The Importance Of Embracing Change As An Entrepreneur
The world around us is always changing, quickly shifting from underneath our feet.
Whilst a few years ago, the world may have seemed... normal, today, we're seeing massive changes taking place right in front of our eyes.
Space travel, for one, is becoming increasingly popular with more and more companies pursuing this expedition.
The Metaverse, which not many people fully understand yet, is the next big thing that will change the way our lives work.
With all this change happening at a staggering rate, you'd expect that adapting to it is easier - but there are millions of people who don't know how to adapt to new changes around them.
Many people, especially entrepreneurs, are still stuck in the past looking for ways to avoid stepping out into the light.
It's this exact behavior that is stopping them from flourishing and reaching their fullest potential.
So why is it so important to adapt to change? Why is change crucial for our success?
In this article, we're discussing a few reasons why it's important to embrace change as an entrepreneur.
I'll also be reflecting on how I managed to accept my new paradigm early on in my entrepreneurial career.
Change is inevitable
One of the harsh truths that I find hard to accept and adapt to myself is the fact that the further we go into the future, the more popular social media will become.
I had this talk with my girlfriend the other day - in order to be successful today, it's so much more important to embrace things like social media and keep a powerful social presence.
It's not as easy as simply creating a business and throwing around some ads, people need to trust you.
Unfortunately, for many of us, trust usually means a good social presence.
Now, I have two options here - I either drown in my sorrows and overthink the fact that I don't want to be a social media star;
Or I can accept the fact that no matter what I do, this change is inevitable.
The only way to keep going forward and be successful is if I accept this as an inevitable event, right?
The further we go into the future, the harder it becomes to make a name for yourself or start a business without social media.
It's a very unfortunate thing for an introvert like me, however, the last thing I should do is try to fight this reality.
Whatever I do, whatever I say will not change the truth.
That's the mindset a lot of people are stuck in - they're scared to adapt to change, yet it's the only thing we know to be inevitable (along with time).
The world will always keep moving, spinning, and changing - it's our choice whether we want to move with it, or stay behind and dwell on the past.
Not long ago, I wrote an article about success and the signs that you'll be a great entrepreneur - one of them indicated that those who don't dwell on the past are more likely to be successful.
Entrepreneurs who are successful today are all doing what it is the others are not willing to do.
Part of that is accepting the new changes taking place, and even capitalizing on them.
Take a look at NFTs for example.
There is a kid, aged 12, who made over half a million within 9 hours from NFTs.
When you're at the age of 12, you're not worried about circumstances changing, you're just living your life day after day.
As we grow older, we get more cautious about the things around us, we start to realise things we're not so fond of which makes us more sensitive to certain things or situations.
What if we just decide to let go?
Let go of all emotions and let our goals guide our actions - embrace the stoic philosophy.
When we do this, we'll find it much easier to adapt to things we thought we couldn't do before because our thoughts and feelings don't drive our actions.
Only way to grow
It's very cliché, but also very true.
The only way to really grow is by accepting the one thing you're fearful of.
Being scared of change is normal - a lot of people fear change because they're afraid of what they don't know.
The fear of the unknown is a very common problem a lot of people have.
It could also be a big problem if you resist venturing past your comfort zone because you're afraid of what you don't know.
When I first decided that I wanted to start my own business, I was scared of taking the leap.
After all, I had just spent the last 13+ years of my life in school.
I was so comfortable where I was at, that it became my new comfort zone - anything that didn't include going to school, sitting in a class, and learning things was scary.
So the closer my school life came to an end, the more worried I got.
I didn't know what the future would hold for me and that made me very anxious.
Would I end up in university, would I end up doing an apprenticeship?
Apprenticeship, at the time, seemed like my best option but even then, I was scared of getting into one and realising this was far from what I wanted.
When I found out that I had a 3rd option, become an entrepreneur, there was a collision of thoughts and emotions in my mind.
I didn't know what to think, or what to do - this kept me up all night.
Luckily for me, I ended up taking the risk and I've managed to learn so much more than I ever could had I gone to university or decided to pursue an apprenticeship.
I am now equipped with everything I need to make $1 million per year, even $10 million per year.
I don't think I'm ready for the $100 million per year - the grand goal (well it's more like $120 million per year), but that's all part of the journey.
Once I'm at $10m/ year, I would then be able to know what it takes to build a $100+ million business.
Had I gone to university or taken an apprenticeship, I would not know half of what I know today, I would not have managed to break down some of the barriers that have been holding me back my whole life.
Had I chosen to stay in line and follow the status quo, I would still be cocooned within my comfort zone.
I've always been a shy, introverted kid.
A year or two ago, I never would have known I'd be doing what I'm doing today, I never knew I would have done over 40 interviews in a month, but I did.
I accepted the fact that to be successful in my life, I'd need to escape the comfort zone, and the way to do that is by accepting the changes happening around you.
Going from a schoolboy to a full-time entrepreneur was a massive change.
It was the exact same time all of my friends went to university.
Many people would have seen everyone go one way and follow them - only a few can avoid following the herd.
It's the ones who don't follow the herd and go their own way who become successful.
A simple reframe, a simple shift in the way we perceive changes can make a massive difference.
Whilst one person fears the changes around them, there's another person out there who thrives in changing environments because they know that's how they will grow.
If we start to think of changes as a way to grow, rather than something to fear, we can be so far ahead of where we are today.
Keep up with the times
Every day, there are new technological changes happening.
With these changes, there's a heap of opportunity that comes with it.
A few days ago, my friend and I were talking about NFTs - I personally think that we should not get into NFTs if you already have something that you're working on.
If you have all the free time in the world, then it might be smart, however, there is no reason to drop everything you're doing to move to a completely new field.
Nonetheless, the conversation came up and he told me how he missed out on almost £200K (over $250K).
A Canadian rapper, Tory Lanez, had released an NFT version of his album.
Each NFT cost around £1, and there were a million available.
My friend was telling me how he had the opportunity to buy 5 of these NFTs but he was stopped by his own inner monologue.
Something had told him it's not worth buying them and so he didn't.
A few days later, he realised that each NFT he could have bought for £1 had the opportunity to sell for up to £50K.
All I could tell him was that it's an opportunity missed and that there will be so much more to come later on.
During the same day, he talked to me about a story he had heard of a couple.
The couple decided to start a business around the same time the pandemic had just started.
They decided to order boxes of masks in bulk, decorate them slightly, and sell them.
During their first month in business, they made $15K - not bad for a new business.
The second and third months are where it really took off.
During their second month, they made a staggering $700K+.
Whether they thought this was their potential or not, the next month they broke past the $1M mark and made over $1M in that same month.
With the space of 3 months, they went from a regular couple to a couple that earns over $15 million per year.
It's both motivating and not motivating to hear these stories of simple businesses, yet extraordinarily lucrative.
However, it proves my point - changes that happen leave us vulnerable to massive opportunities.
The virus, whether you think it's a blessing or a curse, managed to change millions of people's life trajectories.
NFTs are making new millionaires every single day.
The metaverse, although little is known about it, will most likely cause a massive change in people's lives too.
With every big change that comes, there are massive opportunities that come along with it.
Becoming a successful entrepreneur is not hard.
It's not something out of this world.
To become a successful entrepreneur, you need to embrace changes and spot the right opportunities.
This all involves adopting the right mindset - one of growth and potential.
Did you find this article helpful?
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Till next time,
Mohamad
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