Tradition is something we all have in our lives, and it’s something that we very much follow.
We have traditional apple pie, gatherings, and ways of life.
Those who know a thing or two about being an entrepreneur (or even a rebel) will know that it is not always easy to go against the grain.
You get talked about, no one ever agrees with you, and you even get kicked out of your house like me.
Although indirectly, that’s exactly what happened to me.
Living with mom, she didn’t like that I quit my job and was sitting behind a computer all day.
Very much a traditional mom, I heard it all.
“Get a real job.”
“Get off your butt and do something.”
And the one that has made the biggest impact in my life…
“You will never make a penny online.”
That’s what I heard and ultimately led to my eventual success on the internet.
Now, breaking tradition is no simple task, as it comes with many obstacles.
However, if you set out to be successful in life, you need to overcome these obstacles, or you, my friend, will fail faster than when you first started.
So how do you deal with the traditional go to school, get a degree, and work for someone else crap?
This post will explain it all.
Understand The Challenge
Knowing that you are doing something different is not enough.
You need to know that it will not be easy, and it will probably be the hardest thing you have ever done.
Failure is going to be something you will have to accept and learn more about.
It has to turn into lessons and ways for you to grow as an entrepreneur and not something to stop you from winning at life.
Within your first few months and years as an entrepreneur, you will learn a crazy amount of lessons.
The thing about these lessons is that they will come in a way that you won’t be comfortable with.
You need to learn how to deal with them and not let them get to you.
Your first idea will likely not be your last, and the chances of it throwing out millions of dollars is very unlikely.
Your 2nd might not do the trick either, and so on.
What needs to happen is some serious gut-checking and more fire and passion.
Overcome that, and the reward will be worthwhile in the end.
Adjust Your Network
You are the average of your five closest friends.
That’s what everyone claims, and I’m not going to disagree.
There are several ways you can do this, which can be challenging for some of you.
The first way is by completely changing your friends.
Yup, stop hanging around with whoever it is that you are currently hanging around with.
This should be done if that same group does nothing for you, does not believe in your actions, or flat-out brings you down.
For me, I had leeches and broken people in my life.
Everyone around me was feeding off the little I had and, most especially, holding me back from progressing in every part of life.
Once I made the changes, things started happening for the better.
The next thing you could do is find people interested in whatever you are doing.
In most cases, you will not find them anywhere in your current network of people you know, so the Internet might be an option.
With communities like Wealthy Affiliate around, you can interact with online entrepreneurs from many different parts of the world.
The last way to fix the network issue will sound a bit weird.
You can cut yourself out from the picture.
Not in a bad way, but to get away from all the negativity and, most especially, to focus on your goals.
Those days of “I need to drink with the guys” won’t distract you, and you will accomplish more work this way.
If you plan on cutting out everyone without the intention to do any work, that will not be a good idea.
Mind Your Business
There is a meme that says, “What others think about you is none of your business,” or something like that.
Well, it can’t be anywhere but smack dab on the truth.
99.9% of the time, those around you will do nothing but gossip.
Talk about how stupid you are for trying to start your own business.
Tell you how proud they are of you when they really aren’t.
And most especially, tell you how they believed in you even though everyone else didn’t.
Whether they sincerely are rooting for you is absolutely, positively none of your business.
Focus on grinding and focus on building.
If you are going to start a blog, then do it and show them how possible it is to make money with a simple website.
Stop and care about what others are thinking, and you will roll down the hill faster than when you started.
Put your head down and continue to do what you are doing.
Those who have time to gossip about you are jealous and only wish they dared to do what you are doing.
You’ll succeed, but not with them, and I can promise you that.
Conclusion – Don’t Let Anyone Stop You
Remember how I told you that almost everyone you know would not be your cheerleader?
That’s because they won’t.
And even if they know nothing about running or owning a business, you can bet that they will act like they know what they are talking about.
“Don’t do that. It won’t work.”
“You should go to college and get a degree.”
“You’re crazy for getting out of the military after 15 years of service.”
That’s the kind of stuff I’ve heard and what I also needed to block out.
You can even read about my story here if you’d like.
That’s the same thing you need to do, or you, my friend, will not succeed.
I’ve seen many dreamers in my life (and I mean many) who all had great ideas, but that’s about where everything stopped.
You can dream alongside everyone else, or you can take some action.
As long as you stay on track and do not let anyone stand in your way, I can tell you that no one will be able to stop you.
Entrepreneurs take risks, and without that, there is no reward.
Take chances, don’t let anyone tell you what to do, and never look back.
Success is just around the corner, and it’s only waiting for you.
No one else.