After a week of intense reminders that I am an entrepreneur working toward my vision, I am challenging myself to maintain my winning mindset and remain steadfast on the journey. If you didn’t already know, coaches need coaching too! Connecting the dots to your purpose and pushing a plan forward is probably one of the scariest things to do. It involves a large amount of risk and a bit of blind faith. Consequently, it is that fear that pushes so many away from this type of journey. The leap is too far, and the risk is just too high for many to take and be successful. Furthermore, there is a small amount of comfort and stability in doing things more traditionally. There is less risk, assured benefits and salary, and possibilities for promotion if you stay at your job. Meaning, that if the balls drop, it isn’t necessarily your fault.
However, I am a glass-is-half-full kind of girl and I am confident in myself, so I don’t get fearful of risk unless there is a huge impact on family life. I am a planner and I weigh risk so that we can have foresight into the possibilities of failure or success, but I no longer let it dictate the choice. I am at a point in life where I must move toward purpose and fulfillment and not simply financial gain. In saying that, the journey, though amazing and where I want to be, is a tough one. I cannot sugarcoat the number of unknowns you face when you’re building a business platform and creating avenues toward credibility. It is essential to make a heavy upfront investment in yourself and pray that it pays off, and that is why people find it intimidating.
I find it interesting, however, the number of people who have recommendations or insight into how to run a business but don’t run a business of their own. It’s been a fun time listening to people give their opinions on what I should be doing and how I should be doing it. And as I politely smile and shake my head, I press forward knowing that my life cannot be dictated by others and if I plan to fail, it will be on my terms alone without regret. But don’t get me wrong. I accept feedback and own my mistakes, but I like to hear from people who have had a similar journey. I want to hear from people who have experienced this risk and it either paid off or it didn’t. You need to find people who can provide insight and provide best practices on what went well and what didn’t.
Diving into the unknown means there are sharks and other animals in the water you may not see. Some could be haters that want to see your venture fail and others could be competitors who share your risk and need you to fail. Either way, you must face many challenges and it is important to create a winning brand and mindset for your venture. I am a firm believer that hard work pays off. If you know what you don’t know, then you can plan for how you need to learn and grow your business into what you need it to be.
CHALLENGE: Create action around your vision and move optimistically forward. You may need to adjust along the way, but that is no different than the everyday struggles of life. It isn’t how you start; it is how you finish.
BE BOLD. BE BRAVE. BELIEVE.