Power Of Struggle

The power of struggle can be a great tool to use when propelling forward in business. Many, if not all successful entrepreneurs have all been through times of struggle at some point in their lives. The definition of struggle in the dictionary is, “to contend with an adversary or opposing force.” These adversaries are usually what helps to shape us as entrepreneurs, and gives us unique character moving forward. We have all struggled at some point, and have felt like the whole world is going to cave in. However what comes out of it on the back end is a better understanding of how to deal with those particular situations moving forward. Dealing with struggle teaches us strength, and forces us to be solutions focused, rather than always living the good life where we can sometimes plateau in our progress.

Struggle can come in many forms, from having no financial backing to start your own business, to experiencing a power struggle with a work colleague, or to simply having no money to put food on the table. I have experienced many of these types of struggles and adversities in the past which I can now proudly say I have learnt to deal with this type of stress quite easily. Every type of struggle has taught me that the road to success is never easy, and what really counts is how you deal with your obstacles and how well you can come out the other end. I have yet to meet someone ultra successful who has not gone through some sort of struggle in their time. If they haven’t, then they simply would not value their position like most of the other successful individuals. For example, people who win the lottery usually lose their winnings quite quickly as they have not learnt the value of money. Those who go through hardship and tough times to earn their wealth, like me, are usually more appreciative of their earnings as the struggle to get to their position has been a more difficult destination to reach.

Some of the types of struggles I have been through which have been outside of my control have been failed business ventures, bad partnerships, media defamation, illness, major financial loss and even death threats. All of these problems felt like hell at the time when they had occurred, however it forced me to think creatively, alternatively and aggressively. There was no other option but to find a solution to keep moving forward. It taught me to possess a mindset that had the ability to harness and embrace any problem that was thrown at me. If I had a failed business venture, I would learn to fail quickly and move on with emotions being completely detached. If I had a bad partnership, I would study different types of human behaviour and learn what motivates others to act in a certain way. This would help me to understand the intentions of others. Negative media publicity? Hire a gun public relations agent to put out the fires. Learning to accept that things are going to go wrong is paramount in business, as this helps the process of moving forward quicker and easier, rather than dwelling over the problem.

I continue to put myself in a position of struggle when it comes to property investing and business. For example, when I invested in my first few properties, I worked hard to save cash to put towards a deposit, and as soon as I had enough, I tipped it into the investment. I was then left with no money in the bank and would have to start all over again. I did this numerous times in the startup phase of accumulating my first few properties. This constant position of struggle taught me to be highly disciplined with my finances which I still implement the same habits from those times today. Through this strict method of discipline I have been able to acquire a substantial property and business portfolio. Even the famous American investor, Daymond John says “ The Power of Broke essentially refers to that internal reserve we each tap into when we don’t have anything else or any other resources to tap into.”

Many people who give business a go, tend to quit quickly when the times get tough. I’ve encountered many scenarios where people start businesses and it’s all rosy and sweet in the beginning, then when things start to get hard, they give up. This results in the business owner not learning anything as the success of a business is usually measured on how well you can deal with problems. As soon as there is a sign of struggle, many people tend to quit and move onto another project. The key to success is pushing past these struggles and learning how to deal with issues ongoing. Eventually whenever problems arise within your business or just life in general, you are able to push through and continue to move forward. Becoming a master at this will only come with experience.

When you have nowhere else to run, turn or move then this is where you get the most creative and start thinking of innovative ways to push through those barriers. This type of conditioning forces us into survival mode, making us truly believe in our untapped strength and spirit. When it comes to business and property investing, finance is just a fraction of the overall process to get things going. Willpower, imagination and resourcefulness are major contributors when pushing forward into success. Next time things start to get hard, don’t be quick to give up. Think of the struggle as an investment into your future, teaching you to be stronger and to think outside the box. Embrace it and learn to love it as the positive results will show soon enough.