Hi, this is Imran,
And this is my first article for the fellow Rodinhoods.
This article can be considered as a testimony to the thoughts of Alok and other veteran Rodinhoods.
Alok said it right “Entrepreneurship is a lonely job and entrepreneurs are sometimes the most lonely people.”
(Read the article by Alok here: https://www.therodinhoods.com/forum/topics/7-dark-secrets-of-entrepreneurs-revealed )
This is because they are a different breed of human beings who see the world through a different lens. They solve problems, they create solutions, they introduce things to others in different way,with a different perspective or sometimes they introduce entirely new things.
They serve the world. They change it. They bend it. They put a dent in the universe and yeah.!! They push the human race forward.
But sometimes things don’t work out as planned. They might not succeed at their every attempt. They are often misunderstood or not understood at all by others.
People say, “Kya yaar ye banda kuch bhi karta rehta hai., Kuch bhi kehta rehta.!!!”
Remember, “Everyone will understand your success, but no one will understand your failure.”
So entrepreneurs shouldn’t be surprised when they encounter such critics. That’s because what they see is beyond the horizons of others. It’s good to stand apart from the crowd, but standing apart also means standing alone. There are times when entrepreneurs feel terribly alone on their journey because there’s no one standing by their side. It’s a lone path trodden by very few.
So here are 10 things that often works well to make the entrepreneurs feel good:
1 . Take a break-
Yes, you need to outwork everyone around you. You need to put in extra efforts to get the designs ready. You need to put extra efforts to close the deal. You need to work like hell to complete the order. You even need to work on holidays.
‘Brain Tracy’, the famous business author says that an average successful person works over 60 hours per week, sometimes even 70 or even 80-90 hours hours per week and this is one single common factor they all have in common. He further continues “in our society we work for 8 hours per day for survival, everything over 8 hours is for success.”
Agreed. But one might feel lonely on the way to top. Take time for yourself. I remember what my philosophical mentor Prof. Kanchi said to me once:
“Imran, zindagi me aage badh’na hai, toa pehele rukhna sikho.” (Imran, to move forward in life, first learn to pause).
Those words sank in me. He asked me to take time and ruminate on my success & failures. And above all remember my purpose.
So take a break. Take a walk in the park(without your mobile phone 😉 ), go out for dinner, or a movie. If necessary take a mini vacation or just simply unwind on a Sunday afternoon. You will feel fresh and lively.
2) Be Ultrafit-
Be proactive when it comes to your fitness. If you neglect your health, you will find yourself constantly suffering with headache, body ache, cough, cold,etc. This is usually the side-effects of stress and no or less exercise. The sick bed is often the most lonely place. And take into consideration that these minor health problems might cause you missing deadlines of some major dream projects.
Start by taking a walk around the block, curtail junk food from your diet. Drink fresh fruit juices daily. Join the nearby gym/yoga center or just put on those sports shoes and start the ritual of daily jog. You will observe that the people who are highly conscious with their fitness and health are the most vibrant and alive ones.
3) Love your family–
Entrepreneurs are the ones who’re constantly playing with their ideas and thoughts. They always think of possibilities. Often they ponder and mumble. And who is their to listen to them and give honest comments???
Yupp, their family!! Their family always listen to them attentively, even though sometimes they don’t even understand a word of what they are talking about, still they nod in agreement 😉 . But they listen to them enthusiastically and cheer them up. They contribute to their ideas. They are the first critics. They respect you and stay with you through all the thick and thin.
So love them… respect them…stand for them. It is difficult to complete this long entrepreneurial journey without someone’s support.
Remember that, “Family is not an important thing, it’s everything.”
4) Respect your woman-
This one is for the male readers, ‘Respect your Woman.’
Let it be your mom, your wife, or your girlfriend. There’s a woman in your life who is the source of all your inspiration. Always respect her. Because she’s the one closest to you. She’s the one who loves you most. She’s is the one who will stand by you through tough times and be your support system.
So love her, respect her, protect her. She’s the source of your energy, confidence and belief. If she’s your spouse, consider her your counterpart. You are incomplete without her. Respect & love her and feel complete.
5) Visit/ meet your mentors often-
Often you will feel lost and helpless. That’s a very lonely feeling. A simple 30 minutes conversation with your mentor would be enough to inject a dose of new ideas, enthusiasm, and wisdom in you. You will feel alive and enlightened. It’s not just a few moments in their proximity, but it’s their years of experience and wisdom churned into a few minute’s conversation that will revitalize your thought process.
6) Have a list of written goals & visit them frequently-
Now I assume everybody at ‘The Rodinhood’ have a list of written goals, but still I want to include this point as it is essential to keep you aligned and focused with them. Having a list of written goals will keep you from feeling lost and lonely. A purpose driven life is full of energy and good experiences.
7) Cherish a hobby-
Having a hobby is good. Say it reading, playing some sport, gardening, etc. It takes away your mind off the monotonous routine & you will feel good after being engrossed in the thing you enjoy.
So make time for whatever it is that gives you boost and leaves you feeling refresh and alive.
8) Read good books & watch good movies-
Nourish your mind with good-reads. Good novels, biographies, autobiographies, non-fic, how-tos, industry specific books etc. Good Biographies and auto-biographies talks about the whole life of great people in the matter of hours. This helps us understand their lives and learn from their experiences.
I can talk all day when it comes to books as I enjoy reading. I read an article by Jack Canfield a while ago. He says that if you read for 30-60 minutes everyday. Then that’s an average of 1 books per week. That’s about 50 books per year. If you continue this ritual for few years & learn and apply whatever you read in your business & life, you would be among the top 10% people in your industry. Now you tell me,how can one feel lonely if he nourishes his mind so well and is busy doing new things.??
(I will soon write an article on “Recommended books for The Rodinhood” so sit tight).
And Aha!!! Movies..!!!! Don’t you feel like doing those bike stunts after watching Aamir khan in movie Dhoom-3 ?? Don’t you feel like doing all those dance moves after watching StepUp-3D?? Don’t you feel like doing all those martial art moves after watching any ‘Bruce Lee’ movies??
It’s because movies lifts our spirit. There are lots of good movies that can add to your inspiration. My list is long, but I will reckon a few good ones for you:
“Recommend Movies for THE RODINHOODS”
•300 (English)
•The pursuit of happiness. (English)
•Tucker-the man and his dream. (English)
•Guru (hindi)
•Lagaan(hindi)
•Jobs-the movie (2013) (English)
•The pirates of the silicon valley. (English)
•A Beautiful Mind (2001) (English)
•Forest Gump. (English)
•Rockey Balboa.(Infact the complete rocky series) (English)
•the artist 2011 (English)
•The Children of Heaven (1997) (English)
•The Fighter (English)
•The Legend of Bagger Vance[2000] (English)
•The Shawshank Redemption(1994) (English)
•The.Social.Network (2010 ) (English)
•Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara(Hindi)
•Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013) (Hindi)
•Rocket Singh (2009) (Hindi)
•Life Is Beautiful (1997) (Italian)
……… and the list goes on.
9) Network with other entrepreneurs.
Networking events, meet-ups at the nearby eatery or coffee shops,etc are good place to meet and interact with other entrepreneurs and startups. When you meet such people you feel at ease, because these are the people who are like you and share same kind of problems as you do.
So.. You are not the only one ;-). The guest speakers shares good thoughts with you. These events are good place where you can feel the positive vibes you are looking for.
*The Rodinhood Openhouses and meet ups are such great places..
10 ) And last but not the least, always know that you are the chosen one, and never give up. You were put on this planet with a purpose. It’s your responsibility to discover that purpose and serve the people by its mean. When you serve, you feel good. In return you can stand for your profits.
And at the end, here is a extract from my diary that I wrote recently,I hope it helps:
“The life of an entrepreneur should be like the life of a Phoenix, who never loses its spirit and rises again from its ashes.”