Intro to Entrepreneurship Week 4

This week included a lot of personal refection. What do I want to be? Who do I want to be? How do I want to live? How will I become all of these things? What am I afraid of that is stopping me? How do I overcome these fears?

I made a Personal Constitution. It is an evolving statement of my plans and how to get there. I am posting it here for accountability.

Personal Constitution

Other people see me as a much better person than I see myself. I’d like to feel like I deserve their accolades. Some of my “I am”s are that I am honest and have integrity. I am happy and joyful. I am successful and self-reliant. I am giving and serve others. I am an early riser. I am organized. I am a person who loves to exercise. I am a college graduate.

My short term goals are to graduate from college. I started in college over 25 years ago with a hapart the first semester and I went one more on a loan and had enough left over from the loan to take two night classes in a third semester. I have always wanted to go to school so when Pathway came along I could afford it and I could do it from home. My second short term goal kind of clashes with first. I will go to bed earlier. Some nights it just doesn’t happen. My third short term goal is to find a mentor. I have secret mentors that have no idea I watch them and want to learn from them.

My first long term goal is kind of different but I feel like it is very important. It is to always remember my I will nevers. I think that is imperative if we want to succeed that we have a line that we won’t cross and remind ourselves often of where and what those lines are. A second long term goal is to reach a point of self-reliance that there is enough residual income to support our family and future grandchildren and still be able to have enough to serve others. When you do not have the financial means to take care of yourself, you are not able to help others like you want to do. It’s kind of like the oxygen masks in the plane. You have to put yours on so you are capable of helping others put theirs on. My third long term goal is to become someone’s mentor. I want to be an example to others and to help pull others up the mountain.

There are several daily tasks that I’m lacking. In fact, I’m not good at doing any of these. I am going to strive to read my scriptures daily, say my personal prayers, put forth effort in my exercising at least 3 times a day, read daily in helpful/improvement books, and declutter a few minutes a day so that I can become organized.

I am going to fine tune this Personal Constitution when I get some time. It was a great motivator to think about what I want and how I’m going to get there. The Ministry of Business said to give someone a copy of your Personal Constitution but I’m going to post mine on my blog as my accountability. 

I also had to look at my fears. here are the answers to the reflection on them. 

Reflection Questions 

After you have completed the learning experience, record your observations to the following questions in your journal. 

1. If you pursue your calling with discipline, intentionality, and the help of fellow travelers, what are the chances that your worst case scenario will really happen? Most of the time our worst case scenario will never happen even if we aren't diligent about pursuing our callings. When we have discipline, intentionality, mentors and like minded partners there is an even better chance of everything turning out okay. 
2. As you look at your list of fears, what themes emerge? What is at the core of what you really fear? Financial ruin? The judgment or disapproval of others? Physical harm? Endangering the ones you love? Embarrassment? My fears have a theme of embarrassment. I also see disapproval of others too. 
3. What is the risk of taking no action – not following your calling? How do you plan to deal with fear when it pops up on your entrepreneurial journey? If I don't take any action I'm going to be stuck in the same rut I've been in for my whole life. I need some direction. When these fears pop up, I'm going to turn to my supporters who I hope are my family, partners in business and my mentors. 

Intro to Entrepreneurship Week 3

The last sentence in the Ministry of Business reading assignment really stuck out to me. I just took my daughter, her friend and her friend's stepmom out to lunch. On my bucket list I had Pay for a family’s meal anonymously. See that? See the line through it?? See it crossed off!! We had the girls pick out a couple and we paid for their meal anonymously. It was fun. We took it further. We were going to go through the drive thru at Wendy's but no one was coming so we went to the dollar store and the girls would rush up to the registers and pay for people's items. The last few dollars were spent buying little Valentine's Day flowers. The girls put flowers on 2 cars at Walmart then handed the other 4 to strangers in the parking lot. The girls had a blast and so did the moms. 

As we sat at lunch we talked about the goals we each had for the future. One of my goals that I mentioned was that I wanted to have an income big enough that I could pay for someone's meal any time I wanted to without guilt or worry that I was spending too much. The chapter on Financial Fitness should help with this. My one big question is do you pay yourself anyway when you know there isn't enough money for the budgeted items or the savings? 

I can't wait to learn more that will help me be successful with my bucket list.

Intro to Entrepreneurship Week 2

This week has been inspiring. It makes me believe that I can do this. I guess "this" is life.

One thing that has really been brought to my attention is the lack of focus my life has had. I've never really searched out decisions and choices. I've gone with how I "felt" at the time. Did this feel right? Did I get a bad feeling? I didn't kneel down and pray about what to do. I see that I need some direction for my life so that I can make something more of myself. The first chapter in "Ministry of Business" was about divine guidance. I need to learn a few lessons from him about seeking out that guidance instead of going with the flow.

In the Stars and Steppingstones assignment I came to realize that being a mother is my biggest calling. I've been a mom for 23 years and still have a 7 year old in the house. I'll be a hands on mother for a long time still. Through these exercises in this Entrepreneur class I see that I can learn to be a better mom along with learning how to financially support them at the same time.

In making the Bucket List I came across many things I really, really want to do. I put down some fun things that I'd like to happen. Now as I think about things or read or watch a program, I think about bucket lists and items that could go on them. I don't think I'd ever put "Save a life" on my bucket list but some people do. I guess I should stare fear in the face and put more items on it that are harder than what I put. Some items were very hard for me to put down and put out there publicly. This assignment was hard but the day after I finished it I was wishing for more blanks to fill in.

Why do you think Randy Pausch was able to achieve so many of his childhood dreams?

I think he was able to accomplish this by being alert to what he wanted and found ways to make them happen. He knew he couldn't jump from Step 1 to Success in that one step. He took little steps to get him to his goals. He also made them doable. He didn't want to "be Captain Kirk" but to meet him. That is a very important distinction. 

Do you feel that dreaming is important? Why or why not?

Dreaming is absolutely important. I think visualizing what you want puts the image in your brain and it subconsciously helps it happen. I think that's they Dream Boards work. 

Discuss at least one of your childhood dreams. Explain why you believe you can or cannot achieve this dream.

I thought about childhood dreams and all I remember doing was reading and holding babies. I guess that I made that dream come true by having 9 babies myself. I still long to volunteer in a NICU and hold babies there and step in for those moms that have to work and leave their babies in the hospital or even abandoned babies. It will not happen while I am in school or have little ones myself but it is a possibility in the future. 

Intro to Entrepreneurship Week 1 (AKA The beginning of Me)

I’m starting a class called Intro to Entrepreneurship at BYUI this semester. We are required to have a blog and post our “Entrepreneurial Journal” in it. I thought this class was going to teach me to start a business but what it really is going to do is start me.

It really makes sense because without a good foundation what do I have to build upon? Who is the foundation of a business that I start? Me.

In Living Life as an Entrepreneurial Hero I liked that it said to Dream Big. That’s also the part that intimidates me. I have big dreams. They aren’t as big as other people’s dreams but they are big to me. I need to learn how to face fears and take little steps.

In that same article they listed some of the things we need to learn and do to overcome challenges.

1.      Accept that life is hard and seldom fair.

2.      Persevere from difficult decisions to habits to character to destiny.

3.      You get to choose, but you are not in control. Real entrepreneurs learn to fail quickly, cheaply, often.

4.      Choose your fellow travelers well.

These are great life lessons not just for entrepreneurs. I think number 4 really applies to marriage. It is a big decision and can make or break your happiness.

I can’t begin to list the things I still have to learn. I don’t seem to have specific questions at this time. I’m all ears. For those that read this, please leave me your best entrepreneurial tip in the comments.