A couple of Lessons about life

Today I want to share a couple of things I have become more aware of or learned in the past couple of weeks during my blogging hiatus.

1. Taking Stock
Once in a while it is important to take stock of your life and the things that you do each day. Take a step back and ask yourself why do you get up each morning? Why do you brave the matatu ride and the traffic to go to work? Is what you are doing worth it? Are you growing and learning or are you in the same place you were even a month back. If you are, then it is time to re-strategize. I realize it is easy to get caught up in the mundane processes of the rat race and sometimes we do it just to pay the bills. However, indirectly quoting one of my favorite writers; Robert Kiyosaki; sometimes the experience of learning how a company works while being employed is worth more than what we get in salary. Look at what it is you do everyday what have you learned from your interactions with clients? With your finance director? With your MD?

2. The importance of Mentors
No need to stress the obvious. I know most people wonder where to start looking. Books are always easy. Is there an entrepreneur that has inspired you? Chances are a book has been written about them. Find it and get started. Try and avoid books about entrepreneurship by non entrepreneurs; it is always easier to learn about where you are going from someone who has already been there.

3. Start Now
I know a lot has been said but i need to stress this. Get started working on your idea it does not have to be perfect. Devote your weekends to the pursuit of your big idea. Or even get started on your business on the weekend.

4. Teams and Partnerships
It is important to identify who it is you need to get to where you want to be. Someone once said that whatever venture they take in life, they never leave their friends behind. There is someone in your circle with the same burning desire; passion and skill set you require to propel you. You can not get far in life without the right people. One of my favorite books; the one minute millionaire (www.oneminutemillionaire.com) devotes a chapter to help you identify your team and the varying skill sets required in each team.

5. Networks
The theory of 6 degrees of separation claims that for each person in the world you want to get to; there is an estimated 6 people within your network that can get you to them. For instance; if I had wanted to get in touch with the King of Pop i know a friend of mine on Face book that was once in the same jet with him and if i tried really hard he would probably get me the contact of his people. Try this and think about all the people that you know and how many people they know and you will understand the magnitude of networking. It is estimated that each person in an organization knows at least 600 people. The lesson is nothing is impossible. Once you begin to interact with people worlds of opportunity open up and anything can be done. There are plenty of angel investors out there looking for the chance to grow a good business idea into a great one.

6. Nothing is impossible
A couple of years ago, a small start up set out to build the greatest search engine in the world. This would require them to download the entire internet and then set out to organize and create a system that would rank the pages and produce the most relevant results for the user. Nobody knew how this start up would make money. None of its proprietors had the kind of money it took to finance such a project. 10 years later and we all can not imagine life before Google and the company is the number one in its league. There are endless unique opportunities in the world today and for the first time we have the biggest library to analyze ideas and markets and find the tools necessary for any undertaking. Make friends with the www. It’s amazing how much you can learn from it.

7. Take care of the Legal

For any business idea it is very important to protect yourself. Get a lawyer get advice and protect yourself from the vultures out there who steal other people’s ideas.

8. Never Stop Learning
Read, listen, and learn. Never give up. To keep up in today’s world you need to be aware and ahead. Devote time to reading, go back to school, and take a short course. Whatever it takes but never sit back and be content with the status quo.