Quote: (08-09-2018 10:28 AM)asdfk Wrote:
Quote:Quote:I’ve started my own business by myself in May. I never realized how difficult dealing with self-doubt can be and the sacrifices it would take.
I compare starting out to making a go kart in your shed, and then riding down a super massive hill.
Every second you are wondering "Are the freaking wheels going to fall off this thing or am I going to be ok?".
I was doing 100K a year working on products / content of other businesses. I figured the next step would be to own those products / funnels myself. “I have a track record in making money for other people,” I thought, “why don’t I make money for myself?”
Turns out putting in all those hours with uncertainty of success does not bode well with my neurotic personality. I fear I’m wasting my time and my youthful vigor on a project that I do not like that much and is just a way to build an asset that churns out dollar bills.
All the menial shit I have to do that I was not responsible before makes me want to flip out. I’ve lost my shit to people I don’t know several times after a particularly hard day.
I’m also learning the hard way it takes a LOT of sacrifice. I can’t work on this business every day AND chase women every day AND work out every day AND learn a new language AND travel to a new country every few months. I severely underestimated the mental drain of uncertainty and the isolation that comes with building a business from your laptop alone in some anonymous hotel room.
Maybe it gets better when I have some traction. Maybe I should move too some nomad hub. Maybe I should quit altogether and do something that suits my personality better.
I will say this - if you can commit to sticking at it for at least 3 to 4 years of consistent daily work (and you're giving a genuine 100% effort to improve and track your results and be disciplined with yourself), you will probably be close to being a millionaire and have skills and knowledge you never dreamed of.
But yes - like you said, the path is not for everyone.
You definitely pay for it in a lot of areas. Deeply deeply ask yourself if you are willing to pay any price that your path demands.
Ask yourself why you are doing it, and ask yourself if you can get all the financial and non financial things you want being an employee.
If you can, it might be worth cutting your losses, and getting a job again. You might even try to get a location independent job with a bit less pay if travel is your main priority.
Personally, I gave up some of the prime years of my life I'll never get back, but it was worth it to me based on the fact being an employee makes me sick to my stomach (mainly because of toxic workplaces I've experienced and I always felt like workplaces were grossly inefficient, regulated and there was zero chance I was getting paid my true value - which I've proved to be exactly the case since going out on my own), and the feeling of being in control of my own life is priceless to me.
I also felt like I wanted to help in some way improve society's systems, and people I met that were employees were only interested in working within systems and maximising their rewards within those systems. The thought that the systems might be broken or that they should be improved would not have occurred once to them.
It was about priorities.
RE not having time for everything - that's probably the biggest thing you don't understand getting into it. It feels like the walls close up around you because you realise that there is literally only time for business, eating, sleeping, seeing friends once or twice for short periods a week (and I'd usually sit there like a zombie because I'd be thinking or worrying about what I would have to do when I got home) and some very basic exercise (because you're usually tired and drained as heck). Basically all maintenance type things.
It can make you super paranoid and on edge.
I was like you - social interactions and dating and travel on flipped me out. I didn't have the mental stamina or stability to be doing those things, let alone the time. One small thing could tip me over the edge and I'd lose half a day of productivity and usually sleep too (I had some ridiculously vivid and intense and downright scary dreams/nightmares).
It DOES get better eventually. But you usually have to go through some super dark times first.
You're fully capable if you want it.