Journal Week 13

I enjoyed reading about Randy Haykin’s entrepreneurial journey this week.  He had some great experiences that give me some things to think about.  As I read the sections about his leadership roles, I learned about what makes a really good leader.  Haykin pointed out several things that he does well.  He recognized what his strengths are as a leader. But he also readily acknowledges areas where he wants to be better.  Instead of saying, “oh, I can’t do that, that’s not what I’m good at” he researches and studies to find out how to do it better.  He talks about how he researched ways to reward and motivate himself as well as his employees.  I believe that they employees would not only become better at what they are doing, but more loyal and dedicated workers as well.  Haykin also researches the market and his competitors.  I can only imagine how that will help him to stay on top of his game in his field.  This would also make him extremely valuable to his customers. I believe that the market he serves is sensitive to the latest trends and advances in technology.  By staying on the cutting edge of his market, he will always be able to provide the very best services to his customers. 

Journal Week 11

The Article “Attitude on Money” By Stephen W. Gibson had some profound insights on the topic of money.  He stated that money is a necessary part of life for each of us.  It can’t be avoided and so we should learn how to use it in positive ways. 

I really like the author’s emphasis on the story of “The Good Samaritan”.  It’s true that we usually look at the story as an example of service or kindness, which it is.  But the author demonstrated the great good the Samaritan was able to do because of his preparation and his money- first, having it, and then being willing to spend it on the welfare of another.

My mother is like the author’s sister, who doesn’t want to even talk about money.  Mom was a single parent of 7 children and money was tight for all of my growing up years. She still hasn’t learned how to effectively handle money. When she pays bills, she gets physically sick to her stomach. When we were younger, there was never enough money to meet the needs of the family. I remember as a teenager, looking at my friends who went to the mall with friends and came home with new outfits.  I wasn’t jealous of the stuff.  But my mind just couldn’t comprehend that some families made enough money to pay for rent, food, and utilities and STILL have any left over to buy “extras” such as clothes. 

I’m so very grateful that my attitude about money for my adult years has been very good. My husband provides for my family very well.  In fact, I sometimes feel that my children are given too much without having to work enough.  It’s a tough balance to achieve.  The most important factor in this attitude is that my husband and I talk about our finances regularly.  He pays the bills, manages the investments, and plans the budget actively.  I appreciate his work.  At the same time, I often sit with him as he does that work to watch, talk, and discuss what’s being done.  We stick to a budget and openly discuss upcoming expenses and purchases. 

Our view on money has influenced our family in positive ways.  We have never fought about money.  We are confident that our retirement plans and savings accounts will be able to provide for our needs when we retire.  Our children are being taught how to spend wisely and not go into debt.  Just today we took my 13-year-old daughter to open her first checking account.  We are confident that she will be responsible based on her past experiences with money.  We also give our children opportunities to make money mistakes when the stakes are low.  If my daughter goes into debt for a $20 item when she is a teen, she’ll hopefully learn so she won’t make a mistake with something large like a car when she’s a young adult. 

I know that following these principles will continue to bless my family. I’m grateful to have learned correct principles for handling finances, including principles of the gospel such as tithing, fast offering, and serving others.

In this book, Gibson gave six valuable rules for prospering.  They are:

Rule 1. Seek the Lord and have hope in him

Rule 2. Keep the commandments, that includes the temporal ones, tithing and fast offerings.

Rule 3. Think about money and plan how you can become self-reliant.

Rule 4. Take advantage of chances for learning so you will not be ignorant of these matters. Education, as President Hinckley has taught us, is the Key to Opportunity.

Rule 5. Learn the laws upon which the blessings of wealth are predicated.

Rule 6. Do not send away the naked, the hungry, the thirsty or the sick or those who are held captive.

Journal Week 10

 This week I was able to process the information I received during my Entrepreneur Interview.  I was glad that I interviewed my mentor a week before the assignment was due.  It gave me time to think about what we discussed I had time to ponder on the service Mike is able to provide because of the business decisions he has made. I personally struggle with the amount of time I spend with school work each week.  In my mind, I try to balance the cost of time spent on my home and with my family with my educational goals.  I am developing a clearer picture of what I want to accomplish academically, professionally, and personally. 

My favorite talk from this week’s lesson was Elder Dallin H Oaks’ talk from October 2000, “The Challenge to Become.” It has been a good reminder to me of my own conversion process. I enjoyed the parable of the father and the son. The father wanted to give his son all that he had.  What parent doesn’t want the very best for their children? He told his son that what he had, the father could easily give him, but it may not necessarily be the best for him.  What he IS, the child must develop for himself.  But what I found most profound is that the child it not on his own to figure it out for himself.  He has the example, training, and support of his father along the way.  It’s a beautiful parallel to our relationship with our Heavenly Father.  I hope to be able to follow His example and his tutoring to be all He wants me to become. By dong his will and becoming what he wants for me, I will be truly converted. 

Journal Week 9

My 19-year-old daughter is an artist.  She creates amazing designs and over the past year, she has learned how to wood-burn her art onto wood plaques, spoons, boxes and other items.   Today she is selling her artwork at a convention -her very first try at operating her own business.  It has been exciting to see her go through all of the work to get her merchandise ready to sell.  She has created enough products to make an impressive display.  She got tables and easels to show them properly.  She paid the registration fee to become an actual vendor (with a start-up loan from her parents). Yesterday, I spent several hours creating business cards that highlighted her contact information and the kind of work she does.  She loved them and I hope they will create additional business for her.

The most difficult challenge she has experienced so far is determining how much to charge for her work.  For instance, she remembers that she only paid $1 for a wood item.  So, she is inclined to charge only a few dollars for the finished product.  She tends to forget that her time is valuable- and she should charge for her skilled work.  In addition, she has the added cost such as burning tools, stains, display stands, and the fee to rent the vendor table. 

It has been interesting to watch her go through all of these details with the background of this class in my mind.  This class hasn’t given much help on how to create, promote or run a business, as I hoped it would.  But it has opened my eyes to the vast possibilities available. Gratefully, she has taken advice from her parents and others.  I am praying for her success today and hope her new business leads to many great things for her in the future.

Journal Week 8

As I sit here to write this entry, I have been working for the past 9 hours straight on school work.  About 7 hours was spent on one homework assignment that the instructions say should take 1-1 ½ hours to complete.  I think I understand the material.  The new data is in my head but still a little jumbled, but I’m getting it.  So why does it take me so much longer to do the work than it should?  I’m getting a B in that class --my first academic “failure” (so it seems) in my last 5 years of college.  It’s frustrating and I find myself wondering if this journey is worth the effort.  My family thinks that all I ever do is homework.  My house is a constant mess because my efforts are focused on school.  The graduation date three years from now feels that it will never come.  I think that is why I felt so much inspiration from Elder Holland’s talk “However Long and Hard the Road” (BYU Devotional January 1983).  I deeply felt Elder Holland’s passionate invitation to hang on and not give up.  In my mind, I can hear his voice urging and pleading for me to “hang in and hang on”. 

There were so many touching messages in that talk, I can’t mention them all.  I am printing the talk to use in my personal studies.  One part of his messages is, “If your eyes are always on your shoelaces, if all you can see is this class or that test, this date or that roommate, this disappointment or that dilemma, then it really is quite easy to throw in the towel and stop the fight. But what if it is the fight of your life? Or more precisely if it is the fight for your life, your eternal life at that? What if beyond this class or that test, this date or that roommate, this disappointment or that dilemma, you really can see and can hope for all the best and right things that God has to offer? Oh, it may be blurred a bit by the perspiration running into your eyes, and in a really difficult fight one of the eyes might even be closing a bit, but faintly, dimly, and ever so far away you can see the object of it all. And you say it is worth it, you do want it, you will fight on. Like Coriantumr, you will lean upon your sword to rest a while, then rise to fight again (see Ether 15:24–30).

When Elder Holland spoke of Coriantumr resting on his sword a while, then rising again to fight, I could vividly imagine a picture in my mind of him exhausted, resting against his sword, not hiding or running away or throwing in the towel completely, just catching his breath then moving forward in the cause. This was a powerful message.

I overheard a talk my husband was listening to today by Jim Rohn.  He said something like, “make rest a necessity, not an objective.”  I dedicate myself to hanging in there; to working so hard that I need to take a while to rest, then get back on my feet and keep working.  I know God has a pan for me and I will continue moving, even when it’s hard, to become who He wants me to me.

Journal Week 7

The principles of mastery, as outlined in the book by George Leonard, were demonstrated to me this week as I was watching the movie, “Spiderman: Homecoming.” Peter Parker was given a suit by Tony Stark but was left to his own devices to learn how to use it.  He swung on his web from building to building.  He saved a lost bike and gave some old lady directions.  He actually put himself in a good deal of danger.  It wasn’t until he was given instruction by Tony Stark that he found the amazing capabilities that were already built into his super suit. Even then, he was unpracticed at using the new technologies. It took him time, effort, and a number of embarrassing failures, to master the skills that he had the potential to achieve. This example is extremely simplified, but I found the similarities interesting. 

I disagreed with some of the ideas that Leonard outlined in his book but one personal story kept coming to mind.  My husband, David, has run two marathons.  He ran regularly to build up his endurance, but never consulted a trained instructor.  Two weeks before his first marathon, he developed bronchitis. Without the proper care and training, his condition worsened, yet he continued to train and ran the marathon.  His time was pretty good for a first-time runner, but he has never recovered from the illness.  He has suffered from asthma every day since that bout with bronchitis. The second marathon was very hard on his feet.  I truly believe that if he had been properly trained, he would have learned techniques that would have prevented his injuries.  But as things are, he suffered from foot pain for a year or more after the marathon and still has pain when on his feet for any length of time. It’s a stark reminder to me of the importance of getting proper instruction in the path to mastery.

I enjoyed learning from Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  I found his messages to be much more meaningful and interesting than Leonard’s book.  There are two habits that are more relevant to me than others.  The fact that they are at the beginning, make me realize that I have a long way to go on my way to success.  Habit number one is to be proactive.  Being quiet by nature, this is hard for me.  It is comfortable for me to stay the course day-by-day.  I recognize that being proactive will lead to many more opportunities for me to grow and to be an influence for good. 

The habit that I find myself thinking most about is habit number three, putting first things first.  As a mother, I easily get caught up in the pressing list of things to be done.  I’ve spent years running like a crazy lady just to stay caught up with the endless tasks of running a home and family without putting enough thought into what was really most important.  Now my children are getting older, my focus has been shifting to their growth and independence as well as my own well-being.  In the workplace, I have a job that can be busy at times.  I have found that I can add much more value by focusing on the non-urgent matters.  If I ignore them, little problems can grow to be big issues.  A couple of weeks ago, I put away stacks of old files and papers that had been piling up in my office. Many has confidential information so they needed to be handled with care. It was embarrassing to realize that they had been sitting in my space since last Christmas.  It was an example to me of how I had been letting important things slide when they weren’t pressing with urgency.  After that, I made a resolve to be more conscious of the important things that needed to be handled.  I have done a better job of being proactive with the more important tasks that had previously been pushed by the wayside. 

Journal Week 6

This week has had a lighter workload for this course, and I am so very grateful.  I really needed the time to catch up on my reading of “Mastery”, study for the upcoming test in my other class, and finally get my pile of laundry at a manageable level.  Thank you!

A few of the articles from this week’s reading were interesting.  Steve Blank’s message was a good reminder to set goals and rules for family time.  I agree that having a plan in place will make it easier to have make the right decisions when pressure to work more becomes greater.  It also think it’s important to share the rules with other people so they can work with you as a team.  My husband has a co-worker who realized that he and my husband were both leaving the office after dinner time.  Now they remind each other its’ time to leave at a reasonable time. It’s working well and I appreciate seeing my hubby more.

Wences Cesares spoke about how our most valuable asset is out time.  The best investment we can make is how we use the next 20-30 years.  (At my age, I’m behind the game on that one).  With this message as well as messages from earlier weeks, I’ve been thinking about how I’m using my time.  It’s made me realize that what I value the most isn’t always corresponding with the most important priorities in my life.  With this perspective, I think I am starting to do better at getting rid of the time-wasters in each day.  I also need to focus on the long-term investments of decades.  I think it will be an interesting exercise.

Jan Newman’s message was a welcome reminder of my focus on God and family above all other things.  This week has been very stressful.  It is when I’m most stressed that I focus on the source of the stress, and less on managing the more meaningful things in my life.  Yesterday, I recognized that my anxiety was taking away from the time I spent with my kids and how I was caring for my home. I had to take a step back, go for a long walk, then shift gears to focus on what my family needed most. It was a refreshing change. 

My favorite talk of the week was from N. Elden Tanner.  I love when messages ring true, and when they are simple and clear enough to share them with my family.  I look forward to being able to share Elder Tanner’s principles of success with my kids in Family Home Evening this week. 

Journal Week 5

The material in this week’s lesson has caused me to reflect on my own growth more than weeks past.  I have struggled my entire life with feeling like I had purpose.  I quit college as a young adult because I couldn’t see a path for my future.  I’m beginning to feel glimmers of hope for finding my own passions and purpose. 

The video by Randy Komisar “How to Find your Passion and How to Pursue It” had some good insights for me.  I’ve spent many years and a lot of money on sports, dance, and music lessons for my children to help them find their talents and passions, but I’ve given little effort to finding my own.  Komisar said that it’s ok to have a “portfolio of passions” rather than a single one.  In fact, he advised against focusing merely on “The Passion.” With that focus in mind, I feel more comfortable not knowing exactly where I will end up in the end.  Instead I look forward to the joy of growing all the talents and passions I experience and then pair them with opportunities in front of me. 

The video “The Hero’s Journey” was golden.  It was full of wisdom meant for me.  We learned some of the material a few weeks ago when we did the “Stars and Steppingstones” assignment. A few new ideas stuck out this time around.  For instance, “Being worried about the wrong things means you could miss the opportunity of a lifetime.” Sometimes I think I’ve spent my lifetime worrying about the wrong things. I worry a lot. I’ve reflected on things I worry about and realize they are often meaningless or out of my hands to change.  I could focus, instead, on what I can change and what is most important in my life. 

The speaker also suggested that we live every moment of life like it matters, because it does; live as if your life has a mission, because you do; and see struggles as adventure.  This idea got me thinking about how I spend the moments in my life.  I recognize that I waste too much time on things of little consequence. I should be focusing on things that will lead to a life of meaning, not just being comfortable or entertained.  My husband is an excellent example to me.  He spends much of his time working on specific goals.  He listens to motivational talks in the car, general conference talks while showering, and uses his phone app to learn Spanish in his free time instead of playing games.  He rarely watches TV.  I should follow his example and that of other successful people to make my time -and my life- more meaningful.

In relation to finding my passions, this talk encouraged listeners to never give up on the search for a calling.  He suggests that we focus on being an expert at something if we want to succeed. He said that we should find a calling that fits our special gifts.  But again, I find myself wondering “what are my special gifts?”  I’m still searching but have hope that I will keep recognizing them.  The video suggest that I ask 5 people who know me best what I do better than anyone else in the world.  I fear that no one will be able to think of anything.  But really, I can imagine that exercise could offer some very interesting insights into my personal gifts. I hope that eventually I will be able to say that I have used my gifts to change the world, and I will have been changed -improved, purified- in the process. 

Journal Week 4

This week has been a combination of frustration and successes in this class.  I really didn’t like having to deconstruct my fears.  Who does? But through that experience, I got a clearer picture that my fears are really just that, my personal insecurities that most likely will never become reality.  With that perspective, I feel I can face them with more confidence. 

I also see value in the exercise of developing my personal constitution.  Not only did that activity have me focus on what was most important in my life, but I went several steps farther.  I was able to write down what I visualize for my own future in “I am” statements, giving power to the statement and in visions for myself.  I also set long-term and short-term goals, which I truly believe I can achieve.  I have hope for a  more improved self as I keep moving in the path I am in. 

Once again, I find myself frustrated with the content of this class.  I know there is immense power in the principles being taught.  I am grateful for that.  However, I think that it should be re—named “Personal development for business.” My 7^th grade daughter is covering a unit on Entrepreneurs in her jr. high class.  She was studying her vocabulary list and I didn’t know what most of the terms meant. She is working on projects to develop her own fictional business.  They determine what need they are filling.  How are they going to do it?  How are they going to pay for it?  How will they advertise and promote their business?  How much profit do they project to earn?  My 12-year old daughter is learning what I had hoped to be studying in this class.  I hope eventually I will be able to understand what I need to know to move forward on the technical side of a business degree.  

Journal Week 3

The messages of this lesson have focused a lot on ethics and integrity.  I’m grateful that I have developed a core belief system and have built habits of integrity into my life.  Through this week I’ve been able to recognize that we all still need to watch ourselves continually so that the little things don’t begin to slide.  Like Sister Dew told in her story of driving the grain truck through the stop sign, we cannot let ourselves begin the downward slide by giving in even once. 

As far as the course material goes, this week I have felt like Daniel-san in The Karate Kid.  I feel we have been doing a lot of "wax-on, wax off" and I am itching to get to the “real” karate.  As I perused the syllabus, I see lesson after lesson on developing myself, but precious little about the nuts and bolts of building a business, which is what I had expected for this course.  I have questions like, “What exactly is an entrepreneur?” Can he/she develop a large corporation as well as small businesses? When should one consider incorporating over a partnership? What kinds of funding are available to businesses?  What is Angel funding?  Venture Capital?”  I find myself getting annoyed at the waxing and painting I feel this class is asking us to do.  However, I do understand that there is great value in the lessons I am learning.  So, in the meantime, I will try to be patient as I recognize that the Master is developing skills that will make me a better person and a stronger player in the long run. 

Journal Week 2

This week, I found the need to re-evaluate my dreams based on the stage of life I am in now.  A I read “Stars and Stepping Stones, I felt like it was geared toward people who were just starting adulthood.  Part of the exercise was to look at what your life will look like at 30, or 50 or 70.  At the age of 44, looking at 30 is a long stretch backwards.  So, I’ve had to re-evaluate what measurements I can use in relation to my current life stages.  I believe I can still look at my life plans in increments, but perhaps those increments will be 5 years apart instead of 10. 

In response to the presentation by John Pausch, I think that he could accomplish so many of his childhood dreams because he actively worked toward them.  He solidified the idea, remembered them and focused on them.  In the transcript of Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, he talked about his main childhood dreams of writing an encyclopedia article, playing football for the NFL and being in zero gravity.  He worked really had to be a football player, and while he wasn’t a good fit for the NFL, he did learn a lot from his football training and loves the game still today.  When he found himself with a possibility to experience zero gravity, he pretty much bent over backward to find a way to make it happen.  When he was told the faculty wasn’t allowed to go, he found a way to be included in the journey anyway.  If it hadn’t meant much to him in the first place (or if he hadn’t already solidified it as a dream) he wouldn’t have been motivated to make the sacrifices or to do the work necessary. 

Keeping that example in mind, I feel it is important to dream.  My problem comes from not being a natural dreamer.  As a child, I rarely imagined myself as someone else or doing something out of the ordinary.  Imaginative play made me feel very uncomfortable.  I know, that’s very unusual for a child, but as a very shy child it was difficult for me. Playing house or dress up or Barbie’s was foreign and held no satisfaction.  Instead, I wrote reports and spent time alone.

I supposed that if I had to choose one childhood dream, I would have become a nurse.  My Grandmother was a nurse in the nursery at a hospital.  She got to care for and hold newborns every day.  I admire my Grandma and thought it would be a great career to have.  As I have grown older and gained life experiences, I found that I am incredibly interested in the sciences.  Unfortunately, my body doesn’t agree.  While medical treatments are fascinating to my mind, I get nauseous when I’m around open wounds and blood.  Instead of going into the medical field, I’ve chosen to use my technical talents to pursue a degree in business. 

Now that I’m grown, I know that I still haven’t done enough dreaming.  As I created my bucket list this week, I thought about so many of the things I want to do in life that are just ideas in the back of my mind.  I haven’t gone made the effort so solidify them as visions I can accomplish.  I have dreamed of traveling most of my life but have rarely gotten on a plane.  Why? Because it takes conscious effort and planning.  My husband and I get caught up in our daily habits and routines and rarely make plans for anything outside of the normal.  Because of that, I’ve missed out on experiences I could have had. Last March, my husband was called to a work assignment in Shanghai, China.  I could have tagged along and enjoyed that trip with him. Sadly, my passport had long expired and I couldn’t get a new one in time.   It was an opportunity missed because I wasn’t prepared.  I’ve since renewed my passport and I’ve expressed to my husband over and over my desire to travel. We are making actual plans for a trip to Europe in a few months.  Hopefully there won’t be more missed opportunities due to not planning for what could be.

x

Journal Week 1

September 15, 2017

Week 1

As I begin the class, Introduction to Entrepreneurship, I must admit that I am experiencing a lot of trepidation.  I think of entrepreneurs as fearless, wise, leaders who don’t mind branching out onto the unknown.  Well, that is not me!  I’m shy.  I hate crowds.  I avoid being in groups or the center of attention as much as possible (just being at church is a cause for social anxiety). Risk-taking scares me. I don’t consider myself especially smart or talented.  So, what am I doing in this class?

What I do know is that I am interested in business.  I like to make order out of the day-to-day working of a business.  I have had a few entrepreneurial experiences in the past that have been successful so I believe I’m capable of making good business decisions. My current job is in an accounting role and I enjoy what I do, so I’m excited about what I can accomplish with a little more education and experience under my belt.

I don’t yet understand much of what it means to be an entrepreneur, I trust that I will become more versed as the semester moves on.  I had an enlightening moment as I read the executive summary of “The Start-up of You.”  Chapter one brought a complete paradigm shift as I came to recognize that my career is ME!  My personal growth and career are a living and growing start-up venture.  At the age of 44, I still feel like a start-up venture, with a lot of growing left before I will be successful.  But I’m not at the mercy of the market or the local economy to be successful.  I control my own personal growth. 

I went to the doctor today because I’ve been feeling sluggish and tired all the time.  I had blood-work done to test my thyroid, iron and blood-sugars.  All the tests came back normal.  So, what’s wrong?  Most likely, I haven’t been practicing habits of good health and self-mastery. I’m embarrassed and humbled to recognize that I have a lot of personal growing to do to be a healthy person.  I’m not sure why, but it struck me as I read the article today that these two ideas are connected.  My personal growth is up to me.  I haven’t been doing it and I’m suffering because of it.  As I move forward, I must build habits that will strengthen myself physically, spiritually, and in my goals for the future.  I have a lot of work to do.  Here we go…

The Start-up of You by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha