If it's both terrifying and amazing, then you should definitely pursue it.
I’m a digital girl. We make websites and social media, for crying out loud! I have a Google Calendar and set reminders on my phone. But at the end of the day, I can’t get away from a great physical paper planner. I like taking handwritten notes from my meetings and having them all in one central place. I like adding stickers to it when I’ve accomplished some of my goals. I like check marks beside appointments as they happen. I don’t see this changing soon.
One of my favorite features I look for in a planner for the year is inspirational messages or quotes or challenges each month. This month’s quote in my calendar is from Meghan Markle. I don’t pretend to know if she kept her title of Duchess of Sussex after they stepped back or not – you can update me on this. But her quote has been on my mind all month. “If it’s both terrifying and amazing, then you should definitely pursue it.” In business, it’s easy to fall into a routine and get comfortable where you are. This quote reminds me of my favorite challenge from Who Moved My Cheese. It asked “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”
When I first read Who Moved My Cheese, I was in a “safe” job. I could count on a regular paycheck and had job security. But what I would have done if I wasn’t afraid was to start my own business. I probably wasn’t ready at the time to do it justice, but it was in my heart. Starting your own business (if you’re going full time) requires you to give up your 9-5 paycheck, often invest money into yourself, and only prosper as it succeeds. That was terrifying for me. As Vitality South is approaching its 1 year anniversary – I will definitely say it was worth it for me. I did something terrifying and amazing. I tell my girls all the time that being brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared. It’s being scared and doing it anyway. I was terrified and did it anyway.
But now that I’m in business, I have the opportunity to embark on new terrifying and amazing things all the time. Every time I hire a new (additional) employee, I’m monetarily, emotionally, and logistically committing myself to their well-being on a long-term basis. But in return, they bring so much to the table; new talents, skill sets, and experience. We plan to move to a much larger office space in a couple weeks. The rent is going up and we’ll have to reprint business cards, update our business listings (thank goodness we’ve got that covered), etc. But we’ll have more space for individual business conversations, an area for our design team to synergize their efforts, a quiet place to make phone calls, etc. As the digital world and local community perpetually evolves, new opportunities present themselves that are too good to miss. I’m committed to keep doing terrifying and amazing things.
Tell me. What terrifying and amazing thing would you do if you weren’t afraid? Take a chance on a new career? Start your own business? Enter a new relationship? Let’s be brave and do amazing together!
