Why are horses' majestic creatures? They are powerful and move with a sense of elegance on every step. There is a beauty, kindness, and style that no other animal has. When you spend half of your day with a horse, you will realize they can never be a disappointment. Like flowers, horses' beauty is entirely effortless.
Entrepreneurship and riding horses have a lot in common. In the equestrian sport, you "fail" more times than the ones you "win." Not every time you ride, you get a blue ribbon. So it goes for business, not every idea you put in motion works, no matter the money, and hours of work you put into it. There are a lot of factors involve, and it is just part of the deal. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
You will fail, and you will learn. You will get better, and you will try again. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
George Mortis, an American equestrian, said, "Think of riding as a science, but love it as an art." I think it's a compelling message you can accurately apply to business also; you need to learn to see it as a science but love it as an art. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It's essential to wake up every day to a clear mind of the objectives you want to achieve. As entrepreneurs, we go through a rainbow of emotions during the day: exhaustion, discouragement, fear, confusion, surprise, joy, excitement, and everything in between. Having your ideas organized helps you prioritize and be more efficient. Like in riding when you entered the arena, you must understand the course to be able to complete it. In business, you need first to understand your industry to navigate the waters and build a profitable company. Having a business plan is crucial for any entrepreneur, as it serves as a guide. On equestrian shows, riders most learn the course before entering the arena, as it is their responsibility to guide the horse through it in the minimum time possible, for jumpers.
When starting a business is vital to remember that even though you are entering a competitive field, being calm and paying attention are assets that will play at your favor. Running to open up a business in fear everyone else is advancing faster than you will only create problems and situations that will end up discouraging you in the long run. Patience is one of the most important virtues for an entrepreneur. You must keep learning, moving forward with your ideas, study your goals until you achieve them to set up new ones.
Equestrians spend seasons working on individual goals before attending competitions. Day after day, they wake up to do the same exercises until they've mastered them. And even with all this training, success is not guaranteed. Chances are they will compete on the next show and make costly mistakes leaving them out of the winning podium. So it goes for business, it's essential to prepare and repeat our tasks over and over, because even though it won't guarantee the success of our business, it will provide us with the experience to create a stable company.
Horseback-riding has taught me many lessons, here are a few, I believe can be applied in business as well:
· Being focus means present on the task at hand vs. on the general ambiance of what I'm doing.
· Preparation is crucial for the achievement of any goal.
· To make progress, you must keep moving.
· Hesitation impairs you to focus.
· Self-confidence is what strengthens your skills.
· Keep your eyesight where you are going. Don't stare at the poles, or you will crash right into them.
· Learn to feel when you need to put pressure to advance.
· Management is better when done with ease. Like when you are using the reins to guide a horse, your hands must remain soft; otherwise, you'll create and transmit an unnecessary tension. Great leaders know that team building is essential for the growth of a business.
· Anticipate challenges to avoid extra work on resolving situations.
· Lead with confidence, not arrogance. I rarely use my crop, to be honest, I like it more as an accessory. I want to communicate with my horse through the pressure points I apply at a given moment, without the horse to feel threatened with intimidation tactics.
Horse jumping and entrepreneurship have similar traits. Like in horse-riding, you will need to get over obstacles with the confidence that what you've learned will earn you a clear round next time you are on the arena.
