An Entrepreneur Learns From Charlie and His Loose Tooth

I’ll bet little Charlie will make a great entrepreneur one day. I “met” him courtesy of a tweet from author Brené Brown quoting her son:

“I really need a play date with Caroline. Her sister has a Nerf gun that pulls out loose teeth.”

I smiled for the rest of the afternoon imagining this little guy and remembering all the Tooth Fairy antics in my house a decade ago.  Charlie has something he wants more than anything at this moment and knows attaining it will actually be painful.

Yet, like most kids, he’s probably:

• Trying out different solutions.
• Asking others for advice.
• Figured out creative ways to use what he has.
• Considering what resources his connections have.
• Weighing the anticipated pain, discomfort or inconvenience against how much he wants the benefit.

Most kids are born resourceful and take these steps instinctively. Otherwise, they’d never learn to walk, climb up to a shelf for something they want, or enjoy hours playing with an empty carton.

Unfortunately, somewhere along the line we lose our instincts for following these steps to solving a challenge.

We come to believe we’re helpless to direct or own lives, or forget how to find creative solutions to get what we want. Or worse, we convince ourselves that just because we’re afraid or we haven’t tried something before, we shouldn’t do it. The anticipated discomfort stops us from making decisions and moving towards our dreams.

It’s easy to look at a successful entrepreneur who is doing what you want to do and imagine they have some hidden talent, knowledge or skill— or that they never had to worry about money.

This self-limiting mindset totally closes off possibilities and keeps you stuck exactly where you are.

When I started my first business after leaving the corporate world, people said, “Oh, it’s different for you.” Perhaps they thought I magically wouldn’t face any consequences if I failed. In fact, I had just purchased my first condo, had a big mortgage and no spouse to support me.

The world is full of examples of people from limited means who went on to do great things. Tony Robbins and Oprah Winfrey to name just two. In upcoming posts I’ll introduce you to many more who are not so famous (and more obviously like you or I), and dig into their stories of how they took action once they imagined a new possibility for their futures.

What we don’t have in resources, we can make up for in resourcefulness.

Cultivate a habit of resourcefulness if you want to succeed as an entrepreneur and create your ideal business and lifestyle. Solving most challenges involves the same steps you knew as a child and forgot along the way. This begins with taking a good look at what strengths you already have and how you can get the other resources you need.

There are plenty of businesses you can start with little more than the computer that’s sitting in front of you now. So don’t let a fear that you don’t have enough money stand in your way. In this economy, you can either sit on the sidelines waiting for a paycheck that may or may not come, or get out there and create your own work.

Take advantage of the knowledge economy and that there is more information at your fingertips now than at any point in history. You can put your message out to millions of people and actually make money from it. If I figured it out in my 40s while raising a kid on my own, you can too!

I’d be happy to show you how, beginning with a FREE 30-minute Possibility Strategy Session. We’ll discuss how you can start creating your ideal business and lifestyle using what you already have.

Can you relate to the story of little Charlie and does it help you recall a resourceful time in your life? Please share your comments below.