4 Common belief Every entrepreneur should be questioned

Entrepreneur is a difficult road that can go through some dark places. After some initial success, many entrepreneurs find themselves stuck and confused, in a place where they question who they are, where their business is going or when they will get there. Some have built to help deal with the crush of building a business surrounded by self-imposed walls. The walls are too high to go up and too deep to be pressed down. The only option is to get rid of them.

Mike Malesta is an entrepreneur who founded his first company, Advanced Waste Services, Inc. While managing, he called himself a “valley of uncertainty,” which he sold in 2015 after increasing since 1992. Now, ELC Midwest’s strategic adviser, LLC, an industrial clearing company, writes about the wake-up call he received in the Valley in his book, Owner shift.

During his time in the Valley, Malteza discovered four entrepreneurial beliefs that he did not question, even though they were actually harmful. Now by questioning these beliefs, you can avoid the valley of uncertainty. Or, at the very least, get less trouble on your way out.

1. I can handle anything

Like many entrepreneurs, Malteza believed that he could handle everything that came his way. This is a mantra he repeated. Given enough time, he thought he could solve every problem he faced. Asking for help felt like cheating, because he was always proud of himself for doing his job.

“While I was in the valley, I realized that I had no boundaries,” Malatestad reflects. “I have accepted what came my way, what brought me here.”

The main reason for his lack of boundaries was to believe that he was capable of achieving any task and solving every problem. That’s why he never asked for help. When he struggled, he went further down.

But then came the problems he couldn’t handle and where did that take him? Straight into the valley of uncertainty. Finding himself there forced Maltesta to replace his “I can handle anything” belief with the new belief that “by asking for help, I can handle anything”.

2. I am responsible for everything

The second misconception is that Malesta discovered that he was responsible for what was happening to him. Good, bad or indifferent, it doesn’t matter. All the faults are malestar.

“It was an impossible burden to bear,” Malesta shared. “It simply came to our notice then. I was looking for a way to deal with it and thought about throwing a towel. “

With this belief Malta’s breakthrough was realizing the error of this thought. She blended in perfectly Being responsible With To be responsible.

The subtle change in this belief is that he can only be Responsible For yourself. He had Responsibility For what happened in his business and he had to find a way to deal with it properly. Rearranging the statement means he has found a way forward.

3. Passion is all you need

The old saying goes, “Do what you love and you won’t work a single day in your life.” Many entrepreneurs are running after emotions, thinking that once they find it, the work will bring a lot of energy and make life meaningful. After all, you want to do your passion for free, don’t you?

Malatesta says that might work. It can keep you stuck because you don’t know or can’t decide what you’re interested in. As a result, when we find ourselves in a valley of uncertainty, we completely question the basis of “follow your passion.”

“I know a lot of entrepreneurs and no one is interested All That’s what they do, “said Malesta. “None. This is especially true when things are getting off the ground. ”

Here’s why: Being an entrepreneur often requires a bit of dirty work. Maltista had to clean thousands of gallons of mole from the tank under the car wash. He wasn’t passionate about it, but he wasn’t over it either. It was just a job he did to create invoices and increase the chances of his new business surviving.

“When the things needed to survive are within reach, you do them,” Malesta explained. “Passion will hopefully come, but it could be a byproduct of your journey.” If you do not like what you do, you can like what you do.

4. Better to be alone

The fourth belief that Malesta faced was the value of separation. For several years of running the business, he built invisible walls around people who were not like him, did not ask for help and believed that he would have to solve the problem on his own. He believed that these tall, strong walls would provide security and safety. He believed that by hiding his struggles and keeping his weaknesses to himself, he would make others look stronger.

“I made this place I felt safe, but it was a place I was afraid of,” recalls Maltesta. “I realized I was afraid to get off the ground and stay on the other side of my wall.”

You may think that your walls will protect you, but the unintended consequence of creating those walls is that they block your vision of the future as well as the opportunity to connect with other people. But a future is not something you can get alone. Malatesta had to find the courage to tear down his walls and open himself up in a way that made him feel extremely weak.

“I realized the answers weren’t inside my walls,” he said. “If I wanted to, I would have to suck it out and get out. I was scared but my inspiration overcame my fears. “Once Malatesta started letting people in instead of shutting them down, his world changed and so did his business.

Create your own map

A difficult time for entrepreneurs, the vision they started with is becoming blurred. Others see them as successful. Everyone is congratulating them for what they are doing, but deep down, they know the truth. They know they are stuck in a place they do not recognize, fighting uncertainties that may seem overwhelming.

“I am full of big ideas but I have no plans to make them a reality. When I fail, I succeed. “I am constantly questioning whether I have the strength, knowledge, lineage and resilience I need. But I’m not alone. “

What he finally realized was that he owes a debt of gratitude to himself, his clients, and his team for finding a way out of the valley. He had to look inwards to discover what was holding him back, then he had to make a map so that he could get out of the darkness and into a future that he would create for himself.

Instead of hiding behind misleading beliefs, Malatesta sought help to manage obstacles, defined the boundaries of his responsibilities, gave up the need to be enthusiastic in every work situation, and involved other people in his journey. How will you survive your valley of uncertainty?