A defining characteristic of entrepreneurs is their ability to take initiative. When everyone around them is talking about a developing trend, or a hot market that is opening up, they are already putting steps into place to take action. This is what differentiates them from the rest of the crowd. It does however all start with the need to take control of one’s life. Personal ambition becomes the driver that causes an entrepreneur to break out on his own. Traditional paths are slow, and often leave a lot to be desired. They do work for a great many, but for the entrepreneur, are often a source of frustration. This is when the initiative factor kicks into gear for the entrepreneur, often revolving around a situation or process that may be causing a great number of people tremendous difficulty. A good example of this is to rewind back to the year 1996 , when Sabeer Bhatia and his partner were having difficulty accessing their private email boxes from work. Therein lay the birth of Hotmail, setting the standard for webmail.

Taking problems being experienced by people at large, and solving them, is what taking initiative is all about. We have to address pain points with novel solutions, benefiting all those experiencing that problem. Identifying problems however, is the easy part of the equation. There are a number of different problems that we experience on a daily basis, that if solved, could make our lives a lot easier. Taking that first step, and addressing the problem with a solution is what takes courage and determination. Along the way, many people will probably tell you that the problem is too big, that you will not be able to address it, or that you are wasting your time. All of these ‘negative comments fuel and drive an entrepreneur even faster towards the impossible.

We have two choices about how we go about living our lives. Either we can take things the way they are, irrespective of whether they are good or bad, and just live with it. Or, we accept that each and everyone of us has the capability to take the initiative to put right the processes that need help. This will not only help increase the quality of our personal lives , but may also be of service to many, many others one day. Every journey begins with a single step, you have a choice as to which path you want to take.