Pendulum Magazine

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On Entrepreneurship || Everything You Want Is On The Other Side Of Fear

Entrepreneurship.

Most people when they hear the word aren't jumping up and down saying 'pick me! Pick me!'

Most are wringing their hands as the burden of having to manage the company's finances, staffing, payroll, marketing, sales, operations, fall on their shoulders. 

One quote I heard this morning on a podcast while driving to work stuck with me. One-liners like these are great reminders for me, to let me know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. There is something good waiting at the end of a 28-day work streak, 15-hour days, and countless coffee meetings. 

Everything you want is on the other side of fear. - Josh McFarland, Greylock Partners

We tend to make things we don't like to do sound overly complicated. 

If you don't like writing, you will think that first, you have to do all that research, organize your notes, and then sit down to spit out 500 words every 2 hours. If you love writing, you can switch on your creative writing mode in seconds, and write 500 words in 20 minutes. 

If you don't like yoga, you would think that first, you have to carry your mat to class (or get a mat), find appropriate yoga clothing, prepare a bottle of water, find a towel for your mat, and walk all the way there or if you drive, go through a tedious parking battle before finally making it to class. 

If you love it, you simply pick up a pen or take a leisurely stroll over to the yoga studio. Things you like, just simply are perceived to be more pleasant. 

I am often asked, 'how do you start a business?' 

My response is usually, 'I just start doing stuff.' 

'What stuff would you do?'

'Think of a name, how I want the brand to look like, register the business, purchase a domain, set up my social media handles... the list goes on.'

For me, starting a business is actually FUN (if you can believe it). Creating something out of nothing is like my form of a thrilling rollercoaster ride (I am screaming through every second of it in fear but totally loving it). 

It is scary. It is tedious. It is hard work. 

But, like Josh McFarland so aptly put it, everything you want is on the other side of fear. 

Fear exercising? Commit to running 10 minutes a day.

Fear of public speaking? Present to anyone who would listen, once a week, to get better. 

It all comes down to how badly you want it. Take a long, hard look at what's on the other side and decide if it's worth it.