Many of us dream of becoming an entrepreneur. We wish that we could wake up one morning with an original idea in our minds, one that will eventually turn itself into to the sexiest start-up ever.
Or, if nothing else, that we could believe that our not-so-original idea worth a shot. That we could leave our fears behind right now and give it a try.
This is where the majority of us stands on this matter, you know.
But, there is another side of the story, in which lives people who can’t get enough. They are addicted to entrepreneurship, and this is all that they can think or talk about wherever they go.
Are you concerned that you might be one of those? Have you start to feel that you are a bit too much when it comes to business? Then let’s have a look at the most common signs of entrepreneurial addiction so you can check how many boxes you are ticking at the moment.
You don’t have a personal life
If you are addicted to anything, this “thing” becomes your top and only priority. And not a bit in a healthy way. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be called an addiction, right?
So if you notice that your family and friends are starting to complain about your lack of work/life balance, that you are working harder than your body van keep up with, maybe you have crossed that addiction line.
You have no idea of how you look like in the mirror
When was the last time you got a haircut? Are you skipping meals? Sitting in front of the computer all day? Have you ever forgot to brush your teeth or have a shower? Or are you constantly doing any of these things while checking reports or listening to business podcasts?
If you can see yourself saying yes to more than one question above, there is no doubt that you are so hooked up on your entrepreneurial life that you can’t stay away from it.
You don’t know what to do if you aren’t working
Let’s say that you have been forced by something more powerful than you to take a day off – maybe by your spouse or children. And there you are, on your day off, with no idea of what to do.
Actually, you notice that you are starting to get anxious or depressed, and your eyes are coming and going measuring the shortest way to your computer. You start planning how you can trick or bribe that powerful person to let you work just for a few minutes…
Yes, this is how bad it can get.
You have so many projects on the move that you can’t finish any of them
When entrepreneurship turns into addiction, you start getting off not only on concluding things but often on starting them. It is the beginning, the first moments that will give you the thrill that you are looking for, and you know that.
So you start getting involved in so many projects that you can’t handle them all. If you have a great team, they still might work things out for you. But if you don’t, it might be a recipe for a disaster – better known as bankruptcy in business terms.
You forget your values
Like any addict, you will do anything it takes to put your hands on the source of your addiction. It might sound untrue to you because only drugs and alcohol addicts are capable of going against the law so to get what they need, right? Wrong.
This rule works to anybody, including to entrepreneur addicts. So, you will break the law, you won’t pay your taxes, you will underpay your team, you will do anything to keep your business at the speed that you need. And you will feel no remorse about it, as you are doing it for the greatest good (in your opinion)
You won’t notice that it is the time to leave the boat
Entrepreneurial addicts never know when it is time to leave the boat. They are so deeply linked to their creations that they can’t possibly imagine killing any of them – even if they look like the creature of Frankenstein.
They won’t hear anybody’s device when they say that their great idea isn’t that great, or that the business has given to the world as much as it could. They keep working on it as if they could change the future or the country’s economy if this is the case.
The bottom line
So if you noticed any of these behaviors above on you, it is time to turn on the red alert and proceed with caution.
Entrepreneurial addiction can be as daunting any other addiction, so cutting it off altogether can cause withdraw symptoms that you might not be ready to deal by yourself.
So don’t be embarrassed if you need to look for support from your family and friends, or professional help. Just do it as soon as possible.
And, differently from other addictions, it is possible that you learn how to deal with entrepreneurship in a much healthier way and get back to it after a while, so don’t think that party will be completely over to you.
