Sometimes I wonder why it’s hard for me to start new projects and to invest in new things the way I did when I was in high school and college. Back then, if there was a possibility for me to start a business or invest in something that seemed like it had a remote possibility of potential, I was in it and would give it everything I had. In fact, I would put so much effort into working the new idea, there was a very likely possibility in me succeeding in my pursuits. It was a mindset that was fueled with excitement of facing the world against all odds.

I realized that today it takes a little more convincing for me to act and become passionate about new ideas. Part of this has to do with wisdom and being selective with where I focus my time, and the other part is me being complacent with how things are and lacking a passion to press forward. I try to figure out why I go through periods of feeling like this, and learn to address it directly so I can recognize it and overcome it.

Part of the reason I was so passionate in my earlier years was that I had virtually nothing else going for me, and I was starting at the bottom. This gave me motivation because I wanted to advance and there was no risk in me failing. At the time, I was living with my parents and had minimal bills. I took advantage of the time spent at home and tried to start some businesses. Needless to say, I tried to start some businesses that did in fact fail. Eventually, I came across some ideas that were successful and ran with them.

I bring this up because after having some financial success, I find myself being ultra conservative  when it comes to what new opportunities and ideas I decide to pursue and take a chance on. If a new idea comes my way I’m always interested, but I’m much more hesitant to act on just anything because I don’t have that same desire I once had to take on anything and everything. This is good and bad. First of all, I don’t want to spread myself too thin across too many projects, but at the same time I don’t want to pass up amazing ideas and miss out on things that could be profitable in the future because I lost that fire I had as a younger entrepreneur. I continually have to check myself because I do not want to forget the passion it took to be successful in the first place

Before I had any sort of success I didn’t care if I worked tirelessly, I didn’t care if the odds were against me, and I didn’t care if I even lost money in the process — I knew that I probably would have to go through some pain before a victory came my way. I find this to be a common trait amongst motivated entrepreneurs.

As much as I want this article to motivate all of my readers, this is a motivational write-up for myself. It is a reminder of what it takes to continue growing, and continuing to having future success. Sure the work that has been put into motion has and will continue to pay off, but it’s important not to lose the passion that got you to where you are today.

The truth is, if I’m not advancing in my life, I’m stagnating and experiencing atrophy. This truth could also be applied to physical exercise or completely applicable in your career and finances. If you aren’t motivated and optimistic about the future, chances are your future might be a self-fulfilling prophesy. Even within your own business or career, it sometimes requires taking chances to go to the next level.

Things that happen in life to make pursuing dreams difficult:

  • Life – Taking on the normal living expenses of life and family makes straying off the path of safety feel very risky.
  • Time invested in a career – After you’ve put a number of years in one direction, it’s easy to get comfortable and fear a drastic change for your life. It’s hard to change because of the invested years of your time in one path. Starting over with a new project might make you feel like you are throwing the time you’ve invested in a certain career path down the drain; it’s more of a risk for you because if what you try to pursue fails you might lose a lot of what you’ve worked hard to build.
  • Money – Sometimes taking a chance on something means putting your money on the line. For older individuals, the sacrifice is greater because the money being put on the line might have been money that was saved up for years that may vaporize if things go in the wrong direction.
  • Current success – Having any sort of success can be a great motivator to continue to press on and pursue higher achievements. It also can cause you to feel accomplished, and ultimately leave you in a state of complacency and without forward momentum.

Final Thoughts

Basically, in a simple statement, it’s difficult to venture out of your comfort zone the more you have to lose. No matter how old I get or how much or little money I have, I personally want to remind myself of what it felt like to pursue something with that same passion I had when I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. The commitment to the goal I feel would change so greatly if I used the knowledge I’ve acquired over the years of being in business with the youthful passion I had before I had any sort of success and applied it to my future dreams.

As 2014 comes to a close, I can only have my sights set on 2015. My commitment is to my readers that the content only improves and the website is a place of growth, education, and entertainment. 2015 is going to be a year of taking chances and elevating our members to a new level.

Prosperous Regards,
Kenneth Ameduri
Chief Editor at CrushTheStreet.com