Entrepreneurship is a lonely journey. But how lonely it is ?
If you are planning to take the leap of faith, then you would have heard this line from many entrepreneurs and if you are an entrepreneur (whether failed or successful), you would have bean through this or may be still go through this everyday.
Yes. entrepreneurship is very lonely journey. As defined in english language; the difference of alone and lonely, Entrepreneurs are not alone but really very lonely. I am also one such guy who sits in a corner and thinks every night about the decisions I’ve made.
I read the success stories and every story has a struggle. I read about the sportspersons struggling for years before they taste the success and the entrepreneurs are no different. I know every single part of it that nothing comes easy. To gain something, one has to lose something.
But why is it still so painful ?
Why is it so lonely even if there is support system around ? Yes, like everyone struggling person or an entrepreneur, I have anxious people around me who ask the questions I don’t have answers for. They ask questions because their life is connected to my answers. And I don’t answer because I really don’t know the answer.
I always believed in one thing that I’ll need to work very hard if I want something badly. But I fail to understand my mind. I know the path, I know that it will work but then, why do I get self doubts ? Why I feel like leaving everything and do what everyone else around me is doing and that is, follow the league?
Yes, Entrepreneurship is that lonely. There are always loads of people around. There are loads of people who look up to you and admire your efforts and courage. There are people who wish that they could be like you. but every night for an hour, you’ll wish if you can be like other people. After that hour passes, you’ll force yourself out of the slumber and get to work. Because there is one thing which gets you there and that’s called hard work.
But the destination is always far far away and till the time you reach there, you are lonely. It’s not about funding, customers, business goals, direction, early stage, late stage, revenue or anything like that. It’s all about what you aspire for. It’s all about the happiness index. and this happiness comes to me when I am working on the things I like. I get anxious and frustrated when things don’t go the way I plan. but it gives me motivation to work harder and figure things out.
But still, the loneliness does not go away. It remains. Sometimes, it makes me funnily philosophical which I am not in general.
And the only solace I find is in the books. I read. I read to get peace of mind. I don’t read to gain knowledge. I read to sleep peacefully. I read because it calms me down and shows me the path for the next day. Reading does not make my life easy. It just tells my mind that shit happens. It helps me to get up again and work towards a goal ignoring the negative feelings and anxious questions.
It’s because of this loneliness, I believe, that entrepreneurs are one of the most detached people in the world.
I’m not there yet but I think may be this is one of the paths to attain nirvana ? and may be Nirvana is to work hard and feel good about what you did ? I don’t know but may be the day I learn more and may be if I’m able to figure it out and if Medium is alive till then, I’ll come back and update this post.
but till then, I’ll work hard and keep my focus towards the goal of building something useful to make an impact of lives of people.