We All Started Somewhere!

Your responses indicate that you have some work to do before launching into your entrepreneurial endeavor. Simply by taking this assessment, you show that your ambition to start down this path is serious. However, you must begin by acquiring the necessary mindset.

Even if you had scored in the highest result category, I would not advise giving up your current role. In fact, strengthening your entrepreneurial mindset may even make you a better physician. It’s also worth noting that I do not think you need to have every single duck in a row before you begin your business. Success is just beyond failure—there is never going to be a perfect time and there are countless mini-failures between an entrepreneur and success. That said, I believe that you would be doing yourself and your idea a disservice if you did not take this time to build up a stronger base. 

There are no two ways about it, startups are always hard. Even if you have the desire, the drive, and the idea to change the world, honestly ask yourself if you have the tools to get this project over the finish line. If you aren’t sure, you need to figure it out fast. When you start this thing, whatever it may be, there will not be an opportunity to press pause. At the outset, you will not be able to take a step back and ponder if this is something different you want to do. If you are serious, you will be obsessed. 

Teddy Roosevelt said, “It’s not the critic who counts.” Roosevelt said the person who counts is the one in the arena, the one who “at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.” So, if you have the grit to see this thing through, to face the gruelling hours, and are prepared even to fail, are you sure that you are daring greatly? 

Talk to people you trust, listen to people you respect who have been down this road, and get your mindset where it needs to be in order to give this project your everything.

For an overview of some of the issues facing today’s entrepreneurs, take a look inside my book, Entrepreneur Rx: A Physician’s Guide to Starting a Business. To get your copy now, click here. If you like what you see and want to discuss what your next steps are, reach out today.

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John Shufeldt is helping physicians bridge the gap between their medical expertise and entrepreneurial dreams. Connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.