The other day, I had a catch-up call with my business coach. Even though our Camp Clarity container ended at the beginning of the year, it was nice to check in with the fellow creative entrepreneurs I had spent 90 days with.
At the end of 2023, I didn’t know what was next for my business. I felt frustrated with the lack of progress I had been making and scared by how much money it was costing me to continue subsidizing myself until the next client came in. On top of that, the health insurance that I was able to stay on when I left my 9-to-5 job (and paid through the nose for) was also coming to an end. So, I wondered at the end of the year if it was also the end of my business.
I used the beginning part of this year to regroup. Did I want to continue on this entrepreneurship journey? Did I want to get a full-time job? Did my life look how I wanted it to? The answer I came to is that I was finally happy in my life. I loved the freedom that working for myself offered me, the dreaded “Sunday Scaries” were gone, and I was able to come and go as I pleased. Unfortunately, that came at a high financial cost, but there’s always a trade-off, right?
With the decision to carry on in my entrepreneurship journey made, the catch-up call with Diana Davis and my fellow Camp Clarity cohorts could not have come at a better time. One by one we each shared about where we were at in life and business since we last had a call. For some, it wasn’t exactly where we wanted to be, while for others, they were still undecided. Either way, the group call reignited me and encouraged me to take my time to figure it all out.
And then I heard this audio on Instagram, the sentiment of which is to celebrate yourself and be grateful for where you are. We all know how easy it is to compare ourselves to others. I’ve certainly gotten caught in the comparison game when I see other consultants who are more successful than myself, have accomplished more than I have, and seem to be making more money. But this audio and the call reset me. Rather than focusing on what wasn’t working, I needed to focus on what was.
So, in my first year of entrepreneurship, which, fun fact, was very much a sh$t show, I would tell myself that I did my best. While it wasn’t perfect, sometimes just taking the first step is enough. I’m proud that I’m willing to bet on myself, and I know that I hold the power to live the life of my dreams.
What would your letter to yourself say?
Leave a Reply