Have you ever dreamt of where you want to be after 5 or 10 years?
Hasn't everyone?
But have you ever dreamt of the things you'll have to do to reach there? Not a lot of you.
That's the reality of our dreams. We never know what steps we will have to take to achieve them. We only ever dream of the destination.
The problem is, when we only dream of the destination, the journey becomes a burden. The steps become a series of obstacles. And we forget why we're doing this in the first place.
Spending a lot of days working on things and chasing the end results, is what we are all taught to do!
"Bass IIT clear karlo, uske baad sab theek ho jaayega" (Boss, if you get admitted/ complete education at IIT everything will be fine thereafter.)
"Bass 50 lakhs ka package dhund lo, life set hai" (Boss, if you could get a job with 50 Lakhs p.a package, you’ll get settled in life.)
As humans, we are designed to appreciate only successes. We love big successes, huge net worth, fame, and whatnot! But the truth is that no matter where your destination is, your journey matters the most.
Before starting Chatur Ideas back in 2009, Devesh was always intrigued by entrepreneurship and always had this unique idea of starting with a taxi-hailing service. Although he was quite enthusiastic about the idea that he wanted to execute, he was discouraged by a lot of people around him who simply asked him to continue his cushy job. Taking the advice, Devesh continued working as a seasoned wealth manager for managing ultra HNI clients. However, in 2013-14, another unique idea resonated with him.
He realized that some people in a similar space are doing exceptionally well, while others, in spite of great potential, are unable to reach their desired goals. This made him think that maybe the entrepreneurs lack the right ecosystem where there are mentors, entrepreneurs, and investors together, and that made me think about starting something where I can create the ecosystem.
The entrepreneurial journey is never as smooth sailing as one that is presented across the media. It was a rollercoaster journey with no social life, no jobs, and 15-18 hours of work a day. ‘Chatur Ideas’ was all Devesh had in mind and he was determined to make it big.
There were plenty of mistakes made, failures experienced, and naysayers met along the way, however, he never thought of giving up. As one of India’s largest startups enabling platforms, we can say that he is a successful role model for aspiring entrepreneurs to learn from.
Can you please share what worked for you?
It's called the PDF Framework and it stands for Perseverance, Discipline and Focus.
For example, Colonel Sanders, the founder of K.F.C. knocked on 1,009 doors before he became successful. That’s perseverance, persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay.
Often entrepreneurs use investor money like college pass outs getting their first salary. So, discipline plays a key role for an entrepreneur to be successful.
The third part is focus, which we have been learning since the era of Mahabharata, how Arjun’s laser-sharp focus made him the best Archer of his time as his focus was only on his target and nowhere else.
These are the most important qualities for an entrepreneur to be successful.
When you prioritize the result, not the process, too much of your energy is wasted in the future and not the present.
In order to have a successful profitable business that you love, you have to start loving the process. The key is to focus on things that you can control and not the things that you can’t.
Remember, your luck works if you do.
Success doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes time, focus, discipline, and perseverance. You should learn to focus on your goals, put all your effort into achieving them and find numerous ways to solve one problem.
About the Author
Devesh Chawla is the Founder & CEO of Chatur Wealth & Chatur Ideas