The Challenge Behind the Challenge

I regularly hear three reasons why people don’t start in on their dream.

1. 1. It costs too much
   2. Not enough time
   3. Don’t know where to start

Nothing new here. These are age-old concerns when it comes to entrepreneurial undertakings. The concern behind the concern is what I’m really interested in. As I hear people give these reasons for not leaning into their ideal job or dream company or long-desired faith community, I hear veiled concerns in common, acceptable language. In other words, the three above, are maybe not the concerns as stated but suffice as the concerns because as stated, others accept them.Here’s what's behind (some of) them, as I listen closely:

1. 1. I doubt my ability to pull together upfront costs, and plus, I don’t understand the financing end of things all that well.
   2. I’m afraid of how much it will force me to change my current habits and time management.
   3. I know where to start, but I don’t know how to get it past the starting point. And, I’m afraid of the thing failing once I get it started.

The first list gets us nowhere. They’re projections. Holograms. Not the real thing, just the accepted placeholder of the real thing. They’re not true—just true enough for everyone to accept and use and continue to accept and use.The second list get’s us somewhere: they reveal the challenges behind the challenges!We can work with the second list.Hard, yes.But now we can actually see the challenge.