Being an entrepreneur is not easy. There will be times when you won't get enough sleep, and you will forget to take care of your body and mind. If you have a first-hand experience with this feeling of "discomfort," we know that there’s nothing that you'd want more than for it to go away.
No, this is not an article about how you can make things easier. Rather, it’s an article about how you can get comfortable with the uncomfortable. After all, being "uncomfortable" is part of being an entrepreneur. It's the crucible in which the "wannabees" are separated from the true entrepreneurs.
Start
For most entrepreneurs, there's always one thing that they don’t like doing, but they know it will be good for the company. It may be doing cold calling, talking to a "rude" distributor or something else. The best advice is to simply start. You are already halfway there if you take the first step.
Never Say Never
If you've decided to start something, there will be many times when you simply want to quit. This is natural. Humans are wired to do what's comfortable. If we experience something undesirable, we want to go back to our comfort zone. But stop and think about this concept - who defined what's comfortable and uncomfortable for you?
The answer is you. Hence, turning what's uncomfortable to comfortable is just a matter of perspective. It will take time, but soon enough what's uncomfortable will be comfortable for you.
Confidence
During the process of turning uncomfortable to comfortable, one of your greatest enemies is yourself, specifically your negative self-talk. At some point, you'll start saying "I am not good at this" or "I have no idea what I'm doing."
You should be confident. If you don't feel confident, just pretend. This is the part in which the saying "fake it until you make it" is very much applicable.
Welcome Tough Times
There will be times when the situation gets really tough. For such times, the best thing you can do is to deal with them and welcome them with open arms.
Tough times will come to you to make you tougher. Hence, you should welcome them and thank them for giving you the opportunity to grow. After all, tough times will come no matter how much you plan ahead.
Track Your Progress
From time to time, it's important that you look back and compare your old self to your "now" self. Recognize the improvement and use it as a fuel to push yourself even further. After all, why quit now when you have already achieved so much?
True entrepreneurs are a different breed. If you want smooth sailing all the way, then what you should be looking for is a regular job. According to Vince Lombardi, "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary." Hence, stop worrying about tough times. Get comfortable with them. They are there to give you a gift that no one can take away from you.
