Not everyone chooses to be an entrepreneur. However, given today’s job situation, more and more people, especially young people fresh from college, have to strike out on their own to make a living and an impact on society. To be one’s own boss without the security of regular paychecks creates a lot of challenges and opportunities.

I trust the following guidelines can increase the likelihood of entrepreneurial success. I have learned these precious lessons from my decades of experience in successfully creating organizations, from churches to academic departments, to the International Network on Personal Meaning, under the worst imaginable conditions. If I could succeed in impossible circumstances, you can too, but it requires true grit and hard work.

1) Keep on dreaming, no matter how many times your dreams have been broken.

2) Discover a dream or mission that is big enough to fill your heart with excitement, but also strong enough to survive the test of harsh reality and critical examination.

3) Cultivate an intrinsic motivation that can take daily beatings without breaking and can persist for years with very little in return.

4) Develop unshakable confidence in your own self-worth, the meaningfulness of your life, and the significant value of your brand of product or service.

5) Have the courage and wisdom to stand up and defend your brand against mean and powerful competitors who want to crush you or steal your ideas.

6) Have the self-discipline to work hard each day, believing that if you continue to improve yourself and your brand, sooner or later, you will achieve some success.

7) Leave no stone unturned each day. Seize every opportunity to connect with others or make your brand more visible.

8) Count your blessings each day and affirm the meaning of your endeavour, no matter how unproductive the day, because you need to keep up your spirit.

9) Remind yourself that life is short and fragile; therefore, don’t waste any time in worrying or trivial pursuits.

10) You will feel the sting to each failure, but get back on your feet as soon as you can, and consider each failure as a stepping stone for eventual success. Persist in the face of fears, doubts, and obstacles.

11) Even when you feel that the world has turned against you, still keep your faith in God, because He can always make a way where there is no way and carry you through.

12) Constantly reach out in humility and sincerity for like-minded people or kindred spirits.