Top 3 personal realizations as an entrepreneur

The thought of being 100% responsible for my professional career was something that used to intimidate the hell out of me. I always had a pull towards the business world, but constantly felt myself choose safety time after time. Even when I took a risk, I had a safe backup plan… this led me to tell myself stories that I was content without control… that the concept of wanting to be the boss was just something I dreamed of, not something I really wanted. 

In reality, there was a time when I was just scared. Like many of the people wanting to open their own business, scared of the unknown. But now that I’ve learned to embrace it, I want to share the top 3 realizations I’ve had over the last 4 years:

1. My stress level is the lowest it’s ever been. People say entrepreneurship is stressful. Not as stressful as having an unpredictable/chaotic leader ahead of you. Not as stressful as the mounds of red tape and paperwork I used to deal with in the clinic. Not as stressful as the lack of control I used to have in my schedule. So, guess my point here is choosing your stressors. For me, having control of my day, my schedule, my projects, my headaches…. MUCH less stressful than the alternative. 
2. I work less because I understand the value of my time and, therefore, can prioritize efficiency and realistic expectations.  Prior to this journey, I used to work a TON. 12-hour days, traveling 27+ weekends per year (to teach live events and personal travel combined, but both took their toll), working 21 days straight because deadlines were coming up. If I’m being honest, this almost cost me my relationship because I didn’t understand how to manage my time, and in a way, I felt like not having boundaries was a requirement for my position. I know many people say, “They used to work 40 hours, and now that they own a business, they work 80”, but I think that’s just poor time management… sorry, maybe you need to hear that. So now, I’m ideally done by 4-5 pm, I almost never work on the weekends, and I can take weeks off at a time with limited stress/no pressure from anyone else.
3. The life I want to create is at my disposal, and the work I do (or don’t do) is all that’s in the way of achieving it. This one is pretty simple. I control my own destiny. No external forces. No corporate ladder. No financial ceiling. No conforming to a system. Just Me vs Me. And that might be the most worthwhile reason to do this. 

If you’re on the fence, I totally understand why. This decision and path isn’t easy and that is exactly why it’s worth it. 

At the end of the day, you can’t keep working on the perfect plan or strategy to make it work. At some point, you just have to jump and trust the net will be there. It’ll be worth it.