Is a detour right for your business startup?

One of the last times I was with you, life had thrown a few curveballs.

Finding myself without much work, I happened to be talking to a mentor who knew someone crying out for a someone like me.

I was so flattered they saw fit to recommend me, but there was a snag. It would mean returning to corporate land – a land that seemed far, far, far away – in part-time capacity.

Given I’d just spent the last four years unshackling myself from 12 hour days and endless meetings, I found myself equal parts scared and ego-fuelled.

Here’s what was going through  my head:

“Noooooo, don’t do it. Your dream is now going to take even longer”

“You honestly think you’ve got what it takes to do both?”

“You’re rapidly going to lose the identity you’ve worked so hard to create.”

“What will those who follow your business think? You’re defecting, aren’t you?”

“Can’t you just fix your business quickly without having to ‘sell out’ to the illusion of certainty?”

Lord have mercy – could my brain just shut up for one minute? Please!

One of the learnings on this journey of transition from corporate career to business startup has been telling the difference between head and heart. Knowing what is essentially ‘right’ for me and what is just ‘noise’.

All of the head screw stuff above is exactly that – a head screw.

It’s not what my heart was saying.

How did I know? (And how will you know?)

Because of the expansive feeling in my body when I was offered the role.

Because of the warmth I felt when I walked into my new office.

Because of the feeling of being ‘at home’ when I sat down with my potentially new colleagues.

It was as though the deal was already sealed.

And as it turns out, the role itself has exposed me to coaching and facilitation as part of a learning and development organisation. Hello! That would be my industry.

The lesson here?

Outsmarting your head is important when your heart is shouting at you.

To do this, I’m a huge fan of reframing and find that it helps Every. Single. Time.

When I reframe all my little fears above, I can gently sway my ego to my heart’s way of thinking; like this:

“Dreams take a little time sometimes, and that’s ok. Perhaps with less time available to work on and in my business, I’ll be more productive, and more determined.”

“You know a lot more then you did four short years ago. Have faith and believe you’re strong enough to do both.”

“Your identity may indeed be called into question but you know as well as anyone – there is good and bad to every single situation.”

“Those who follow your business realise this is one of those important lessons that tend to reveal themselves on the road to realising your dreams.”

So what’s my message to anyone experiencing the same mental battle I’ve described above?

Trust yourself.

Give yourself space and trust yourself. And you’ll find that’s half the battle won.

When ‘dream detours’ present themselves, how do you get your head around it?