A friend of mine launched her own business last year in a similar industry to mine. Like me, she had worked in the corporate world for many years. She warned me that life would be very different when I took that step and started to branch out on my own. As I’d never done it before I didn’t know what she meant or what to expect.
But after a couple of weeks at full throttle I am beginning to understand what she was warning me about. A lot of things are different: switching on the lights in the house, ensuring the heating is on, making your own lunch- necessities I had never considered before.
Other things too. Taxis, trains, airline tickets – these are now luxuries so I am starting to think about alternatives like Dublin Bus, the Luas and my new bike.
Coffee made at home is delicious though – and I don’t have to queue for it. But no one will make it for me!
The house is transformed into an office from 8am to 6pm and then reverts back to being Home only when the working day is finished; a strange metamorphosis.
There are bigger things too. My sense of awareness about what I’m doing is certainly more heightened. Every correspondence is an event, it’s hard to pick one thing that’s more important than the next.
The phone doesn’t ring me first all the time anymore. There aren’t as many people dialling up to tell me that I can deliver value. I have to instigate that conversation!
There are ups and downs, there is good and bad, but the main thing I appreciate is that I have a spring in my step and a clear focus each day and this spurs me on to do more and more.
I’m sure most people sense that something is missing at some point in their career too; this is only natural. The important thing is to feel a sense of direction, that you’re learning and moving forward.
If you are wondering about this, maybe you’ve lost that motivation you once felt, you probably need to ask yourself what’s changed, and most importantly what you need to do to get your mojo back. Helping you with that is my area of expertise.
Fancy trying out my coffee?
