You are one of the millions of people who have the dream in their heart and in their head to become financially independent. You don’t want to work for someone else and make them rich. You don’t want (or no longer want) to punch a timecard and be at someone else’s beck and call. You don’t want to be victim to the “winds of change”. You want to be the master of your life and your destiny. Good for you!
One of the first steps to become a successful entrepreneur is take inventory of yourself. What are my strengths/weaknesses? What do I believe in? What are the values I will not compromise? What is my “why”? What am I good at? What do I truly dislike doing? All of these questions will help you determine the course of action and the business you will be most successful in. Write the answers down. Don’t rush through this – take your time. If you are having difficulty focusing in this exercise, there are many good resources on the internet that can guide you.
Now, you need to write your Vision Statement. In Napoleon Hill’s book, “Think and Grow Rich”, he states, “The dominating thoughts of your mind will eventually reproduce themselves in outward, physical action and gradually transform themselves into physical reality.” Your brain only understands and processes what you put into it. Your brain cannot differentiate reality from vision. This is why a vision statement is important to your success. The principle of autosuggestion is described more fully in Mr. Hill’s book in Chapter IV.
A good vision statement is very specific. Your first vision statement should be for 5 years out. Talk about your health, your relationships, your wealth, charities and philanthropic activities, the person you have become, your lifestyle. Write in the present tense – I am healthy, I give to…, I am…, I make…, etc. You get the idea. Again, do not rush through this, take your time. Your vision statement will change and evolve over time but you want a good vision to start with. When you have your vision statement, you will read it out loud twice a day – once when you first wake up in the morning and the other before you go to bed at night. This may feel a little weird at first. You will get used to it. When you read your vision statement, you will read it with conviction and feeling. Put some emotion into it. “All thought which have been emotionalized (given feeling) and mixed with faith, begin immediately to translate themselves into their physical equivalent or counterpart.” Close your eyes and spend time meditating on your vision. See it, feel it, smell it, taste it. It will become real.
This series of articles is going to provide you with guidance and insight to become a successful entrepreneur. We encourage you to read the information provided, do the steps outlined, glean from it what you will and do your own research. However, there are certain qualities, character traits, values, steps, etc., which are common to all successful entrepreneurs. Laying a strong foundation for success is critical. Creating your Vision Statement is the second step in becoming successful. In our next article, we will talk about goal setting.
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