What does it take to Live your Dreams? Tips for Independent Entrepreneurship

I thought it would be time to share some realistic thoughts on Living the so called “Dream”. Because as opposed to what many believe it to be, the road towards creating your Dream Life is not always so glamorous. Full of hurdles, obstacles and failures, the way to personal success can often bring you down to the bottom, as well as have you flying high up in the sky. Basically, it’s a life full of ups and downs.

I believe the skill of entrepreneurship can not be taught; It is either in you, or it isn’t. Some people are employees, and happy to be so. There is nothing wrong with either one of these Life choices, as the latter might offer more security, and the first more personal satisfaction. Not everyone is cut out for the road of independence, and I believe everyone must do what feels right to them and makes them happy.

I started working for myself when I was 22, so more than 10 years ago today. I had my first paid job when I was 14 working in a youth hostel, and after 8 years of working for others, I realized I was tired of putting money into their pockets. At the same time I was in search of a deeper meaning for my life, and a greater level of satisfaction, so I went to Thailand to spend time in a Buddhist Monastery. There I was introduced to Yoga, and the rest is history.

Over the course of the last 10 years, I have built a successful business and brand out of my personal life’s journey and passion for Yoga and entrepreneurship. Even though I was hardly making any money for nearly a decade, when I moved to the UAE, I established myself properly as a Yoga Therapist and School and managed to be quite successful in this venture. In the meantime I have grown into a full blown Yoga School certifying Yoga Teachers internationally. I also run this blog, plus contribute to MiddleEastLiving.com,  and consult for big projects and festivals in the Wellness Industry. I am continuously in the process of developing many different projects to create a stable and comfortable life for myself, while contributing value to my community.

I’d love to share some of my personal tips with you, and hopefully be an inspiration to create a more fulfilling life for yourself. Here we go with my TOP 5 recommendations for creating a life and career you Love:

1. CHOOSE TO DO WORK YOU ABSOLUTELY LOVE

I really don’t believe we are simply doomed to work shitty office jobs and feel bad about our lives. It IS actually possible to be happy with your work, whether it is working for a company, or working for yourself. Assuming we only have this lifetime to live, it would be a waste if 50% of our time would go to doing things we don’t actually enjoy, or even worse, make us despise ourselves. The beauty of doing something you love, is that you never feel like you’re working!

2. DARE TO DREAM BIG

People who say that things are impossible, should really keep their mouths shut. So many people live in fear, and they allow that fear to hold them back from actualizing their dreams. Some of us dream of becoming doctors, artists, Yoga teachers, models, and so on, but how often do we actually go for those dreams? I think many of us choose professions, which are safe, and accepted by society. Money is great, but is it still great if we don’t have a purpose, or make a difference in our community? Dreaming Big means letting go of fears about what security and stability might look like, or what is accepted by society. Listen to your heart, and do what makes your Soul sing. Then Life will surely support you in your ventures.

3. BE PATIENT, AND DEFINITELY DO NOT GIVE UP EVER!!

There’s such a concept as “Divine Timing”. It took me so many years to actually make some money with Yoga. If I would have given up at those times, I would have never had the amazing school and life I have today. There have been many many times where I was ready to throw the towel in the ring, and just give up on Yoga all together. But, in the end it worked out, it happened, I made it! So please be patient, and remember that each and every business takes time to grow.

4. OUTSOURCE OUTSOURCE OUTSOURCE

As a small business owner, you’re gonna be so busy. You’ll be running around all day trying to manage all tasks yourself, as budgets don’t allow you to hire proper people for the job. My recommendation is to work with interns and online staff as much as possible. There are websites, likes upwork.com, where you can hire people to do administrative task, webdesign and much more for less than an hour. Interns can be sources on internships.com, and will usually gladly help for little or no money. Make sure you delegate and outsource as much as you possibly can, to avoid a burnout from complete work and life overload.

5. PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO REINVENT THE WHEEL

People have done it before you, and will do it after you. Please don’t try to reinvent the things that have already worked in the past. Yes, keep your own style and originality, but do study business strategies of successful companies and individuals, rather than developing your own. Recipes work for a reason. There are many books which speak about business, money making, entrepreneurship, and how to realize your dreams. I think my biggest inspiration was the 4-hour workweek. I just love that book! Find your inspiration, study it, and then apply it to your own business!

Of course there is much much more to know when it comes to running your own business and creating your own dream. I believe that everything is possible as long as you believe in yourself. Make it happen and just don’t give up! Don’t let negativity get to you, and don’t give in to societies limiting beliefs of what is possible. It’s all up to you this lifetime!

More to come soon! Much Love from me, and Blessings from Dubai

Photo Credits: Suneesh Sudhakaran