Am I an entrepreneur if I feel that?

I am an entrepreneur and there are many things I sometimes feel that do not fall under the frame of “do what you love and you will never work a day in your life”

I sometimes think this statement loses its spark at some dark moments in your entrepreneurial journey. Entrepreneurship is definitely a roller coaster and is not always your comfort zone. So, at some moments, you will feel like you want to go back to your old job and work employed again.

I am writing here my raw thoughts and feelings to check if many of us feel that. Is it rare or frequent among us?

Some weeks, we are not ready for Mondays

Although Monday always gives me the feeling of going back on track with my to-do list, getting organized with my goals and gaining visibility, I sometimes feel not ready for Monday. This happens on the weeks where the weekend flew by quickly and the recharge was not enough. It is harder to acknowledge the tiring hard work we put during the week and that it is normal to get tired. It is actually healthy to take a break in order to avoid any burnout and keep the passion alive.

We do complain about money

Most of us started their own business out of passion and a belief for an idea, not necessarily to make money at first. Yet, amid the arising challenges, I fall into the trap of comparing the effort I now put and the money I earn versus the effort put and the money generated, back when I was employed. I often feel demotivated. I guess entrepreneurship is an example of parenting: being a patient parent who gives without returns. In some cases, this downer feeling might drag me to quit or might shake me and align me back with why I started, to reach out to experts for consultancy, and to other entrepreneurs who have been there. The difference between us all is some did not quit, yet most importantly, they worked hard on finding what needs to be fixed in order to generate healthier revenues for the business

We do get a hit in our self-esteem!

Who said business owners have their self-esteem sky high and does not care about what employees think of them? At least not for me. Since I was a child, I have been a people pleaser and a peace maker. It pains me when it feels hard to ask the employees of what I need and how I need it. I very often give remarks but I either feel I did not say everything I wanted to say or keep ruminating over and over in my head the thought of “how did they take it? what do they think of me”. Nevertheless, I am slowly learning some managerial skills not because I want to lead in order to give better orders but because I want to learn ways to gain their trust, respect and listening!