Last Lecture

Hopefully “not” My Last Lecture

I have learned a lot over the course of the past 12 weeks about entrepreneurship. I have learned not to procrastinate things, but to take action every day in learning something new and applying something that you have learned. A common statement is that luck is where preparation meets opportunity. People will have many opportunities in their life, but the key is to prepare now. We can learn from our experiences and take them with us. I have learned to better manage my time and to not overwhelm myself with things that don’t matter.

Ask yourself, “What matters most?” It could be family, career, an education. Make sure to prioritize these into your schedule. Don’t lose sight of what matters most. Once you have identified your focus, learn to ask questions. We all need good mentors and asking the right questions will teach us valuable lessons.

My favorite part of the course was doing the two interviews. I interviewed two different business owners who had a wealth of knowledge and advice. If you seek advice, seek it from others who have experienced the journey you want to take. You will learn from their setbacks and successes.

Randy Pausch shared in his last lecture three keys to his success: determination, support from family, and having a motivating purpose for the success of his career. As an entrepreneur, we need determination, we need support from others, and we need to have a reason behind what we do. What is the greater goal or purpose behind our business ideas? I have learned to ask better questions. We can dream, we can learn from experiences, setbacks, and failures, and we can be leaders.

In all we do, we need to remember to bring others along on our journey. We cannot do everything alone. Part of being an entrepreneur means working with others and doing it for others. I have learned to step back and dream big, and then to take action, one step at a time.