I know you probably have an idea, a concept, a business, a project that you’ve wanted to start but haven’t yet. I know you’ve probably revisited the same idea time and time again and started drafting a plan to only become stuck at the same point. I know you’ve probably given yourself 100 reasons why it won’t work and why it’s a waste of your time and energy. I have to ask you, have you thought about what happens if/when the idea does work out? Have you thought about how you would feel if all your hard work paid off and you successfully bet on yourself? Have you thought about the sense of accomplishment, confidence, and self-pride you would carry? If not, lean into these positive thoughts more than the negative.
The Weight of Self-Doubt
Negative thoughts and words have a much heavier weight than you may realize. They can truly become debilitating. If I can give you any piece of advice, it would be that the world will provide you with enough negativity and doubt, so you don’t need to add to it. Truly. Society and this stupid thing called jealousy already have that covered for you, so don’t sweat it. There are always going to be nay-sayers, don’t join their team.
What Are You Afraid of?
I know from personal experience that what stands in the way of my starting something is typically my fear of what other people will think of me if I fail. As I’ve gotten older and looked back at all the small concepts I’ve started, some from as early on as my neighborhood car wash company, I’ve realized that I don’t regret any of them. Not a single one. In fact, I’m so glad I’ve tried every single thing I’ve tried over the years. Each concept I’ve attempted to develop has taught me a skillset or lesson that I’ve used to better achieve the next thing, and so on it goes. Never has any of my work gone to waste or been for not. So, if you’re afraid of failure, know that you’re not failing at all. You’re truly just building a better, bigger, and stronger toolkit that you’ll use one day down the road for that big thing. Read more oursocalled20s.com
Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day
Success isn’t built overnight. I think we all know that at our core, but sometimes we tend to forget. As just a reminder, many of the household names that we know and celebrate today did not strike gold until much later in their lives.
- Eric Yuan – Founder of Zoom – 41
- Stan Lee – Creator of The Fantastic Four and the Marvel Cinematic Universe – 39
- Martha Stewart – Famous Celebrity Chef, published her first cookbook at 41
- Vera Wang – Famous fashion designer entered the fashion industry at 40
- Kris Jenner – pitched the idea of the reality TV show Keeping Up with the Kardashians at 52
- Sam Walton – Founder of Walmart – 42
- Henry Ford – Founder of Ford Automotive – 45
- Arianna Huffington – Founder of the Huffington Post – 55
If you think any of these people found immense success on their first concept, with their first concept being the one that made them a household name, you’re wrong. These individuals all had a laundry list of trials and tribulations to overcome to reach those golden moments, and I’m certain they experienced a bunch of them after, as well. There’s no doubt in my mind. That’s just the reality of life. Now, imagine if any of them had never started these golden ideas because their negative thoughts, fear, and what ifs got in the way. I can assure you each of their respective industries would look a LOT different today.
“But I’m Not Ready Yet”
Stop waiting until you feel 100% ready – it’ll never happen. The idea of being ready implies that you foresee all that will go wrong up ahead and you’re trying to equip yourself with a solution on day 1. The reality is you have no idea what those speed bumps will be or when they will happen. So, don’t let that be the reason for not starting. “Fake it till you make it” is a great saying to live by in many aspects of your life. And the truth is, most people are doing just that. You’ll never be ready, but I bet you’ll figure out a solution as the problems arise.
Make a Plan and Start
Stop paying attention to how things could go wrong and start putting energy into making the best plan of action to start things off right! Figure out what the goal is. Then, think about the best and most sustainable ways for you to start, and do just that. Start! Take a big leap of faith off that starting line, and don’t look back. Be proud of yourself, too! The first step is truly the hardest.
Bet on yourself. Go after it before it disappears in the speed of life that we call time. Go start that thing! You’ll never regret trying. You’ll only reminisce on what would have happened if you had ever really tried.
Sources
Akhtar, Allana, et al. “30 people who became highly successful after age 40.” Business Insider, 28 Dec. 2022, www.businessinsider.com/24-people-who-became-highly-successful-after-age-40-2015-6#arianna-huffington-founded-her-namesake-news-publication-the-huffington-post-at-age-55-while-she-worked-as-a-political-commentator-and-writer-for-her-early-career-the-success-of-her-digital-media-publication-made-her-a-household-name-huffpost-later-sold-to-aol-for-315-million-30.
