Coping w/ the pressure of "making it" when you don't want failure to be an option?

[wisdom6266]

I made a decent living as a software engineer but I recently quit my 8 to 5 job.

For one, I wanted to be free of the rat race of the daily job. I feel like i'm a hard worker as well so I want to be rewarded for every ounce of effort that I put in. I could be wrong, but I feel like having my own business will accomplish these things.

I don't want to ever to go back to normal job again. As my title says, I am curious: how did successful entrepreneurs, on their way up, cope with the pressures of "making it" when failure didn't seem to be an option?

Or do I have the wrong frame of mind to begin with?

EDIT - to be clear, I do have contracting work w/ full autonomy over my hours so I have some form of income while I'm pursuing this

 

[theodiskaz]

@wisdom6266 Nowadays people fall into the trap of some fake motivational stuff like - Be your own boss, quit your job and start a new business! Take into consideration that having your own business requires lots of effort, time and money to start with. Let alone the techniques you need to know for being effective.

You need to read a lot of books, watch a lot of videos of outstanding businessmen to get familiar with their path, etc.

I have witnessed lots of online businesses fail as their primary purpose was to make money.

We all at some point of our lives get tired of everyday routine and the job we once loved. Even if you do want to start a business, I would still recommend keeping working in the beginning. You might get exhausted but it will be rewarded later on.

 

[613jono]

@theodiskaz

You need to read a lot of books, watch a lot of videos of outstanding businessmen to get familiar with their path, etc.

This step is optional, and it can also be a real time sink. There is a limited number of hours in the day, and while you're watching videos of "outstanding businessmen", you can't be doing actual work at the same time.

 

[theodiskaz]

@613jono That's why the core component is being highly motivated but you also need to understand the way different people become successful. You can even listen to audiobooks or watch videos from Bodo Schäfer, Tonny Robbins and others. It's not a must but is a good way to keep going.

 

[wisdom6266]

@theodiskaz hello. thanks for responding. my decision was several years in the making. I thought doing this several years go over and over again and each time I felt like I wasn't ready.

I would read articles, books, attended meetups, and even worked at a startup and and progressed to high-level tech leadership roles. But I kept thinking I wasn't ready.

Several years later I'm older and I feel like I'm running out of time. I just need to do it. Some days, I'm like YEAH I can do this, I will one of the ones that succeeds. Other days, not so much.

So that's why I curious to hear from others how they pursue such big, long-term goals and still be able to consistently cope with pressure of "making it".

 

[theodiskaz]

@wisdom6266 You know, it really depends on the situation and also on the level of commitment. Giving up and changing your mind are not quite the same thing. Maybe a couple of years ago you though a certain decision is good for you but then you understood it's not.

But if you have a goal, a dream to pursue, you need to know that lots of people failed thousands of times before becoming successful. So keep going no matter what!