Entrepreneurial Rollercoaster

Are You Having Fun Yet?

The entrepreneurial life has been compared to that of a rollercoaster, with sky soaring highs, followed by petrifying plummets, and stomach-churning corkscrews. Regardless of which portion of the ride you’re on, never forget it is indeed an amusement park ride. You handed in the ticket, climbed into the car, and pulled the bar across your legs for amusement; so, my dear budding entrepreneur, are you having fun?

If you’re shaking your head side to side, a solitary tear streaking down your face, lower lip trembling, glaring at me with daggers for eyes, with thoughts of: “No Liz, I am not having fun, this ride is terrifying. The twists and turns, the ups and downs and the unknown stalls for mechanical repairs. I just can’t wait for success to come so I can get off this damn thing”, then you’ve missed the whole point of the ride.

In fact, you’re missing the greatest secret of the entrepreneurial rollercoaster. You are the designer of the ride (I hear gasps of shock and disbelief). In fact, you are the: designer, architect, ticket taker and rider of this amusement park. It is: you who creates the schedule, you who determines what excites you, you who attaches expectations to the unknown and you who has forgotten the thrill of the ride. The fear, despair and emotional highs and lows all come from you assuming that the ride will end. There is no end, the fun and success, is in the riding.

No high or low will last forever, because the ride continues on. With each outing you become better at laying down the track, maintaining your car, and riding the rails with greater understanding that each moment is fleeting. Your success as an entrepreneur will depend on how much amusement and fun you experience during the ride. On steady upward climbs, pause to take in the views. In the middle of the corkscrew, look around with excitement in the changing perspectives. During those downward plummets, let go of the bar and raise your hands in the air. Show faith in yourself and your vision with an eagerness to learn, knowing there will be another round. The ride will continue on, the enjoyment is all up to you.

Part of the Chronicles of a Solopreneur

In this series, I share the knowledge, insight and concepts I’ve learned to be beneficial during my time spent thus far as a solopreneur. Many of these methods, mindsets and tactics can be applied to areas beyond the business arena. Starting your own business is basically an exercise of continuous personal growth through: failure, triumph, creation, organization, chaos, perseverance, effort, dedication, vulnerability, self-evaluation and hope…like on the daily. All of these concepts have been Liz tested and approved to be effective in keeping you on course, focusing on what’s important, and succeeding in your venture however you may define success.

Elizabeth SimmonsMarch 6, 2021Comment