seem so daunting, so scary.
“If you keep pushing yourself beyond your kind of normal limits, you're going to crash and fall, and you just gotta get up as quickly as possible and start reaching again.”
For more motivation or to learn more about Founders Space, you can check out Steve’s website where you can find free videos or sign up for his 3 month start-up program. You can also find his book, Make Elephants Fly, on Amazon.
