B 183: Intro to Entrepreneurship

This week's lesson have been all about perseverance. President James E. Faust taught us that "success is usually earned by persevering and not becoming discouraged when we encounter challenges." Hard work is the key to success with anything. I know, for example, that if I faithfully persevere in my Church callings, the Lord will open up the way and guide me to other opportunities and blessings. Jeff Sandefer’s article  Are Successful Entrepreneurs Born or Made?  had an important quote: “Perseverance is far more important than skill or talent. You have to have a mindset that never gives up, no matter how tough it gets. A little talent and a lot of hard work are the foundation for learning any skill, and are far more important in the long run.” Being a genius, having all the education in the world, having the sheer talent, will all be worthless if you don't put forth the effort. You reap what you sow. True success is not making $1,000,000 and then stopping, rather it...

I think I was most excited to learn that I can be an entrepreneur and devoted to my family too. Jeff Hawkins dispels the myth that launching an organization requires long office hours and frequent travel in his video " Effective Choices, Not Longer Days ". In order to achieve this, however, we must make the right decisions continuously. This week, lessons were mostly focused on knowing ourselves, and establishing our core values.  Clayton M. Christensen addressed three important questions we should consider for a life well-lived: Will I be happy in my career? What about my relationships? How do I stay out of jail? Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin emphasized the importance of the little things in life, and Christensen described his commitments to God, and how his decision to stay committed played a large role in his life. "It's easier to hold to your principles 100% of the time than it is to hold to them 98% of the time," he says.  This productivity pyramid...

This week’s learnings were all about ethics, being an honest person with integrity. Jan Newman said, “It’s important that you get people to get skin in the game, whether it’s time, effort, salary, equity, money, they will do whatever it takes to get the business going.” When they have skin, they will work harder for success. We also learned that pride is the universal sin. Our Heavenly Father wanted to see if we would be honest in our dealings with our fellowmen. We must never do anything dishonest. The following statement was emphasized by Elder Lynn G. Robbins in his talk, “Making a Living and a Life”: “What you do to make a living, or how many dollars you earn, aren’t nearly as important to the Lord as whether you:  Are building His kingdom including strong and valiant families. Are honest in your dealings with your fellowmen and using your God-given talents in their service;  and if you are filling your life with good works, that positively impact your communit...

Randy Pausch had a wonderful happy childhood, where his parents allowed him to dream big and cultivated his fantasies. In Pausch’s   Last Lecture , he claimed that we should not lose sight that “the inspiration and permission to dream is huge.” Pausch was surround by those who pushed him past his limits, such as his parents and his football coach. They let his creativity run wild, and his parents allowed him to paint all over his bedroom walls. One of his main qualities portrayed during the talk was his perseverance. Through many setbacks, he did not give up. Pausch compared his setbacks to brick walls, and claimed, “The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.” I think dreaming is extremely important. It reveals our deepest desires, and can push us to do extraordinary things. When I was a little girl, I dreamt of becoming a doctor. I worked hard in school, volunteered at the children’s hospital, and went on to study medicine....