W14: Entrepreneurial Journey

The last week of class is here. What a journey this has been. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of a school that ties higher education with spiritual progress. Relatively speaking, there’s not many places that would allow for such an education to exist. The freedoms we are afforded should not be taken for granted.

What stood out to me the most from the last 14 weeks is the idea of having a why and writing it down. I think back on the very first week of the semester when we listened to a devotional from the BYU Pathway President. He urged everyone to not only think about why they are taking courses to further their education but that we should also write it down.


In thinking about my “why”, I have a couple of things that come to mind. Firstly, I want to ensure that my children (at the beginning of the semester I had one son, and now my wife and I are expecting another boy) know the great value of higher education. I want them to see that their father prioritizes education and the need for continuous self-improvement. As with anything they do, I want them to understand that what got us here, won’t take us to where to want to be unless we commit to continuous improvement and are always refining ourselves. Whether in school, business, or spiritually, if we want to become better we have to work hard at it, and in our mind’s eye remember the why behind it all.


It’s important to always think about the why in anything that we do, especially regarding school, entrepreneurship, or daily habits. We will inevitably find that many things we are doing are not in line with our ultimate goals. We must ask ourselves: Why am I doing this? What’s in it for me? What is my end goal? What is my purpose? Asking these questions can give an instant perspective. It can help to keep us on track of our ultimate goal. It can free our minds from the minutiae of life which often distracts us from achieving goals.


Too many distractions prevent people from beginning their entrepreneurial journey. While it isn’t easy by any means, the key is simply getting started. Establish daily habits that will help you get on track toward your goals. Set aside time slots to develop your business plan. Once you get the ball rolling, it can consume you (positively or negatively). My advice and a warning are to consciously be aware of the boundaries that you aren’t willing to cross from the beginning. Go into your entrepreneurial journey knowing what you will and will not do. Set ethical guardrails to keep yourself in check. Ensure that you are allocating enough time for the most important people in life, including your family and the Lord. Do not let those relationships suffer because of a business. A business should be a blessing to your family and not something that contributes to its breakdown. 


In summary: Find your why in anything you do, write it down, determine if you should continue doing it, remove distractions, always be improving, establish a business plan, get the ball rolling on your business, set ethical guardrails, and ensure that relationships get the attention they deserve. By adhering to these tidbits of advice, I believe anyone can have a successful startup to their entrepreneurial journey and a very fulfilling life.

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