Think through your week: when are you going to have time to commit to this? Block out that time on your calendar. We recommend spending at least ten hours a week to gain and maintain momentum. Given how much deep thinking is required, we highly recommend setting aside large chunks of time rather than one hour here or there.
Make a shortlist of supporters and advisors with whom you can share your work. This list should be a mix of friends (supporters) and people with more expertise in startups or your industry (advisors). It does not need to be formal, but we've found that having a small group of people who understand your journey is incredibly helpful for getting feedback, feeling supported, and increasing your sense of accountability. The Female Founder School community will complement this group, but it's also beneficial to have people you're already close with.
“If you are starting your own business, the best shortcut is to find a good mentor.” Kim Kiyosaki, Entrepreneur, Author, and Financial Educator
Reflect on why you want to do this. It's essential to be in touch with your reasons for being a founder. As we mentioned, this journey will be long and hard, and it's important to articulate why you're eager to start on it. Depending on where you are with your business idea, possible goals could include: "I want to have my first customer in the next six months."I want to be able to do this full-time by Q3." "I have this idea that I've been thinking about for years, and this year, I want to figure out if it's a good business idea." "I'm ready to start my own business and just have to figure out what it will be." "In the next six months, I want to determine whether or not the entrepreneur path is right for me." "I want to be running a funded company by the end of this year."
Research on goal setting has shown that intentions are most likely to stick when the goal is important to you and that, therefore, clarity about what matters to you is more important than knowing your final destination. So, take some time to reflect on what's meaningful to you by asking yourself how you want to feel along this journey. To get the wheels turning, here are some example responses: "I want to feel like I have agency over decisions that affect my lifestyle." "I want to feel really challenged by an entirely new professional experience that will push me outside of my comfort zone." "I want to feel like I'm doing something impactful in the area of K- 12 education."
A little planning can go a long way. Before you start, take some time (and use the workbook) to think about how you want to structure your schedule, who in your network you can reach out to for advice, and what your goals are for your entrepreneurial journey.
<aside> 🔨 Workbook Link
</aside>