The Discipline Required

About 2 months into this MMBA program, I’m still kind of shell shocked. I knew it was going to be a challenge when I signed up, I expected it, I embraced it and I forged ahead but, I cannot express enough how difficult it has been.

The course work isn’t difficult, the ideas are familiar ideas but just the fact that I have to dedicate myself and prioritize my life to face this MBA program is a struggle that is very tough to accept.

I’m a young business owner, young and hungry. I work so hard at my business, and I’ve always done that. In theory, I know I work too hard. I know that some of the skills I learn, tools I acquire and the networks I create will ultimately make my business/work life infinitely easier. I want to work smarter not harder but this program is hard, not smart. It’s a literal mental and physical boot camp. It has to be done, and not independent of your business or personal life.

I’m about to turn 30 years old, I’m not married and I have no children. Only God knows how challenging this program is for young mothers and wives who have a career, and their husbands as well. 

Ultimately though, I know what it is deep down. I’ve gotten away with a relative lack of discipline my whole life. I’ve found ways to cut corners, I’ve intentionally avoided the use of excel because I could get away with delegating it to others. I’ve “ducked the smoke” as it relates to accounting because I knew I could always hire one. Hey, if I understand the basic way money works, why read a balance sheet? I know what revenues are, income, expense. I know what profits and losses are, why must I embrace double entry? Public speaking? Forget it, let my partners do it, I excel in other roles and that’s what makes our partnership great. Creating the presentations? Don’t be funny, outsource.

Anyway, here I am now, facing all the challenges I avoided are facing me head on, and I have a few months to buckle up and embrace it. I have to learn this stuff, I’m not worried about my grades. I have to learn and embrace this stuff. I’m a grown man, I chose to do this for myself. The program is tough, but doing financial analysis without the powerful Microsoft excel (and more complex softwares) is infinitely tougher. 

See you on the other side, this is a war I must win.