Just over two years ago, I left a government job where I made close to $90k a year to start my own business.
At that time, I thought “Sure, I’ll need to learn a few new things but give me a year and I’ll easily be earning that again.”
Wow! Was I wrong!
I had no idea just how big the learning curve – not only in skills but in mindset – would be.
I’m not alone.
Almost every other new entrepreneur coming from corporate life that I know has gone through or is going through something similar.
According to the Dunning-Kruger effect this is normal!
The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias that says people with a low ability at a task they are passionate about tend to overestimate their competence.
For those without former full-time entrepreneurial experience, this typically plays out like this:
You start your business with high confidence and low competence, thinking:
“How hard can it be?”
Shortly thereafter, you realize “Holy Hell Batman! This is really f*cking hard! I don’t know WTF I’m doing!” (perhaps, not in those exact words, but you get the drift) and your confidence plummets to a new low.
At this point, many entrepreneurs give up and go back to some ho hum full-time job and silently wonder what would have happened if they’d stuck with it.
But that isn’t me, and that isn’t you either!
Instead, you keep moving forward, trudging through the muck and frustration and self-doubt and failures and setbacks until, bit by bit, things start to click...
things start to work…
you start to feel welcomed by people…
people start coming to you…
you make some real money…
and low and behold, once again you feel…
CONFIDENT!
You’ve made it out of the Valley of Despair and are now on the Slope of Enlightenment and headed toward new business Nirvana – a.k.a. the Plateau of Sustainability (cue the angels singing).
After two years of full-time entrepreneurship (and a lot of reboots), I feel like I’ve finally made it to this slope.
I’ve gotten clear on what I offer, to whom, and how I invite people to work with me in a way that aligns with who I am.
Things feel easier…
But to get to this point, I had to go through the Valley of Despair and, as Rodney Atkins sings in his famous song, “If you’re going through hell, keep on going.”
And the way to do that, like the turtle in the race with the hare, is to be consistent, to be persistent, and to keep your eye on the prize!
You got this!
June Morrow helps emerging coaches step out of isolation and into authentic connections with marketing, messaging, and communications that inspire them and their audiences.
Get her free training How to Find Clients When Social Media Isn’t Doing It For You.
Learn more at JuneMorrow.com.
Comments will be approved before showing up.
