The road to success isn’t an easy one. It can be a long, lonely road.
Before you go driving off into the sunset, take it from someone who’s been navigating this road for over 25 years and has yet to pull over or slow down: this journey can be draining, but it’s well worth it.
Entrepreneurs, start your engines—and brace yourselves for the journey of a lifetime.
On the road (again)
Throughout my extensive career in the network marketing industry, I have met hundreds of thousands of people who were either considering or pursuing entrepreneurship. While I’ve helped to create countless success stories, I have also witnessed a handful of career-defining failures unfold. It all comes down to one’s self-discipline and pacing.
The path to financial freedom isn’t relatively smooth or straight; you will likely face unexpected turns and obstacles along the way. And a trip to the top isn’t a free ride, either. You’ve got to be prepared to pay the costs: energy, focus, sacrifices, and time, with an extra tax—resilience.
Initial things you must map out:
- Are you in the right vehicle for success (basically, is this business opportunity timely, practical, and promising)?
- What’s traffic looking like? Is there a lot of competition, or is the road yours for the taking?
- Be honest—are you self-motivated and independent? You have to put in the work if you want the results!
- And very importantly—what is your “why”? Your dream? Fail to identify your “why,” and you’ll stall out early on (you’ll need consistent motivation to keep you trucking along when times are tough).
Should I stay or should I go?
For some people, the hardest part is beginning the journey. They know they want a change, they know they aren’t happy with their current lifestyle or income, but they are hesitant to hustle, to start the engine and get going. Because they’re uncertain of what lies ahead, they let fear hold them back and keep them from driving toward their dreams.
Then there are the pit-stoppers: people who drive with their foot on the brake. They make some progress—like reaching a new sales margin—and then slow down; stop to celebrate. They achieve a short-term goal and are quick to call it a day.
I’ve also come across my fair share of entrepreneurs who come in hot and burn out too quickly, distributors who spend too much time looking in the rearview, never to surpass their past successes; and lazy paper-chasers take a lax approach from day one and wonder why their new business “isn’t working.”
It’s a sad, sad moment when these two types realize their mistakes too little too late (although I seldom have much sympathy for doubters and grinders). With no clear sense of perspective and ultimate goal in sight, they’re just burning rubber and wasting gas. They’re better dreamers than they are drivers, and the road is full of them.
Life in the fast lane
When you’re working for yourself, you are your own driving force. No one else can make you want it; that’s all on you. That’s why it’s very important that you set new markers, goals, and deadlines to keep you fired up along the way. When one milestone is reached, head on to the next; celebrate each achievement with another pump of the gas pedal.
If you’re progressing at a slow pace, it won’t be long before you get disenchanted and quit. Because you’re bored. You’re not getting anywhere. Might as well call it early on in the game.
Move too slow and people will pass you up—especially if they’re hungrier, greedier, and more ambitious. If you want to make it big, toss the “it’s about the journey, not the destination” philosophy to the side. Put your foot on the gas and rev it. You’ve got to drive like you’re in the middle of a high-speed chase and your life depends on it, because it does.
Start me up, I’ll never stop
Whenever I take the Rolls-Royce or Lamborghini out for a spin, I can feel people staring through the glass at red lights. I know they’re taking pictures to show their friends. I try not to pay attention to the double takes and chatter and just mind my business.
In their eyes, though, I look like someone who has “already made it.” Someone who can put it in park, sit back and relax while they still partake in the rat race.
What I want to tell them: I was once like you. A rookie. Someone who never thought they’d “make it.” I was motivated but inexperienced, and I was no stranger to disappointment. Do I wish I had partnered with more stable companies in the beginning? Absolutely. Do I wish I had learned how to simplify and maximize my success sooner? You bet. But did I turn around or slow down? No way.
Route after route, earning milestone after earning milestone, success story after success story—on I went, and on I still go. Because little do the red-light-gawkers know, I’m still traveling with them; I’m still down for the ride.
That’s the thing about people like me, entrepreneurs who are over-the-moon passionate about what they do: we never want to quit. It’s not about the money anymore but the thrill of it all. That’s why I’m constantly seeking out new ways to navigate and master the road to success, to show others the way. To introduce people to the right vehicle and the right mindset. I hope you see the potential in all that lies ahead as well.
The road to success has become my forever home. It’s the road to freedom, baby, and it’s by far the best trip one can ever take.