“One half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it.” ~ Sidney Howard
Imagine: You’re standing feet spread apart. One foot is firmly planted in a boat floating in the water. The other foot is firmly planted in another boat floating in the water. One boat represents your current venture or j-o-b, the other boat represents your Entrepreneurial business or vision for your life. What do you think is going to happen?
Chances are you’ll fall in!
This is the challenge that most of people face as they begin their journey as an entrepreneur. When I began my business this was my dilemma. I had my feet in two separate boats. One kept a roof over my head, my children fed, the bills paid. Although it was sufficient, it wasn’t ‘enough’. I had a desire to thrive rather than just survive. I also knew that if I didn’t do what was necessary in the job boat, it would float away, and I would lose it.
The entrepreneurial boat was where I wanted to be. Owning a business would allow me to determine my worth and provide me with the resources to design the life I believed my family truly deserved. I wanted to take my foot out of one boat, my job, and sit with both feet firmly planted in the boat that I thought would give me access to time and money freedom, an abundant future. But fear and desire for security had me almost paralyzed with my feet stuck in both boats.
When this happens to you, ask yourself, “Where is my commitment?”
When I had my j-o-b I worked 50-60 hours per week. I was on call. I came home late. I worked overtime. I was committed to that space. It seemed that working hard at a job was all I knew to do. But working for someone else had become painful, I was no longer committed, I desperately wanted out. The question became how to begin the process to get out? How do I focus my energy on my future while sustaining the job that paid my bills? Where would I find the time?
The answer was to commit to my future and adjust my mindset.
What mindset? I realized that security did not come from a job, rather if security actually did exist it came from within me. Security would be born the moment I decided to take a leap of faith, and strengthened every time I overcame a challenges. Security was the gift created as I built my belief that I could handle what ever came my way.
I soon realized that although my job was necessary it could no longer be a priority. My job may have provided the money to buy a house but it definitely did not give my house life or make my house a home. To begin the journey that would eventually allow me to plant both feet in one boat, I recognized I needed a minimum of 2 consistent hours of quality time to work my business six days each week. To create the hours, I began to do thing I once saw as impossible. I awoke an hour early and stopped working overtime. I reduced my breaks and became efficient and creative at my job. I hired a house keeper and delegated by bartering and engaging my children, family, and friends. I learned to manage my time by eliminating all activities that were not forward moving. TV, gossip and time with unsupportive friends had to go. My car became a moving library and workout became my time to visualize my goal and chant inspirational incantations.
The key to my success was my dream became non-negotiable and failure was never an option. I was not falling in the water as each boat floated of in opposing directions. The minute you take your leap of faith and commit to consistent action….destiny will catch you. The minute your world understands your time is dedicated to a goal you value, your world will adjust to support you. Remember faith is blind, yet it is the walk in faith that will build your unshakable belief.
Suzan Hart is an inspirational speaker, master trainer and author. Knowing that your inner game creates your outer game Suzan’s mindset mastery, teaches hard working, results driven black men and women, to be un-apologetically recognized for their value, financially rewarded for their brilliance, and celebrated for the fullest expression of themselves. Suzan Hart went from physically exhausted and financially upside down to becoming a Black Woman Millionaire. Suzan Hart is president of HartZone Inc and the founder of the F!T is the New $eXy movement. Learn more and claim your free gift at http://www.hartzone.com