While there’s nothing wrong with a stable 9-5 job, it can sometimes feel stifling, especially if your heart isn’t fully into it.

Therefore, if you have a passion, like making music, starting a business, or even a new career path entirely — the first step is to muster up the courage to and pursue it. As David Sarokin once wrote, “Passion is what gives you boundless energy, intense almost single-minded focus, and the willpower to overcome even the most daunting obstacles. You can take steps to define your own passion and put work in building your career or business.”

Of course, the journey will not be easy. But you can make the time to prepare for it, even if you’re working full time.

Here are some places to start:

I knew something was wrong the moment she answered.

“Your father had a stroke,” my mother explained. “He’s in the hospital now. The doctors are trying to find out more.”

The memory of my grandfather rushed to mind — a man I’d only ever known to be in a wheelchair from a stroke he’d had years before I was born. We used to watch Wonder Woman and eat popsicles together. He’d get pissed because I thought it was funny to hold the popsicle just out of his reach. It was a dick move, even for a four-year-old, and the sudden image of him reminded me just how helpless he could feel at times. It made me wonder if my father would suffer as he did.

Three days later, my wife received a similar call.

“I’m going to the hospital,” her mother explained. “I’m not feeling well, and I think there’s something wrong with my heart.”

As it turned out, my mother-in-law had…

By the end of this article, I’m going to give you a digital version of a yearly planner for free. One I’ve spent the last decade refining and tweaking and tailoring based on a 360 degree, science-backed productivity system focused on improving all seven important aspects of my life.

It’s been so powerful for me that I wrote a book about it, have written countless articles about it (this being yet another), and have spent the last few years meticulously drawing out every month, week, and day in my paper notebook with a ruler and pen.

Why it’s so powerful is the purpose of this article. And it comes down to these seven essential elements:

Entrepreneurship is a tough game. Even with starting out small, you face a unique set of obstacles as a business owner — but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try beating these challenges. So with that in mind, below are several tips on how to overcome the challenge of owning a small business.