Running and Entrepreneurship?
I bet at this point, some of you are wondering, how on Earth running and entrepreneurship even correlate. Entrepreneurship is a mindset, one that inspires all the qualities of successful entrepreneurs, from being a visionary, having drive, the aggression necessary to overcome, etc. Entrepreneurship is about having a laser like focus on survival and setting everything else aside; only an experienced runner can understand this direct connection, one that has helped to mold me into a mentally fit, and driven Fempreneur.
1. Disciplined
Discipline means excuses are no longer an option.
A disciplined entrepreneur understands the importance of timeliness, of getting things done, and in turn earns the respect of his peers, and team members. Lack of discipline creates chaos, and a disorganized environment that does not set the precedence for a successful environment.
Running has and continues to instill discipline in my life. Fitting running into my impossibly busy routine has helped me to understand the importance of sticking to a routine. In order to build strength, and stamina as a runner you have to keep it up. Starting and stopping will only make the process challenging for you, but creating a routine, will help to strengthen your body, and before you know it, one mile will turn into 2, and then 3.
This discipline can then be applied to your life as an entrepreneur, allowing you to stay one step ahead every time.
2. Determination
A few weeks ago, I discovered a great hill 2 blocks from my home. I was almost done with my run, and I thought it would be a great way to end my run with a few laps up and down the hill. I gave myself 5, but by the time I had run up and down the hill 3 times my body was telling me it was done. My mind, however, was singing a different tune. I knew that if I pushed myself, I could finish my lap, and make the last two blocks to the house.
I remember a time when I would easily have given up and turned back to the house, but it’s hard for me to walk away from these challenges, as a runner and as an entrepreneur, thanks to running. As a runner, I face a similar situation every time I choose to put my running shoes on and hit the pavement.
You are pushing yourself to do something that challenges every muscle in your body, and challenging your mind and body to go beyond their limits.
I am a determined Fempreneur, because I am a determined runner.
3. Visionary
According to Michael E Berger, an entrepreneur is a creator:
“So, when you start your company, you must think of it as though you were about to write a book. What would that book of yours say? What would you, as the author of your book, wish to impart to your reader that would hopefully transform the way they think about their life, about their success, about their future?”
A creator is able to envision his creation beforehand, from the moment the decision to create has been made to the end of the journey.
I find that as a runner, I am successful when I visualize myself succeeding. Whether I am running 1, 2, 3, or more miles, I complete the run in my mind before I take my first step, envisioning my success is what helps me during mornings like the one I mentioned earlier. My body is exhausted, and yet, I push through.
In business as in anything else in life, being a visionary, seeing and dreaming when others are asleep, creating, building, and achieving where others fail to, will lay a path for success before you.
4. Confidence
Runners are confident.
Not because of their physical accomplishments, but even more so than that, because of the mental accomplishments. It challenges you to overcome fear, exhaustion, and so much more!
How doesn’t that create a better entrepreneur?
In every way the entrepreneurial mindset is the mindset of the over comer. Those that are first to accept challenges and to take them head on, without confidence, it is difficult to walk head first into situations that challenge you in front of your peers. A great runner is confident, and bold in every way.
There are many ways that running has inspired and continues to inspire me as a business owner, mother, and a wife. It takes strength, determination, will power, and ambition to choose to run, and when you do achieve more than what you thought possible, you can carry the same mindset to the board room.
What are some things of the unexpected things that inspire you as an entrepreneur?
