As an entrepreneur, you succeed in attaining the freedom to work whenever you want and wherever you want. Essentially, you are your own boss, but it also means you are responsible for your business and team, which means you need to continuously be on your toes. Hence, entrepreneurship is not just a job, but a way of life – something you need to embrace wholeheartedly.

Here are 8 quotes from entrepreneurs that show how entrepreneurship is a way of life, and to help you to stay motivated through rough patches:

“If you want to be an entrepreneur, it’s not a job, it’s a lifestyle. It defines you. Forget about vacations, about going home at 6 PM. The last thing at night you’ll send emails, first thing in the morning you’ll read emails, and you’ll wake up in the middle of the night. But it’s hugely rewarding, as you’re fulfilling something for yourself.” – Niklas Zennstrom, Co-founder, Skype

“Entrepreneurs are risk-takers, willing to roll the dice with their money or reputation on the line in support of an idea or enterprise. They willingly assume responsibility for the success or failure of a venture and are answerable for all its facets.” – Victor Kiam, an American entrepreneur

“The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer.” – Nolan Bushnell, Founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese’s

“The cover-your-butt mentality of the workplace will get you only so far. The follow-your-gut mentality of the entrepreneur has the potential to take you anywhere you want to go or run you right out of business – but it’s a whole lot more fun, don’t you think?” – Bill Rancic, an American entrepreneur

“Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.” – Student of Warren G. Tracy

“Entrepreneurship is about turning what excites you in life into capital so that you can do more of it and move forward with it.” – Richard Branson

“An entrepreneur is someone who jumps off a cliff and builds a plane on the way down.” – Reid Hoffman, Entrepreneur, VC, Author

“To any entrepreneur: if you want to do it, do it now. If you don’t, you’re going to regret it.” – Catherine Cook, Co-founder, MyYearbook.

If you think being an entrepreneur is like a regular 9-to-5 job, think again. Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle and it comes with its own rewards, like flexibility and excitement. But there also challenges, and it is a tough act to follow.

What are your favorite quotes that inspire you to be an entrepreneur? Let us know in the comments!

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