3. Snakes & Ladders: Three Months
3 months wow. That flew by. There’s been many ups and downs in that time.
After I initially launched I had the notions to grow rapidly, however, as I went through I realised that a more phased and deliberate growth approach was the play.
And I have just realised I forgot to post my one month recap. The downfall of self diagnosed ADHD. That is one thing that is very different about working for yourself, everything falls on you. There is no safety blanket - this is good as it gives you freedom but also things can slip through the cracks.
Overall, the whole thing can be incredibly rewarding but also so stressful and disheartening. A fellow entrepreneur of mine gave me great advice; ‘try not to get too high or two low’. Stay even keeled. And that helps manage these fluctuations. Below I will tend to dwell on the challenges I have faced but just so you know there are many highs too - like moving into an office, making a sale, creating a viral video.
And I use the challenges to reflect, learn and reframe. That is why they are a focus - exploring these problems help me reframe them and manipulate them into an advantage. For example, receiving negative feedback on my Thank You cards. Instead of hiding them away and taking it personally. Make a video about it. Ryan Holiday (and Donal McIlgorm) taught me this. The Obstacle is the way.
Remote
Boy, I miss the office. Now I have my own fortress of solitude (which is great) but it’s not the same as the buzzing metropolitan of PwC. What a great place to work. Since Covid, I knew remote work wasn't for me. I feed off the buzz, the connection and the ability to collaborate / bounce ideas off others. I do love the odd remote day to get some adulting bits done and it's great for GAA, recovery and diet.. But it can be tough being so isolated at times. Even though the work is incredibly rewarding and challenging and enjoyable. The lack of social connection in work can be… well - boring.
And to compound this, from month 1-3, I found I was going out way too much - chasing that connection I was missing from work on the weekends. These booze fuelled weekends then set me up for poor recovery periods and anxiety heightened weeks in work. Not a good combo in an occupation with a low level of certainty, stability or stable income (wage). Fortunately, The Great Lock In Sep-Dec is gonna get smashed.
A theory… people used to find their sense of community and connection in their local church, with its decline, we filled this social void with our workplaces. The relationships in the office shifted from colleagues to companions. And then, lockdown and remote working arrived - a further isolation incentive. I don't have to pull up any stats that we are the loneliest generation of our time but it is an incredibly important facet of life. We need to be conscious/aware and proactive about it. Humans are social creatures. It’s definitely an area of focus and a problem that intrigues me. If it’s happening to me it’s likely occurring for others with similar lifestyles too. And ironically, there is a sense of connection between the isolated.
Tenses
Which tense do you live in? I used to get so caught up in the past and regret, I could spend days in my mind there. Through my personal development journey I navigated my mind to let go of the past and live in the present much better. Now, in reflection of the first three months running a business I found I had flipped.. And I was now constantly positioning my thoughts in the future.. “What if”, “if i can just get that” or “once I’m there I’ll be happy”.. catastrophizing. Mostly about completely unknown variables or outcomes. It is so easy to get caught up in the stresses and anxiety of the future (all of which are usually completely out of your control), it is imperative that you stay present and focus on the job at hand today. Show up and do your best. Stack the bricks.
I come back to the thoughts matrix I designed a couple years back.. It adds up. Position yourself on the x as often as possible for best success.
Rejection
Rejection. Let it wash off you. Don’t take it personally. Easy to say, hard to do - especially when it's an idea or something you really care about. What has given me sanity in the rejection department is something called ‘rejection therapy’, I would do it an injustice to try to explain - so watch this video. It is a great tool to frame your thinking.
A real life example... a few months back I cold emailed a company to ask if I could have a stand at a trade show.. for free. They usually cost 4k. And what do you know.. they said yes. Thank you Mr. Jiang. Lesson is, ask for everything and don’t be scared of the translucent “NO”. Embrace it*.
Alright, that’s two A4 pages, that should be enough for you sick freaks. For anyone who actually reads this whole thing, I appreciate you and hope you can take something from it.
Keep L-I-V-I-N.
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*just keep a list of the major critics ;)