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Check Yourself: Do You Have What It Takes to Succeed as an Entrepreneur?

By | Published on September 13, 2012 | Updated on September 13, 2012 3:25 PM EDT
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People often wonder how the kid who rarely talked or wasn’t particularly popular in class went on to become a start-up genius. What was it about that person that helped him or her blossom into an icon of entrepreneurship? And how can you make sure you have what it takes?

It’s a combination of factors. Start with these:

Passion
Passion is the fuel that drives the creation of dreams. This is a no-brainer. You have to wake up every day wanting your success. You have to become obsessed with the idea of achieving your goals, with attaining the grand objective that will yield meaning of great personal significance. The trick, of course, is to channel that passion into action. Sometimes the idea is so exciting that it becomes scary to try. And it’s scary to fail. Successful entrepreneurs know that failure is part of the journey, and that without failure, there is no success.

Conviction
Passion without conviction is like a shooting star that fizzles before you even fully realize it’s there. What keeps your passion alive? Conviction streamlines your passion into a steady flow. After all, most people have innovative ideas at some point in their lives. It’s conviction that determines what you do with those ideas. Do you let it die? Or do you go for it?

Lunacy
Let’s face it: You have to be a little bit crazy…

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