If you’re at all like me then your midlife crisis has sparked some intense internal questioning about your career. As a result, perhaps you’re considering taking the plunge and starting your own business. I personally have over 20 years of entreprenurial experience starting, operating, and selling businesses. I’ve had them fail and I’ve had them be very successful. However, when it comes to launching a business, I am unable to offer any advice that even comes close to outdoing the famous hockey player, Wayne Gretsky. Here are two quotes from him about his hockey playing and success.
1. "A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be."
2. "I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been."
I’ve seen a lot of entrepreneurs make the mistake of "playing where the puck is." Midlifers, we might be even more prone to this error because we’ve potentially had some success in the past, so it is natural to pull from that experience as we move forward and make a career/business change.
Of course we want to capitalize on our past, but we also must look at trends. If you’re starting a business or making a career change during your midlfe transformation then it would serve you well to take some time and consider where the puck is going.
Here are 3 things you should consider:
1. Read. I suggest a subscription to Entrepreneur, Inc, and Fast Company magazines.
2. Talk to a lot of people everyday. This should be your mantra. There is no better way to find out where the puck is going than to attend networking events, meet-ups, and perhaps even classes from your local Chamber of Commerce.
3. If you’re starting a business then do some research on where the investment trends are. Angel investors and Venture Capitalists tend to skate to where the puck is headed. Find out where they are putting their money and start a business in that space if possible.
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