11th Entrepreneur post: Work and Life Harmony

I look forward for Mondays because of the Readings and Videos Quiz assignment. Not because I am a geek and like quizzes, but because I have always something new to learn.

Learned

This week I learned that balance professional life and family is a matter of priority. Depending of what I want in that moment of my life I will focus more on one part, because it's hard to maintain a balanced life being a CEO, for example. 

Once I did a Family and Work class with my husband, and we had to make a project about balancing work and family. I recall that was used an analogy of puzzle pieces to show that we can achieve balance by fitting the priorities together. The final result is a big picture. My husband and I used in our project the analogy of notes of a song. Instead of finding balance we searched for harmony because there will be times when our family will need more attention and time than our business and vice-versa. 

 Not Learned

The entrepreneur life seems to be a hard way, as our life is. Sometimes I think that to open a business we need to give up of so much in our lives, but it does not need to be that way. I think our work should be part of our lives, and we should feel that’s the way I want to live when talking about work.  But these are only my impressions; I know I have a lot to learn regarding work/life balance.

"Attitude on Money" 

•    What is your attitude toward money?

    I had dificulty to deal with money in the pass feeling bad to not have money, to have and use it, or have money while other didn't, but now I am more aware of the importance of money and at the same time it's not the center of my life. 

•    How can your view of money affect the way you live?

    It helps me work for a specific amount of money to only supply our needs, not more than that. I don't feel the obligation to have a lot of money in order to be happy and in peace because money is not a provider of happiness, it only provides means to survive or make things. 

•    What rules are recommended for prospering?

    There are other important things, rather than money, that I can strive to have that are eternal. But I also know the power that money has in this mortal stage of our lives and how much good contributions I can do if I have a lot of money.  My only intent to search for money would be to improve other people's lives, or in other words, to use money with a good purpose. This would be one of the rules to propering, and I add it to: paying the tithing, investing, wasting less than we earn, and staying away of debts. 

10th Entrepreneur Post - Becoming an Entrepreneur

In this week's lesson, I felt inspired to start soon my own business, due to the many instructions I have been receiving. It would be a waste to not put in practice after all.

Learned

According to the talk of Elder Dallin H. Oaks, the gospel challenges us to become instead of only knowing the gospel. I feel challenged to become the person I was made to be, when I read so many good things in this talk. 

I was starting to think that entrepreneurship didn't choose me, because I am not fearless or venturesome. But the article "The heart of Entrepreneurship" helped finally understand that I can become an entrepreneur. It's fair that we all can become innovative, flexible, and creative, and most important is that we can develop the ability to know how to use these skills in the variety of situations.

Not learned

I was reflecting over learning and not learning, and I came to a conclusion that as  I think I am learning, actually I will really know if I learned to be entrepreneur when I start to apply the knowledge. 

There are moments in our lives that readings will not make a lot difference than making the readings real. I hope I am applying in my day-to-day life the content I so treasure, to be able to use in my future business. I am looking forward to experience the stories of entrepreneurs I have been listening.

9th Entrepreneur post - Leadership

Being a member of the Church is one advantage when thinking about running a business because Jesus Christ has taught us how to be a leader. And this is a summary of the readings and videos of this week.

Learned

Guy Kawasaki mentioned Amazon, as example of trust to show the importance to be trustworthy to have success in business. Frank Levinson also said that an ethical worker is vital to a team or company because this avoid unnecessary and unpleasant issues. A valuable work is the one the does what he or she needs to do quickly and efficiently, such as Colonel Andrew Rowan.

Why be good if we can be great? Being trustworthy, ethical, or quick and efficient are good qualities in a worker, but these elements do not make of the worker one leader. To be a leader is required more than being great at something, but being great at “taking people at a higher ground without interest”. (Jim Ritchie)

Not learned

I loved learning about leadership, but it took me some time to ponder how this differs from management.

While I still don’t understand exactly the differences, I came a conclusion that if I want to have my own business, I need to develop leadership because that’s what entrepreneurship is all about.

My 8th Entrepreneur post: Keep walking having God by your side

This week's reading was a balm to my soul. I already can see how challenging will be to interview successful entrepreneurs, but for someone that is feeling discouraged, I think this will be a good exercise to prove to myself that I can make it.  


Learned
I loved to receive the councils of Elder Holland and Patricia Holland again. They are great and always help me to see my potential. The most important thing I learn with their message was to keep walking. Taylor Richards also confirmed what Elder Holland said when he mentioned how Nephi was always doing the right choice no matter difficulties he passed. Even when Nephi's brothers told him to give up, he continued to choose God. 

Continue to walk, but even better, with God by my side. That was such an important part of my reading this week because it reminded me to always include Heavenly Father in my endeavors. When things are getting hard, we have the bad habit to rationalize, when in fact we are feeling the burden of the process of change. I hope always to remember what Elder Holland said: "...it is simply a truism that nothing very valuable can come without significant sacrifice and effort and patience on our part."


Not learned
I thought the concept of the "Five Why's" was a little difficult to understand, but I am assuming that I will know how to apply when the situation comes. I am not quite sure if I can apply the five questions in any situation, but I will try and maybe with practice I will understand better. 

The 7th Entrepreneur post - Habits

This week I love learning again the 7 habits of Highly effective people. I have read many excerpts relate this book more than ten years ago and felt that I learned even more now.

The habit that has more meaning to me is “Be proactive” because the power we have to make things happen by ourselves. I have faced situations in my life when I so badly wanted something and as a light bulb moment I went and got what I wanted. I have been learning how important is to be proactive, take the lead, move forward, to fulfill our missions on Earth. When I start to feel discouraged, I remember to say to myself: “If I don’t do this, it’s not going to happen, then I must do.”

Learned

I studied the talk given by Gordon B. Hinckley this week, and it was worth reading it. It gave me more certainty that the more we learn and grow, the more near to God we need to be. The advises given in the talk helped me focus who I really am and want to become when I am planning my business.

I also thought it was very important when Guy Kawasaki explained that we should go after the things because we love and want to make a difference, not because we want to be rich. The money will come as a consequence, but should not be the main purpose.

Not learned

But it was not clear to me that we should only go after things we love in our career life. I think there are more aspects we should consider, instead of going on what we love. I love to sleep for example, but I am realistic and know I can’t earn money with it.