If you are considering stepping into entrepreneurship, there are a few signs that might suggest you are not quite ready. 

For one, if the thought of looking foolish terrifies you, you might want to pause.

If the thought of being publicly embarrassed terrifies you, you might want to wait.  

The path of an entrepreneur is paved with moments where you will need to step out of your comfort zone and possibly make mistakes in full view of others.

Becoming an entrepreneur isn’t just about having a brilliant idea or even the right resources.

It’s about being ready to face certain emotional challenges that are part and parcel of the startup journey.

It’s natural to fear failure. 

No one enjoys the feeling of falling short, especially when stakes are high. But as an entrepreneur, you will face moments where your ideas might not pan out as expected. 

The key isn’t to avoid failure but to learn from it and keep moving forward.

Remember, every successful entrepreneur you can think of started as a beginner. 

Think of Aliko Dangote, Tony Elumelu, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg. Each of them had to start somewhere, likely making mistakes and facing setbacks along the way. 

What sets them apart is their resilience and their willingness to persist despite potential embarrassment and failure.

To thrive as an entrepreneur, you must embrace these discomforts. 

Consider them not as roadblocks but as stepping stones. With each challenge, you learn a bit more about running a business, about yourself, and about how to handle adversity. 

This mindset doesn’t just help you survive the entrepreneurial journey; it helps you excel in it.

The truth is, entrepreneurship is not for everyone. It requires a certain tolerance for uncertainty and discomfort. 

But if you can make peace with potentially looking foolish and view each setback as an opportunity to learn and grow, you’re not just ready to start a business, you are ready to lead it to success.

So, take a moment to reflect. 

If you can see the value in every beginner’s mistakes and still feel excited about forging ahead, then perhaps you are more prepared than you think. 

After all, every master was once a beginner. Just as they did, you have the chance to start, fail, learn, and eventually, succeed.

Blessings!

Dr. Joybert Javnyuy