1481: The Not Knowing Path of Being an Entrepreneur by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits on Entrepreneurial Lifestyle

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[00:00:55] The Not Knowing Path of Being an Entrepreneur

[00:00:58] By Leo Babauta of zenhabits.net

[00:01:02] Lots of people who start businesses try to control outcomes.

[00:01:06] 1. A vision for your business' success.

[00:01:09] 2. Goals to get you to the successful vision.

[00:01:12] 3. Try to get the most productive day out of yourself or employees.

[00:01:17] 4. Try to produce certain amounts or hit certain metrics,

[00:01:21] page views, followers, revenue or sales.

[00:01:24] Unfortunately, the ability to control outcomes is an illusion.

[00:01:28] This is one of the fundamental lessons I've learned in my 6 years of being in business for myself.

[00:01:33] You don't really know how things will turn out.

[00:01:35] And this is okay.

[00:01:37] In fact, it's pretty awesome.

[00:01:39] Yes, not knowing how things will turn out day to day, month to month, year to year is crazy scary.

[00:01:45] I'm not going to front.

[00:01:46] It's so scary you might wake up drenched in sweat.

[00:01:49] But not knowing is what makes being an entrepreneur more amazing than working a regular desk job with a regular paycheck.

[00:01:55] We take risks.

[00:01:56] We fail.

[00:01:57] We don't know what's going to happen.

[00:01:59] We not only put our toes into the waters of the unknown, we dive in head first.

[00:02:04] So yes, not knowing is scary.

[00:02:06] But if you embrace it, not knowing can be liberating and can be an advantage.

[00:02:10] Let's look at how it's an advantage and how to stay present in the middle of the unknown.

[00:02:16] The Advantage of Not Knowing

[00:02:18] Quiz question.

[00:02:19] What causes us the most anxiety?

[00:02:22] Million dollar answer?

[00:02:24] Wanting things to turn out a certain way.

[00:02:26] Wanting an outcome.

[00:02:28] Wanting the person you love to love you back.

[00:02:30] Wanting people at your meeting or presentation to like you.

[00:02:33] Wanting a million customers.

[00:02:35] Wanting to be the next Apple or Twitter or Starbucks.

[00:02:38] This is the cause of our anxiety.

[00:02:40] Because when we want that outcome, we fear that it won't come true and we strive for it to come true.

[00:02:45] And of course it might not.

[00:02:47] There are a million possibilities.

[00:02:49] And wanting just one of those possibilities is a little crazy.

[00:02:52] What's wrong with the other 999,999?

[00:02:56] Will our worlds fall apart if that one outcome doesn't become a reality?

[00:03:00] No.

[00:03:01] We'll be just fine no matter what.

[00:03:03] Seriously.

[00:03:04] You'll be absolutely fine even if the outcome doesn't happen.

[00:03:07] So when anxiety comes up, if we learn to let go of needing that outcome, we can then let go of the anxiety.

[00:03:13] So advantage number one, we have less anxiety.

[00:03:17] What happens when you have less anxiety?

[00:03:19] Well, you're happier.

[00:03:20] You're happier when you meet with customers or clients or employees.

[00:03:24] They feel your happiness.

[00:03:25] They sense that you're cool with how things are going.

[00:03:28] You are less desperate.

[00:03:29] You don't need things to turn out a certain way.

[00:03:31] You don't need this one sale.

[00:03:34] You do your best to make it happen, but you're cool even if it doesn't.

[00:03:37] Other people bet everything on making their outcome happen.

[00:03:40] But what if it doesn't?

[00:03:41] Then they've lost everything with no clear direction of where to go when it fails to happen.

[00:03:45] So advantage number two, we aren't as tied to one bet.

[00:03:49] That's a single point of failure.

[00:03:52] Not a great idea.

[00:03:54] Instead, we are okay no matter what happens.

[00:03:56] And so any outcome of a meeting, a project, a launch, we're good with that and no outcome really messes us up.

[00:04:02] We flow.

[00:04:04] Another problem is that people who think they know how things will turn out, they're fooling themselves.

[00:04:08] No one knows.

[00:04:09] And that's advantage number three, we're more honest.

[00:04:13] Admitting to ourselves that we don't know is much more honest than thinking, hoping things will turn out the way we want.

[00:04:21] Honesty is important because if we're going to act, we should do so with open eyes and a clear assessment of the situation.

[00:04:27] Honesty with customers, readers, clients, and employees is important too.

[00:04:31] Admit you don't know.

[00:04:33] They will trust you more because not only are you telling them you don't know, you are clearly okay with that.

[00:04:38] You don't know what will happen, but whatever happens, you'll deal with it.

[00:04:42] And that's powerful.

[00:04:43] Those are just a few advantages, but actually the advantages are many.

[00:04:47] You don't have to plan as much because not knowing means you realize that detailed plans are useless and actually a waste of your time.

[00:04:54] You spend less time worrying and more time executing.

[00:04:57] You aren't consumed by the horrible fear that you're doing the wrong thing because you learn that there is never a perfectly right thing to do.

[00:05:04] Not generally for your business or specifically right now.

[00:05:08] How to walk the not knowing path.

[00:05:11] The not knowing path of an entrepreneur is scary, but honestly, what path isn't?

[00:05:15] Here's how to walk the path.

[00:05:18] Number one, admit you don't know.

[00:05:20] This is obviously the first step, but it's hard because we often want to think we know,

[00:05:24] or at least that we can make certain things happen the way we want them to.

[00:05:27] We think we can will things to happen.

[00:05:30] That's not true.

[00:05:31] Many things fail despite Herculean efforts to make them succeed.

[00:05:34] We don't control the future.

[00:05:36] We can't know the future.

[00:05:38] We don't know.

[00:05:40] Admit it to ourselves and to others.

[00:05:43] Number two, watch for anxiety.

[00:05:45] When you start feeling anxious, and that will always happen probably numerous times a day,

[00:05:50] look inward for the source of the anxiety.

[00:05:52] What are you hoping will happen that's making you anxious?

[00:05:55] This awareness is the key to everything.

[00:05:58] Three, tell yourself you'll be okay.

[00:06:01] You become aware of an outcome you're hoping for.

[00:06:04] Now, tell yourself that it doesn't matter if that outcome happens.

[00:06:07] It really doesn't matter.

[00:06:09] Even if we've made up this story for ourselves that it all depends on it happening,

[00:06:13] it doesn't matter, and no matter what happens, we'll be okay.

[00:06:16] Life and death situations are possibly the only exception to this,

[00:06:20] though I'm of the mind that even death is an outcome that I'd be okay with.

[00:06:24] Number four, consider worst-case scenarios.

[00:06:27] What's the worst thing that could happen?

[00:06:29] Someone doesn't like you?

[00:06:31] Doesn't think as highly of you as you'd like?

[00:06:32] A meeting ends in anger?

[00:06:34] A sale doesn't happen?

[00:06:35] The business fails?

[00:06:36] How bad is this worst-case scenario?

[00:06:39] How likely is it to happen?

[00:06:40] How would you cope if it did?

[00:06:42] Honestly, I think you'd be fine no matter what.

[00:06:45] Five, know your principles.

[00:06:47] Take some time to think about what should guide you

[00:06:50] if you aren't guided by trying to make something specific happen.

[00:06:53] If you're not tied to an outcome or vision of the future you can't control,

[00:06:56] what would guide you?

[00:06:58] Step back.

[00:06:59] Reflect.

[00:07:00] What drives you?

[00:07:01] Why do you do what you do?

[00:07:03] For example, some of my guiding principles are wanting to help others,

[00:07:07] wanting to act compassionately,

[00:07:09] wanting to do things I love,

[00:07:10] and building trust by doing those things.

[00:07:13] Six, act on principles, not goals or detailed plans.

[00:07:18] Once you have your guiding principles,

[00:07:20] let them guide you on a day-to-day basis, moment-to-moment.

[00:07:22] You don't know how something will turn out when you act,

[00:07:25] but you do know whether this action is in line with your principles.

[00:07:29] Seven, breathe and smile.

[00:07:31] In the end, not knowing can be scary,

[00:07:34] but liberating and profound.

[00:07:36] You are in the midst of a turbulent sea

[00:07:38] and are afloat without knowing where anything will go.

[00:07:41] But that's always true,

[00:07:42] even of people who don't admit it to themselves.

[00:07:44] So enjoy the ride.

[00:07:46] Look at this amazing place you're in and smile,

[00:07:48] because this path of not knowing,

[00:07:50] it is the path of life itself.

[00:07:53] Quote,

[00:07:54] If you realize that all things change,

[00:07:56] there is nothing you will try to hold on to.

[00:07:58] If you are not afraid of dying,

[00:08:00] there is nothing you cannot achieve.

[00:08:02] Lao Tzu

[00:08:07] You just listened to the post titled

[00:08:09] The Not Knowing Path of Being an Entrepreneur

[00:08:11] by Leo Babauta of zenhabits.net

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[00:09:16] And a little bit about Leo for you.

[00:09:18] Leo Babauta of Zen Habits

[00:09:20] is an author that we hear on our other podcasts

[00:09:22] because he blogs a lot

[00:09:23] about personal development and health,

[00:09:25] and even finance.

[00:09:26] So he's been read on pretty much all of our shows at some point.

[00:09:30] Now, Leo's a pretty regular guy,

[00:09:32] but has become an expert in changing habits

[00:09:34] by making small, incremental changes since 2005.

[00:09:38] He's originally from Guam,

[00:09:40] an overweight smoker

[00:09:41] who was barely making enough money

[00:09:42] to support his big family.

[00:09:44] You might remember from previous posts

[00:09:45] that he has six kids,

[00:09:46] and he turned all of that around,

[00:09:49] blogging about it throughout the process.

[00:09:50] He now lives comfortably in San Francisco,

[00:09:53] and he's in charge of how and when he works.

[00:09:56] It's a great story,

[00:09:57] and you can check it out at zenhabits.net.

[00:09:59] And again, to hear his work being narrated

[00:10:01] across a couple of our shows,

[00:10:02] check out those other podcasts

[00:10:04] by searching for Optimal Living Daily

[00:10:06] wherever you're hearing this.

[00:10:08] All right, that's gonna do it for today.

[00:10:09] I thank you for being here through the weekend,

[00:10:11] and I'll be back here with you tomorrow

[00:10:13] for the Monday show,

[00:10:14] and that's where your optimal life awaits.

[00:10:16] You're welcome.