Entrepreneurship the moving starting line

Entrepreneurship and the Moving Starting Line

Entrepreneurship isn't a single event; it's a continuous journey with a starting line that constantly shifts.  It's not about achieving a specific milestone, but about the ongoing process of learning, adapting, and overcoming challenges.

My Business Owner Starting Line

I didn’t realize this when I started my entrepreneurship journey in 2020, though I wish I had. I could have saved myself a ton of heartache. I can still remember sitting at my kitchen table furiously plucking away at the keys on my two-year-old refurbished HP laptop. The chicken milanesa fajitas sizzled away on the stove just over my right shoulder, and my teenager stood to my left, waiting for a response.

“Yes. You can go to the gym.” I finally manage to sputter out in between the millions of thoughts running through my head. “But please take out the garbage and make sure your room doesn’t look too gross”.

My responses were auto-piloted by my mom-brain. Back to my laptop:

Do I have to pay sales tax as the business owner or do I charge customers?

Where do I find a reputable yoga mat vendor?

How many variations of white sage should I offer?

I was attempting to open a drop shipping store and the entire experience was well above my head. It was a humbling, yet forgivable, experience, as it was my first foray into entrepreneurship.

Since then, I’ve tried a few different “side hustles”, all in an attempt to learn how to be a successful entrepreneur. Years after my first cold plunge into the world of commerce, and even longer since I declared “I want to be an entrepreneur”, I still consider myself a novice. I’m new to entrepreneurship and learning something new every day. 

The Hydra Monster of Entrepreneurship

Over the past five years, becoming a business owner and entrepreneur has felt like Hercules fighting the Hydra. With each box, I check off my “to-do” list or figure out two more tasks or questions to appear in their place. 

And because I’m a woman, I do it all in high heels, baby on the hip, dinner cooking in the background.

(Please note: This is not an indictment on men contributing to the household, the definition of a woman or womanhood. This is my experience and I know so many of you can relate).

I now understand that the Hydra monster represents the endless fear and self-doubt that creeps in as an entrepreneur. Each challenge I overcome seems to sprout two more heads of worry: 'What if I fail? What if I'm not good enough?”

I had to stop and take the time to understand that what I was striving for wouldn’t be accomplished in a single act. I’m on a journey. To borrow the phrase from Hemmingway - success will happen “gradually, then all at once.” So long as I don’t give up.

Cognitive Distortions and Fear

For new entrepreneurs—especially those without heaps of capital, time, or experience—“starting” isn’t a single moment. It’s a process; one that constantly evolves as you learn, adapt, and discover new gaps in your knowledge. Along the way, we have to be careful to avoid cognitive distortions in thought - thoughts and distortions commonly rooted in fear.

Thoughts such as:

“When I figure this out … I’ll be ready.”

“When I complete this … I’ll have time”.

“When the kids … this will be so much easier.”

“All I need is … and the problem will be solved.”

We entrepreneurs make up rules and (yes, excuses) to ease the anxiety brought on by thoughts like:

“I don’t want to get sued!”

“What if the customer doesn’t like the product?”

“Am I offering a good value for the price?”

“Am I overcharging?”

“Am I under-charging?”

I know many of you relate. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, a leading source of data on global entrepreneurship trends reports that for 35% of Americans, fear of failure is the number one reason they’d never even consider starting a business.

Fear can be paralyzing, preventing many from pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams.

Embrace the Journey

What helps is to understand that entrepreneurship is a journey, not a destination. There is no single starting line, but rather a constantly evolving process of learning, adapting, and discovering. Embrace the challenges, learn from your setbacks, and celebrate your progress. The moving starting line isn't a barrier; it's a testament to your resilience and a symbol of your ongoing development as an entrepreneur.

Remember, you're not alone. Fear of failure is a common challenge, you’re not alone if you find your fear stopping you. What’s important is that you don't let fear hold you back from pursuing your dreams.

The entrepreneurial journey is not about reaching a destination; it's about the person you become along the way.  Embrace the challenges, learn from your setbacks, and celebrate your progress.  The moving starting line is not a barrier; it's an invitation to grow and evolve.