Entrepreneurial Motivation
introduction
Are you spending all your time in other people’s business? Is your energy and effort spent minding other people’s concerns?
I am not referring here to gossiping, rumour mongering or any such vice. I am referring to the thing that makes thousands of people in this country get up early in the morning, leave their families and their homes and make a mad dash through crazy traffic like it’s the end of the world.
That thing is work. More specifically, it is employment. Whether in the formal or informal sector it is the dominant activity in many of our lives throughout the world. It is a necessary evil for most of us because deep down we would rather not be working for anyone else, but somehow we accept that it is the only way to get by.
Once the paycheck arrives at the end of the month we feel relieved, though only for a little while, that we have our needs met. By the 10th of the month the waiting starts all over again. We have to endure the rest of the month until the next paycheck.
That is a reality for a lot of people, not only in Zambia, but throughout the world. We have become slaves to our salaries. “Making a living” is killing us. It should be making our lives better. Entrepreneurial motivation - who are you working for?
When you go to work everyday, whose purpose are you fulfilling? It is the purpose of the company or organization you are working for. You are employed to help your organization achieve its objectives. If someone else took over your position they would still do the same things you do in order to achieve the organization’s objectives.
If you are working for an individual the same reasoning applies. You are working to fulfill the purpose given to you by that individual. In both cases you are minding someone else’s business.
Entrepreneurial motivation - you are not what you do
However the situation gets more complex: many of us have been led into the belief that the organisation’s purpose is our own purpose. We whole-heartedly take up the cause of the organisation as our own. Our thoughts and ideals slowly but surely come to be replaced by those of our workplace. We become the perfect employees.
What’s wrong with that? Everything. You are not what you do. Your work is not who you are. Unfortunately, our education system hasn’t helped in this regard. It has trained us to become what we study. If you study law you become a lawyer, studying auto mechanics makes you a mechanic and studying cooking makes you a cook.
“The mistake in becoming what you study is that too many people forget to mind their own business. They spend their lives minding someone else’s business and making that person rich.”Those are the wise words of Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad.
Entrepreneurial motivation - minding other people's business
When you mind someone else’s business they may be achieving their objectives, but you are definitely not. It doesn’t matter how big your salary is. The fact is your boss or the owner of the business will always make more money than you. Why not mind your own business and make your own fortune?
Entrepreneurial motivation - work to develop yourself
Firstly, it should be a way of learning and getting more knowledge and skills. People that work simply for the purpose of getting paid are often not the most productive people. It is those that realise the value that working is adding to their knowledge and skills as individuals that always perform better and that are always ready for the next challenge.
Such people know that what they will get from their job will ultimately help them to mind their own business by equipping them with what they need mentally to be able to fulfill their own purpose.
Entrepreneurial motivation - work to invest
Secondly, working should be a means of being able to meet your basic needs whilst you work on your real purpose. Everything worthwhile takes time to build and become self sustaining and profitable. During this building phase you obviously need something to help you along.
Entrepreneurial motivation - work for financial independence
Thirdly, it should be a way of raising the finances needed to be able to mind your own business. Your salary is not meant to be spent as soon as it is received. Robert Kiyosaki says “the poor and middle class work for money. The rich have money work of them.” Some of the money you earn should be utilized in helping you to become financially independent. It should be invested. That may be in the form of having a business, buying stock or shares or anything else, so long as your money is growing. Your money should be put to work for you.
Entrepreneurial motivation - delay gratification
Unfortunately, the more we earn the more we spend on luxury items. Everyone wants an expensive car and a humongous house. That’s good. Just make sure that you get those things after you have built up a good financial base. Would a smaller house and a cheaper car not do in the meantime? Of course it would. Maybe you can invest the rest of the money into something that will yield far greater benefits in the long run.
The employee mentality is what keeps most of us slaves to the economy and other people. We need to stop minding other people’s business and start minding our own. At the very least we should do both. But do both well.
Entrepreneurial motivation - conclusion
Paul the apostle said “that you study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you… that you may have lack of nothing.” This statement was made close to two thousand years ago. Are we so slow to learn that up to this time we don’t understand its message?
As a dreamer, you need to understand its significance and mind your own business. Never lose track of your vision for your life. Do not ever get so busy making a living that you forget to live your life.
You are all you can be. Go on and be it!
LIFE GOALS – HOW TO REALISE SUCCESS
by Nyasha Tabaiwa
Philippians 1 vs 6
Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it to completion until the day of Christ.
The writer in this book exhorts us concerning all the plans that God has for us and all the plans that He has started in our lives. We find the assurance that indeed God wants everyone to succeed and will do all that He can to bring one to that place of success. However the writer highlights of a place of “completion” that made me wonder.
Is there a limit to success? It it possible to come to a place where you can say I have achieved it all? Is there someone who has ever totally been successful? All these are questions that linger in people’s minds consciously and subconsciously and most folks seem to avoid them. A grave error that many people make is that they want to be successful but they avoid the discussions leading to success thereof. One thing that every achiever should not be ignorant of, is the path to success and the heights to success. Success is a lifestyle not an achievement because it is not solely dependent on what you did but what you continue doing.
We are now living in a world where everyone is capable to do what you did and even do it better hence what matters is the addition to what you did yesterday. Editions to books are in progress, revision and improvements of inventions are being done . All this is because life revolves and is never constant and so it is with success. Are you willing to be successful, are you desiring to be successful then you need not only desire success but be hungry for success. You have to create a mental imagination that doesn’t settle and be blinded by illusions. The truth of the matter is there is no stop and limit for success. How far you are going to go and how successful you are going to be is determined by you. There is no limit for success there is no pit stop or bus stop for success. However there is a place of higher calling or greater realization.
The place of higher calling is where you begin to realize your goals and vision. This is where imagination begins to become reality. In the cycle for success then is a point where your success will outweigh the work you have done and that is the place of higher calling. This is the phase that all the things that God has placed in your heart and that He empowered you to do will begin to manifest. Many people when they get to this phase in their lives, stop and think they have made it alas its just greater realization. If you take a look at history the things that we are benefiting from today were started by someone who ended somewhere along the path. We had wheel projectors, mono, black and white televisions decades ago but today in 2017 we have ultra HD and HDR monitors and even better models are being made. This just points to show that there is no arrival point at success but the place is just an imaginary place in someone’s mind. Imagine where we would be if no one had ventured more and continued making televisions.
I started training myself to speak to audiences in front of the bushes and trees when I was 15 years of age. However I only managed to stand in front of a group of less than 30 real people 3 years after that. Up to date I have stood on great podiums but that was never the stop. I realized that the greatest making point is not the beginning or when you have nothing but is when you have some tangible form of success or achievement. This is the phase and time that is very critical and important to all. As long as we are alive we all have the ability to do great things without stopping for the place of stopping is imaginary. Hence one should be able to differentiate the place of higher calling or greater realization. However in this piece of article my main emphasis is to bring one to awareness of how they can realize that they are in the place of higher calling. How can you notice that you are at that place and respond accordingly
Your biggest goals are realized – At the point of realization the thrust of your calling is made manifest and this determines the exact path that you are supposed to follow. Yes at times when we are chasing greatness we try everything to succeed and be noticed but at this point you are made to encounter who you are and what you carry. It is therefore a crucial stage because when one never comes to it they keep on running in circles or living in illusion versions of themselves.
You are noticed – Yes I know we are all fighting and striving for recognition. However my advice to any dreamer is that you don’t need to strive for recognition that much, rather channel your energy towards working hard and let your progress speak for you. Many people are crying for titles and accolades with their voices yet the amount of workload and results they have say a different thing. Many people speak and profess volumes but they weigh nothing. Hence this phase makes you become noticed. Today as you enter into a shop you don’t need someone to tell you what type of brand Apple is but it is the achievements that speak. The place of realization speaks for you and creates an audience for you for a man’s gift creates room for you. (Proverbs 18 vs 16)
Sense of achievement – The place of higher calling is when you begin to feel the sense of achievement we mentioned in the earlier post. When things begin to happen there is a certain peace and joy that comes to your heart. In as much as you are supposed to continue working there is always that small voice that says take some time to celebrate and enjoy the little that you have achieved. This is because there is evidence of achievement as well and the sense comes naturally. This is a time when it will seem as if the world is at you hand and you are carrying all that can ever be achieved in life
Happiness – Whenever you do well you will feel happy about it and no doubt you will not be bitter with yourself. I have come across many folks who always undermine what they have done and don’t say anything good about it. In their pretense they think they are being humble. I used not to understand it but as I sat down I realized that it was because of the fact that when you have achieved something substantial you will give yourself an applaud. Hence when one is unhappy they haven’t achieved anything yet. God the first day He created light He saw that it was good (Genesis 1 vs 4). This is because every good achievement calls for celebration.
You fit in – When you come to a place of realizing success you dont push but you fit in the society. The reason why so many people are misfits is because they want to fit in the wrong slots. Most times people are caught by the business of being cool and pleasing other people. However you must know that you are not a misfit when you fail to fit into some people’s agenda or into the community. Rather you only become a misfit when you fail to live and realize the heights and greatness that God created for you. It’s His job to create and bring into our life but it is our mandate to live in them.
Setting of standards – When you come to this phase you set standards. There is something that should be copied from you. There is a certain standard that should be named after you because this denotes progress. Many people are champions in their own personal territories but are strangers to the world, this is because they wrote a few article, songs or books, got 20 followers, got celebrated and they thought they made it. True progress in success is seen by setting standards.
Pursue that you come to this place, as long as you don’t see core these things present in your life know that you still need to walk the mile. The good news is that where you are going is now nearer to where you are coming from. Live in a life of results, live a life of progress, live a life of greatness and pursue to attain all that God placed in you. Next article is How To Handle Success and will continue teaching on how to respond upon coming to this phase.
Source: www.nyashatabaiwa.co.zw
If you believe in success, you can have it
by Tafadzwa Sandi
The American Politician and the 26th Governor of Oklahoma, Charles Bradford Henry stated that,” Believe in yourself, and the rest will fall into place. Have faith in your own abilities, work hard, and there is nothing you cannot accomplish”.
According to theology, human beings were born leaders because God thought and created us just like him.
We need to believe in the leadership power invested in us by God from the Garden of Eden through Adam and Eve.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, Genesis 1 verse 26 (KJV).
Verse 28 of the same chapter says, ”And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply,
and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth”.
Human beings were created to have dominion over all that is on earth and areas of specialty rather than dominating other human beings.
Dominate in your area of gifting and not others for God wants us to control the earth using our special gifts and not dominating other human beings, Dr Myles Munroe says in a sermon Understanding Whom You Are and Determine to become it.
One need to believe that he or she can achieve success be it in the area of Finances, Health Sector, Media , Agriculture, Government and others.
Some governments are looking for people with gifts that they can use to alleviate challenges they are facing in their day to day ruling.
The moment we all shall realise the power of collective potential and believe in ourselves, we are going achieve greatness, we are going to achieve success as a nation, company or family.
Furthermore, we need to see the bigger picture in our business or projects that we do. Starting small and growing big, is a popular scripture popularly quoted in the business circles.
Moreover, the change of mindset is of paramount importance if we are to believe in ourselves in achieving greatness and have a preview of our future 10 years from now as a nation, company, or individuals.
The change of mindset can be achieved by improving on our network, studying goal oriented books, traveling and attending workshops on our field of gifting.
We need to believe that we can achieve greatness as a country be it in Agriculture, Mining, Roads, Education, Health etc and stop doing energy draining activities that hinders the economy from growing. If we channel our resources to where they are supposed to be all will fall into place. A hoe must never replace an axe.