Is Tenacity Wrecking Your Career?

In the 1990's, I spent nearly five years in my own startup. It was self-funded and doomed from the beginning; success would have taken millions of dollars, not the tens of thousands I had. Three times, I lost all my money and earned it back again, but each valley took the better part of a year to escape.

At the time, I felt like a tenacious entrepreneur, one who was brave and tough enough to break his own path. In retrospect, I was a naive and immature guy, more concerned with being my own boss than actually earning a living.

Tenacity is only a strength if you are pursuing the right path. 

Imagine a first-time marathoner who takes a wrong turn a few hundred feet from the starting line of his 26.2-mile race, but never gives up. Is he tenacious, or misguided? He will run 26 miles in the wrong direction, or more... because he will never find - nevermind cross - the finish line.

Do not be a person like this.

To avoid a senseless quest, you need goals and periodic checkpoints. For example, if you are starting a business, you must attract actual customers who are willing to pay actual money. If you are 18 months into a new venture and still lack more than, say, $50,000 in income... then perhaps your idea isn't as viable as you hoped.

Tough doesn't alway mean staying the course. Sometimes it means being brave enough to admit defeat and get a real job. Sometimes it means recognizing that predictability and safety is more important than fame and fortune.

Am I telling you to think small? No.

I'm telling you to live in the real world. If your big idea turns out to be a dud, acknowledge that reality and do what you must. You might have to get a real job for three more years, save some money, and use your nights and weekends for experimentation.

Don't lose five years like I did. The worst thing you can do is to follow your passion 26 miles in the wrong direction.

If you liked this article, you might enjoy my Kindle book, How to Self-Promote without Being a Jerk. The book describes the philosophy I use to power my own career and life, which is based around this sentence:

Be generous and kind, trustworthy and clear, open-minded and adaptable, persistent and present.

I ghostwrite articles for entrepreneurs. Learn more at Kasanoff.com.