The life of an entrepreneur sounds glamorous when you're on the outside looking in. Setting your own schedule, creating your own rules, and building the type of company you want to work for can be incredibly alluring.

In the 30 years I've been an entrepreneur, the perception of entrepreneurship has shifted dramatically. When I graduated college, everyone wanted to work for a big corporation -- that was the definition of success. Now it seems the opposite is true. Everyone wants to be an entrepreneur. However, far from a way of life, entrepreneurship -- with or without success – can be a ticket to a perpetual roller coaster ride that can often be nauseating at time. However, you can avoid any disaster by just keeping these 4 things in the forefront of your mind…