“Controlling your direction is better than being controlled by it.” Jack Welch

An entrepreneurs’ journey is riddled with potholes and unexpected events at every turn. Controlling your direction is not as easy as charting a plan and then sticking to it irrespective of what happens along the path. However, having a clear idea about the direction you are going in and why, is mandatory.

It is critical on this path that the entrepreneur is adept and adaptable enough to be able to maneuver the direction of this ship. The word “pivot”  is fast becoming a word with over usage in startups. Many of them seem to be controlled by events, the reason for this is, I believe, that they are not certain about why they are on the journey in the first place.

There are two factors entrepreneurs need to be aware of, understand and have down pat before they head out on this journey:

1. If you succeed on this journey, what is the change you want to see and help towards in the world.

2. Why is bringing about this change important to you?

These two factors should become pivotal guiding lights to enable you to chart a path. They bring to the fore your true motivations and reasons for starting on your journey. Many of those starting  on the path of entrepreneurship these days, do so for the wrong reasons…such as earning lots of money, gaining power or trying to be the next quick flip.

For the betterment of your team and yourself, please put a little more effort into crafting the ‘why’ behind your startup before you take your first step.