The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster

Plenty of people go into business for the money. But the truth is, people who become entrepreneurs just to get rich rarely end up with the fortunes they seek.

Want a better motivator than money? Try following your passion, and here’s why: 95 percent of your job will be repetitive and boring, and only 5 percent will be fun and engaging. So you had better love that 5 percent.

Take Bono, for example, the lead singer of the Irish band U2. His life may seem amazing, but he’s actually only performing and doing what he loves about 5 percent of the time. He spends the other 95 percent taking care of business: rehearsing, traveling and reviewing contracts. But the 5 percent he loves gets him through the 95 percent he doesn’t.

Passion is the key to getting through the hard parts, but how do you find what you’re passionate about?

Actually, your passion is already inside you – you just need to stir it up. You can start by thinking about things you want to change or fight against. Some of the world’s most revolutionary ideas originated with people confronting what made them angry.

Just think where we’d be if India’s Mahatma Gandhi, South Africa’s Nelson Mandela or US civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. didn’t say “enough” and stand up to injustice.

Try using your enemies to ignite your inner passion! But remember, your passion resides within your strengths, and you can’t get anything done without the right knowledge.

Take the example of business magnate Warren Buffet. In the 1990s, when the worldwide trend was to invest in internet-based companies, Buffet refrained. When the dot-com bubble burst, he was applauded and was asked why he stayed away from these companies. He explained that he only invests in his areas of expertise; he simply didn’t know enough about the internet.

Follow Buffet’s example and find your passion by knowing your strengths and sticking to them. Passion is important because people aren’t born successful. Rather, success takes hard work, determination and a commitment to improving. Your passion will get you through the difficult times you’ll experience on the road to success.