A while ago, I decided that I had become too saturated with ideas and that with that saturation came with it a paralysis of action. That’s what happens when your mind is inventive, you start see an opportunity in all things. Not just for money making or business opportunities, but things that could make a difference. The problem is that your creativity becomes fueled by that burst of energy rather than a slow burn. Think a campfire fueled by lighter fluid over wood. You can keep pretending that dousing the large logs with lighter fluid are helping to keep you warm, but eventually you’re going to run out of fuel, and you’ll be colder and more resentful for it. But if you broke down the logs into sticks and kindling, and used the spark of lighter fluid to start a small flame, to grow into a small fire, then to a large fire to burn the logs, then you’ve got something worth standing around.
So after one too many inspirational spikes that would culminate in a flash of wealth, innovation and “world changing” frisson, I thought that something needed to happen. I had zero control, and felt irresponsible to my life and mind. The sweet candy of a great idea left me sugar high and deaf to hard work. So, I crafted the Entrepreneur’s Map.
It’s not supposed to be an inspirational piece like one of your motivational posters. If you’re reading this, you’ve likely got enough inspiration to fuel another year of stale inaction. This is supposed to be a reminder that all good things come from relentless hard work. And for hard work, a destination must be set. This isn’t the path – everyone’s path is different, so I won’t bore with the ideas on path. You need a goal. Just like working out the body, the goal is to be healthier or look better. Each path on diet or routine: Paleo, P90, low carb, cross fit….whatever – is all up to you. This is to give yourself an ideal to strive for, and to allow for your mind to maintain its creativity while focusing your energy.
Here is the map, the FULL downloadable version is below all of the images, which includes a “blank” for you to start your own:
