16 months and my workspace has changed dramatically, but perhaps more importantly, so have I.
I didn’t think for a minute in June 2020 that I was serious about giving up the stability of a 9-5 office job with a global company to chase a dream. Yet here we are…
Despite not being serious, I spent 16 months preparing for it – financially, mentally and perhaps even physically. But even despite that, I still breezed through my 4 month notice period (I strung it out for as long as I could) deliberately not thinking about the inevitable end game. It’s not that I wanted to put it off, I was just scared… of the unknown, the lack of structure to my work days, the instability and whether I actually possessed the capacity to make it happen.
The thing is though, once you start doing it, then you are making it happen. You are a successful business owner – because you’re a business owner and you’re successful at it, and because the definition of ‘success’ is very subjective.
To some people it means money and status, to others it means being able to afford the basic things in life without relying on handouts. To some it simply means feeling happy with your lot. For me, I want to get out of bed every day and feel I have a purpose, I’m adding value to the world in my own little way and I can live comfortably at the same time.
I’m a week into my new life now and I’m already smiling a lot more. A lot of people said that I would never look back, it would be the best thing I did and I can already see their reasoning. I am matriarch of my own diary and holder of the keys. I am alone yet not alone, I meet others daily who are doing the same, who recognise the sacrifices, celebrate the wins and give each other a leg up. I’m yet to be at the stage where I am comfortable with it financially but that will come if I keep pushing forwards, I have to believe that.
I have a lot to learn but with each day I am growing in a way that I never did when I was a small cog in a big wheel. Some amazing events have taken place in the last year and a half and I believe this is only the tip of the iceberg. I already wish that I had done this much sooner. Whatever happens it will be a great adventure, I will learn from it and I will grow as a result and that is how I will measure my success.
Have a great weekend and follow your dreams!
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