Sooooo – as we start our businesses we are all excited, somewhat organized and definitely ready to get going. Day 1 happens, day 2 happens and before we know it we are a couple months in.
This is when those teeny tiny little thoughts start to creep in:
How can I be doing this?
How will I ever make this work?
Who will pay me for my services/products?
Am I qualified to do this?
This type of thinking has come to be known as the fraud syndrome. At some point we all have a moment of panic where we feel like we are not qualified to run a business and start to think …. how did I ever imagine I could make a living selling my services/products? Am I crazy?
Don’t panic.
When this happened to me I started to wonder if I should go and look for a job, you know, just in case. Should I get a part-time job? I wasn’t making the money I used to make (and this is totally normal!) so, should I work somewhere else until my business is making as much money as I want it to make? And, it isn’t just about money – I also had negative thoughts about how bold I was to think that I could run a successful business and that I could survive without a steady paycheque. Me? How could I make this actually happen?
After a day or two of questions and doubt, I DECIDED to snap myself out of it. That is exactly what you have to do – DECIDE. Everything in life is a choice. If you choose to let these words get to you then you will eventually go out and get another job. The worst part about that is the brave first steps you took towards building your dream will be lost.
I made a promise to myself when I first started that I would not even look at the job boards, on any sites, for at least one year. If I had let doubt dominate my thoughts, then soon enough I would have been catering to its little whispers. Instead, I kept moving forward. Every day I would do one thing that helped me feel like I was building a business that had value and strength.
You see, I started out strong when I first started my business – this is partly because I had amazing clients that took a chance on me right from day one and I was new to everything, so, everything was overwhelming and took me a while to accomplish. At about the six-month mark there were some changes with my clients and I was struggling. I was almost out of the funds I set aside to use for my business, I was struggling to make all the bills work without going into any savings. I didn’t know where my next job was going come from, or if any of my current clients would change course AND I didn’t give up. I kept my promise of staying away from any job boards, and after 3 months I was growing again. I had more opportunities coming my way than I could have anticipated.
The more entrepreneurs I meet, and work with, I realize this is a very familiar story. We all go through months of up and months of down – and that, in essence, is what we signed up for. The uncertainty fuels me and the never-knowing-what-is-around-the-corner gets my blood pumping even faster – for you never know what opportunities are waiting for you.
Every day I get up and I am grateful that I have the opportunity to write for a living, or do work that involves the power that language. I believe what I am doing is helping individuals motivate themselves towards their dreams – that is enough for me to continue to move forward. The more I stick with what I love, the more I feel like I am REALLY living. I am not waiting for something else to come along….I am loving every minute, every struggle, every choice (good and bad) because I DECIDED to make it and I can DECIDE to change it.
Be kind to yourself allowing the natural ups and downs of life and business to happen. When it is right you will attract the right energy and, you will have everything you need all around you.
Until next time – decide, commit and action your dreams to love your life.
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