Straight to the Top!? Not so much.

If it was easy; anyone can do it.

– AXIOM 16 STEVE SIMONSON

Does this feel like your current business?

This well-made infographic tells us a lot about the life of an entrepreneur.

When we begin we’re absolutely convinced that we’re right about this great new idea. We’re excited about the fun times ahead!

It doesn’t take long to hit a couple mild obstacles that remind us that there may be some challenges ahead.

The deeper in you go the more your reality starts to set in.

The so-called “Dark swamp of despair” is a common waypoint for any new business or a great idea. One of the key aspects of this particular diagram is the well-founded wisdom that family + humor can help entrepreneurs get through this difficult time.

The support of your friends and family is a nice to have and it really can make a difference, but not every entrepreneur has that support system. All too often people feel very isolated and alone during this time and many consider giving up altogether. In fact, many great ideas die right here. The cure for no inner support system is to develop an outer support system of like-minded entrepreneurs. The formation of masterminds, accountability buddies, and similar concepts can really reduce the amount of time someone spends in the low point of the journey.

Regardless of the support and where it comes from a must have is the belief in the core principles and the absolute and unyielding resolve to see it through. THIS IS A MUST HAVE. You can have all the support in the world, but your own self-assurance is a necessity every step of the way.

This stark reality doesn’t mean you don’t question yourself from time to time and it doesn’t exclude you from the continuous tweaking of the idea to guide your project towards that elusive target of success.

The area between knowing when to pivot vs. just giving up can be a subtle line.

Any entrepreneur must keep their eyes focused on the WOW on the other end of the chart. That is what makes it all worthwhile.

It also stocks up the confidence bank for your next hair brained scheme.