Are You a Passionate Entrepreneur? You Must Know this If the entrepreneur develops an attachment to achieving outcomes, there is danger of losing sight of the vision

Passion is the most intrinsic attribute for any entrepreneur. It is passion that fuels the entrepreneur to commit and put their whole self towards achieving a vision; it is the same passion that propels the entrepreneur to take risks and be innovative in their approach. I have commonly noticed that driven by the vision, as an entrepreneur rolls out action steps to achieve results, little by little they get caught up in the race to achieve the outcomes. If the entrepreneur develops an attachment to achieving outcomes, there is danger of losing sight of the vision.

Where does this attachment to outcomes arise from?

We are all entrepreneurs of life who choose different paths to achieve success and happiness. Due to lack of self awareness, from childhood we join the race to win for fear of missing out or getting left behind. Our definition of success becomes limited to favorable outcomes and hence, less favorable outcomes become the target for judgments. Our expectation to win at every step plays havoc with our emotions. An increased focus on outcomes, performance, results, rankings, grades, bottom-line makes us lose sight of our desire to be happy, while life continues to unfold at its own pace.

Recently, I was speaking to students at a leading management institute and each student was feeling crushed under the pressure of job placements. Interestingly, each one of them has work experience and has therefore, been through the process of job interviews. The intense drive to win and be part of the 97% who get placed immediately was obstructing their ability to tap into their resourcefulness. As we engaged, the pause helped to reflect and acknowledge their accomplishments and reignited their self awareness. They realised that with some preparation, calmness and support of each other, they could move forward confidently.

Also, I recall while working with a client, who had grown at rapid pace and developed a belief that "only I can do it best'. The feeling of success had created an insistence to be in control of every process and outcome. There was limited room for delegation and empowerment of the team, leaving the entrepreneur spinning with stress. I truly doubt the vision of any entrepreneur is to build their own grave. Driven by our passion, when we forget to pause and revisit our vision, our attachment to outcomes acts as an obstacle for the growth of the business and ourselves as human beings.

How can we work passionately with detachment?

Life is a series of experiences designed for us to grow and live with awareness of our authentic self. When there is an insistence to control outcomes, our anxious emotions obstruct us from accessing the inner voice. On the other hand, when we pause and anchor our emotions internally, we can listen to our inner voice and play the game of life with ease. Nature has a rhythm; when we allow ourselves to flow in rhythm with Natures' Law, life can be lived successfully.

I remember, when I volunteered to be the founder president Mumbai Chapter of the International Coach Federation, I worked excitedly to create awareness about coaching and its effectiveness. As a team we grew so fast, that I lost sight of the ground rule of any business; sustainability requires succession planning. As soon as I got feedback, I pulled back and started grooming a successor as well as we defined the processes and policies into a comprehensive document for the incoming team. Staying alert and open to the feedback and

Taking action from thereon, smoothened the path to succession.

How to live passionately in alignment with nature's rhythm?

Soon after I started my journey as a coach, I noticed a direct correlation between my transformation and the clients that I was working with. Each client and circumstance reflected my inner state of being. As life unfolded and new expressions manifested, I didn't know which identification to focus on. Looking at the world, I tried to brand myself as a coach, then an author, a speaker, a leader…wondering what to do, I realized that as I had been expressing in alignment with the authentic self, outcomes had emerged effortlessly. The anxiety to be perceived successful by the world was hampering my ability to passionately trust my inner voice. I now know that true success rests in flowing effortlessly with Nature's rhythm and not in seeking any external acknowledgement.

Our body is designed to be in action and the authentic self is our guide on how and when to be in action. When we live in alignment with our authentic self, we realize that life is not a race, it's a game of taking leadership of the power within. The power to manifest, the power to influence, the power to be a catalyst to awaken the authentic self in another. We have no control over this game, for we are simply an instrument for the expression of the self. We do have control over our emotions, thoughts, actions and reaction. When our emotions get attached to our identifications, we try to control outcomes and create havoc for ourselves. Life is not a game of coming first or second, it's about anchoring our emotions and becoming a reflective instrument of the authentic self. Excellence in performance is a reward that we receive for living true to ourselves.