When we first start out in our careers, we stretch.
We ask for more, speak up more, expect a raise or a promotion more quickly.
We’re always reaching to move up, get to that next step, show our worth.
And over time the stretching works. We move up, but then we’re satisfied and we stop stretching so much. Why would we after we stretched so much just to get here?
We may not feel stuck because we’re working horizontally, but we certainly stop stretching forward.
The whole idea around needing to ship something every day, behind giving every day and with not resting on your laurels is that so few will give you credit for what you did yesterday.
What matters are the signals you send about the change you seek to make today.
That’s why repetition is key no matter how long you’ve been going at it. It’s why it’s worth choosing a mission that you can energize yourself with tomorrow and the day after and the day after.
Those who try to attach themselves with actions they’ve taken in the past become it.
Every interview I’ve watched with celebrity comedians and entrepreneurs and actresses; Every conversation I’ve had with role models and freelancers and people who have been in a trade for 20+ years–they all express that they have fears each time they get up to do their work.
As someone who is in the process of opening up a craft beer bar, there’s no shortage of fears. Here’s the list I’ve kept so far:
Fuck this is scary.
What if people hate what it stands for.
No one reads it.
Everyone reads it.
If I ruin the business before it starts.
I’m hiding again.
I put myself out there. It was exhausting.
I don’t know a fucking thing.
I’m not gonna have enough money. It’s not the right time. The wrong people will show up.
Other bars have huge groups backing them.
I’m going to ruin my relationships.
There’s no way I’m going to be able to handle everything.
I’m in way over my head. The fear is crippling.
It’s the wrong fucking name.
I wish I could tell you I was joking about having felt these things at one point or another.
But I’m not.
The real joke is telling ourselves we don’t feel these things or that it’s wrong when we do or that no one else feels them and we shouldn’t.
The real joke is when people let their list of fears stop them from making an impact.
It’s a problem when we treat every day like it’s April 1st.
Stay Positive & Today Is A Great Day To Stop Hiding
And, at some time, we’ll all reach it in the work we do, the people we connect with, and the hobbies we participate in.
The difference maker, of course, is whether or not we recognize the why of what we do and who we do it with, and if it’s significant enough to keep moving forward beyond the breaking point.
Most of us have so much more in us to use than we think, especially once we recognize why it is there in the first place.
Stay Positive & Put The Breaking Point In The Rear View
