STARTUPS

How do you know what needs to be done?

by Alan Knott-Craig: Successful entrepreneur and best-selling author, chairman of HeroTel, a wireless broadband provider, and founder of Project Isizwe.

In business, and life, there are a seemingly infinite series of inflection points.

Forks in the road that require a decision from you.

Left or right?

Persevere or give up?

Fight or run?

Take no for an answer, or force a yes?

Are you on the right path?

There are two ways to deal with these questions.:

Rationally figure out the answer. This way is by definition flawed. The future is uncertain. No amount of brains can see around the corner. And it’s tiring. Eventually, after thousands of small decisions, decision-fatigue will kick in. And you’ll either stop making decisions, and freeze, or you’ll start making bad decisions and go down the wrong path.
Know yourself and have a purpose. When you have self-awareness, you’ll instinctively know what is right for you. And when you have a purpose, a true north, a mountain to aim for, you’ll keep your nose pointing in the right direction, always moving forwards rather than going in circles.

How do you achieve 2?

How do you find self-awareness and purpose?

Take risks. Fall, learn a lesson, get up, move forward, fall, learn a lesson, get up, move forward.

Explore new horizons, meet new people, try new things. You’ll find out who you are by finding out who you aren’t.

And if you’re lucky, you’ll stumble across your life’s purpose.

If you can reach this point, the decisions get easier.

They’re no longer conscious.

You just know.

Useful resources:

Alan Knott-Craig is a highly successful entrepreneur and best selling author. He is based in South Africa and passionate about starting businesses in the telecoms, media and tech sector.

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