Last year, I had dinner with one of my oldest friends. She told me about a venture she was interested in starting, but she felt overwhelmed by her other responsibilities (full time job, parenting, etc.).
I couldn’t help but notice the way she spoke about her idea, and the lilting manner of her voice when discussing the possibilities. I thought the idea had value. As I continued to encourage her, she expressed doubt she could bring it to reality. After showing such excitement, she began to talk herself out of her idea right in front of me.
On the spot, I offered to design a logo (my normal full-time job) for her idea… for free. (Don’t get the wrong idea, I love her and she knows where all the bodies are buried. I don’t work gratis often).
I thought, by showing my commitment to her and her passion, it would force her to bring her vision to fruition.
We could all be so lucky to hold our own destiny. There are few things I respect as much as someone with an entrepreneurial spirit.
My friend looked at me and said, “Do you think it could work?”
I replied simply, “Why not?”
It was a question I knew well because I ask myself the same question often.
I doubt myself, thinking about how my ideas and thoughts will be received.
I ask myself those same doubtful questions.
“Is it truly what I want?”
“What if I take a loss?”
“Will I be ready for whatever comes next?”
Without fail, anytime I have followed my instinct, I’ve been proven right.
Coach Dabo Swinney once said, “To be an overachiever you have to be an over believer.”
He’s right. You must have an absurd level of faith to pursue your dreams. You must also overcome vulnerability.
You must believe you are worth it, because you have to visualize your goal before anyone else can be drawn to it.
In the case of my friend, it was a reminder that you and the people closest to you have to be your biggest cheerleaders. If they aren’t, trade them out for new players.
I have had to ask myself “Why not you?” several times, whether it came to jobs, competitions, or even my quest to lose 175 pounds.
I’ve addressed problems in my life by considering each step required to climb out of the hole, and doing the work quietly and humbly.
You have to believe good can happen, and if nothing else, that once you’ve given your all, fortune should come your way.
Each night, I sleep with a notepad beside me. I wake up to jot down notes, jokes, or ideas.
I’ve come to accept that inner child inside of me who never hesitates to let me know they won’t be forgotten or ignored by the chosen responsibilities that keep the lights on and food in the fridge.
I have goals in mind that have just come to pass. Goals that were five and even ten years in the making. Now, they are building on top of each other.
Sometimes, I’m scrambling to find an extra hour in the allotted 168 of the week to get closer to where I want to be.
If you can’t sleep because you’re laying awake thinking about it, you have to follow it. You have to pursue it.
You owe it to yourself to recognize your ambitions have value and are rarely whimsical or lacking in careful consideration.
So, as they say, either find a way or make one.
You owe it to yourself to wake an hour earlier. Take your lunch break away from your desk and do something for yourself that’s enriching or fulfilling.
Find that time, to begin thinking about what that dream looks like.
There will never be a “perfect” time. Fortunately, you don’t have to be perfect either, so go get it.
