Becoming an entrepreneur takes guts. Instead of sitting on the sidelines and watching, you’re actually stepping onto the field and taking up the challenge. The challenge to attempt something big!

With the odds against you, you’ll have to dig down, think different and work harder than you ever have in our life. Don’t think it’s going to be easy because it’s not.

Here’s 4 ways to set yourself up for success on the journey.

Always be thinking about new ideas. Get creative, strategize and find ways you can add value to your product or service. Maybe it’s a new feature, a new add on, a complementary product, a partnership or alliance. Never be satisfied with status quo. Maybe it’s as simple as refining the products you already have and making them better. The key is to always keep your mind open and looking to improve.

It’s a way of life. You are going to live the entrepreneur lifestyle. Not the one with fancy cars and big houses. You’re going to be thinking and living your business 24/7/365. This isn’t a 9-5 job, it’s now your life. As much as people like talk about work/life balance. As an entrepreneur you can forget it about it. You’re going to need supportive family and friends because you’ll often need to forgo a traditional schedule and work often while everyone else is relaxing.

Love the process. Many people think that success is a destination but building a business has no end, no finish line. If you get to the point you’ve think you made it, that’s the moment you fail because a hungrier competitor will come along and beat you. Instead of looking for a trophy at the end, focus on falling in love with the process of building a successful company.

Never get complacent. If you operate from a mindset of complacency, you will get lazy, the work will become “soul crushing” as some say and you’ll lose the fire inside. You can never let that happen. You have to focus on continually pushing forward and working to keep your company growing, strong and relevant.