What I have learned in 1 year of chasing my dreams!
Photos taken by Kati Hewitt http://katihewitt.com/
SO, it has been 1 full year since I decided to drop my 7am - 6pm Corporate job, bust out of the cube life and start my own creative business! And here is what I learned!!!
1. JUST DO IT!
This goes for pretty much everything. Taking the first leap of faith the start my own business "Just Do It!" Making myself do tasks I don't want to do "Just do it". Being nervous to put myself out there and being vulnerable, "Just Do it". Honestly, that phrase has gotten me through A LOT!
2. Never Doubt Yourself.
In the first 6 months of starting my business I questioned myself and my ability on just about anything I did. Shoot, I still have days where I question what I do, but those days are getting more rare and in my mind I know I am growing and learning to trust myself. I have never failed myself by believing in myself.
3. You will work more than you ever have.
I thought when I started my own business that I would be able to work whenever I wanted and choose to work less with a goal of "work life balance". LOL seriously! I work more hours than I ever did at corporate. And honestly, I am OK with that because I actually love what I do!
4. You will have haters!
I guess I went in starting my business with the mindset of all of these people that would be happy for me and be supportive. What I was not prepared for were the haters and doubters that don't understand what I am doing or they are secretively a little jealous of you being able to follow your dreams and all they know to do is hate on you. Although it is hard to hear or face, I now know not to get my feelings hurt. Instead, I say a little prayer for them to find happiness and I move on! Their opinions won't ever bring you a pay check. So stop worrying and move on to what brings you joy and success in life!
5. You will finally find TRUE Happiness!
In all my years of college and of the corporate life, I had my moments of happiness and I loved life. However, I found myself waking up in the morning having to peel myself out of my bed. I found that on Sunday's I would get depressed because I knew I had to go to a job that I dreaded on Mondays. I found myself being negative about everything. And when I knew I really needed to leave, I became suppressed, angry and didn't even know who I was anymore. Once I left, it was literally a NIGHT and DAY DIFFERENCE!!! It was mind blowing to know that my career could change my mindset and my life so much. I wake up happy to chase my dreams, I VERY rarely have a bad day anymore. And all those negative feelings I had towards the world are gone.
6. If you put plans together, you will succeed
I researched and read and researched and watched videos and researched more. Pretty much any waking hour aside from work, I was learning about how to run a successful business. I tried to infuse myself with so much knowledge and prepare myself for the leap. I was scared to death of failing and not being able to pursue my dreams then having to retract back to corporate. But, after 1 full year I have almost made the same take home pay as my corporate job! Not all of it, but pretty darn close! And I have a feeling that next year, I will definitely meet or exceed that take home pay! If you put time into planning out all of your dreams and aspirations. If you plan to have a certain amount of clients a year and a certain amount of pay each year, you will learn to reach those goals and become successful.
7. I have learned more than I ever imagined!
Well sure, I knew I would learn a ton, but my mind is BLOWN by the amount of knowledge I have truly learned over this past year! I thought I knew a ton when I first started my business full time, but my goodness, the amount of knowledge I gained is priceless! I think there is something about getting out there and actually doing it, that truly teaches you the best.
8. I have changed
Yes, you will change. And lucky for me, I have changed in a good way. I like who I am today. I have a new perspective on just about every aspect of life. I am no longer angry, I don't feel like I need to be rude or judge people. I even feel like who I choose as friends is different. I don't want to be surrounded by drama or "judgy" people. I feel a since of peace with everything in my life. Even when people are rude to me or judge me, I think to myself "I hope they find their happiness". I also have a new sense of how you can live a happy life! I always felt like I was a happy person, but until you truly live out what the Good Lord has intended for you, you will never understand what true happiness is!
9. I am proud of myself
I was always raised in a home where I was taught to be humble and kind. But sometimes that also made me feel like I couldn't be proud of myself because I was afraid I would come off as being big headed. But on my journey, I learned that being proud of yourself is an accomplishment in itself. I finally feel like I can say without a doubt " I have accomplished more than I ever believed I could and I am proud of who I am today!".
10. The power of Prayer
What a spiritual journey I have traveled! I have always been some what religious. No, I have not consistently gone to church every Sunday. No, I do not know all of the scripture. BUT what I do know is that God has a plan for me and he HAS answered my prayers! There were some really dark times in my past where I have yelled and screamed at him for making me go through certain moments. But in the end, I have always prayed for him to help me through and guide me to where he knows I should be. I learned to let go of the control I thought I had over my life and hand it over 100% to the Good Lord. WOW! Has he pulled through for me! I will never be able to praise him or thank him enough!
I am so happy with where I am in the world and I am so excited to see what God has in the future for me. If you are ever considering taking a leap of faith to change your life, I am always here for advice, guidance or just a listening ear in general. Contact me with questions and I would love to hear how you relate to any of these!!!
