Looking back at some of the most successful people in history, I’ve found that they all had three characteristics:
- An incredible work ethic
- Persistence
- Knowledge of their business
Success doesn’t require a college degree, it doesn’t require a fat bank account to begin with, and it doesn’t depend on having an incredibly creative one-of-a-kind idea. It simply requires a willingness to work hard (and smart), willingness to persist in the face of difficulty and a good foundation of knowledge of your chosen business.
Those three factors are like the three legs of a stool – lose one and success becomes geometrically more difficult. What good is knowledge and persistence if someone won’t work? What good is knowledge and a work ethic if someone gives up in the face of a challenge? What good is persistence and hard work if someone doesn’t know what they’re doing?
All three are choices we make every day. We decide if we’re going to persist, or if we’re going to work hard. We also decide if we’re going to acquire the needed business knowledge to achieve the success we want. Personally, I believe that many people are willing to put in the work and face up to any challenges, but they just don’t know where to start. They don’t know what kind or type of business to start so they can enjoy the fruits of their labors as entrepreneurs.
