7 Things They Taught You In The Past That Don't Work Now Relax! It's okay to feel a bit out of control

By Tripti Narain

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

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An entrepreneur's life always has some level of chaos. As kids, the things that were told to us worked well in that era and in an ideal environment of satisfaction, honesty and goodwill. However, those teachings have largely left us unprepared to deal with the crazy life of an entrepreneur. Wish they taught entrepreneurship in school!

Here are 7 things they taught us in the past that don't really work now.

Slow and Steady wins the race

Well, that breed is no more a winner! You have to be fast and consistent with a result-oriented approach to actually win the race on the uphill startup track.

Don't be restless, have patience

Having loads of patience can make you a good dad, not a good entrepreneur! Push yourself every day, challenge your limits and be impatient. Most successful founders are impatient people. They don't like the status quo.

Everything is under control

If everything is under control, then you are probably not growing fast enough. Everyone desires life to be more predictable and business to be stable and running smoothly, but keeping things under control does not create unicorns. Everything is not under control, and that's a good thing, buddy!

Ah! The 9am-5pm routine comfort

The entrepreneurial world has no work/leisure hours anymore. As a founder, you end up working insane hours and no, you cannot complain, instead it gives immense joy to build your business. Get ready to work seamlessly. You just cannot distinguish between a work-life and non-work-life. They have already been blended smoothly and served chilled!

Be in your limits

They taught us to know our limits so that we could set reasonable challenges for ourselves - yeah, that was the idea. But it clearly does not work in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. You need to push every boundary, try all kind of new things. If you always put limit in everything you do, it will spread into your work and life. Remember, there are no limits.

Make a good product and then spend time and energy to sell or distribute it

Nope! Wrong strategy most of the time. Work on making the same product better every hour. Distribution is just a functional aspect, don't fret over it.

Don't Give Up on Your dreams

True! Do not. There should be determination but the startup world is so unpredictable that you need to be able to modify your dreams on the fly. You should be a healthy mix of determination and flexibility. If something's not working, tap 'Undo', you need to walk back a little, and at any given point of time you may need to sidestep a bit and pivot. Don't hesitate, you will do yourself a favour.

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Tripti Narain

Former Managing Editor, Entrepreneur Media (India)

A Digital enthusiast, news specialist, entertainment junkie, unsolicited opinion giver, bona fide foodie and a Delhi lover. Join me @TriptiAbhishek on Twitter

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