My Top 100 Start Up Mistakes #13 - Losing Faith

I was just reading a LinkedIn post mentioning the teaching of entrepreneurialism at school. This led me to wonder if I should be trying to teach it to my own kids.

I wondered, what exactly does that look like? How do you teach someone to be an entrepreneur?

I could teach them about the behavioural characteristics common to all entrepreneurs, how to value a business or the importance of cash-flow.

But I have no idea how I would get them interested in that.

How would I teach them the difference between dreaming big and delusional thinking?

I could explain the difference between the useless nature of hope versus the essential nature of having faith in their own ability to overcome circumstance.

How do I teach them that faith in yourself is an act of creation, so they should stop looking for external validation?

Self-belief is a decision made without evidentiary proof.

How do I teach them that this faith can be self-fulfilling, and it can be self-destroying if not balanced with a strong grip on reality?

But, how do I teach them what that reality is when life is so subjective?

How would I give them the strength of character to keep putting one foot in front of the other, even when there's no one backing you? Or the resilience to keep it together when everyone is relying on you and you think you’re out of ideas.

How do I teach my children the precious nature of this belief in one’s self, and how to weather the subtle or overt ways people seek to undermine you?

How do I teach them that this undermining isn’t even deliberate - it’s part of how human beings are wired?

How do I teach my kids the importance of surrounding themselves with the right people?

How do I teach them that people who make them feel good aren’t necessarily the right people to be around?

And how do I teach them that the right people to be around may be important precisely because they make you feel uncomfortable?

How do I really convince someone that you don’t need money to build a successful business? Most of us don't understand that until we've had it and lost it.

How do I teach my kids the type of thinking people think who don't give up when they appear defeated?

Entrepreneurialism - yes, we can describe it. We can break the thinking patterns and methods down into a science. We can observe the common traits of entrepreneurs. We can create degree programs about it and certainly we can teach the essential fundamentals of business.

All of the above will definitely make a big difference as a businessowner and entrepreneur. But there is something else needed if you want to stay in the game.

So, what would I want to teach my kids?

Maths, languages, science and arts are wonderful and highly necessary fields to explore and learn. They will all be useful and needed.

These disciplines will give them multiple lenses through which they can view the world and its challenges.

More importantly, I would like them to learn how to learn and how they need to learn. To be curious enough to find out what is so intriguing about fields that don’t necessarily present themselves as important to them at the time. To ask themselves why people are so passionate about this field and how can they see it from their point of view?

So, I would like them to know that, if they fall in love with learning, the knowledge will come. But most importantly I would want them to get this conversation…

At some point life will bring you to your knees.

When you are on your knees and it will seem like you are alone. There will be just you and the next decision you make.

You can decide to be a victim. You can blame others and join in with the crowd blaming the government, their parents or the way things are.

Or you can stand up, take charge, own your own life and be willing to put one step in front of the other no matter how much it hurts.

We have all fallen in the trap of getting out our blame-thrower. But you won't make the journey as an entrepreneur if you wallow there.

So, would I want my kids to be Entrepreneurs?

I can't answer that. The truth is, if it's in their blood, they'll have to be. If it's not, then no.

So, can I teach them to be responsible for their own lives?

I’ll let you know.