The Price of Progress

There are a thousand books, blog posts and YouTube videos that tell you to visualise your goal, to picture it there right in front of you. Be it lots of money, a sexy red sports car or the man/woman of your dreams, they encourage you to picture it and keep that vision with you at all times whilst pursuing your goal. That theory is a wonderful one but in practice it's hard to keep that level of focus when the pursuit of your dream leaves you struggling to put food on the table or late in paying your rent. It's a terrible feeling and one that takes over a part of your thoughts that you should be using to focus on your goal, your dream, your passion. One eye is on progress whilst the other is wasted focusing on just getting by.

There are lots of people out there with personal dreams or entrepreneurial ambitions for which this feeling is too much. They do what may well be the smart thing and get a nice job with a good salary but most importantly they're giving themselves something else, stability. I get this and God knows I wonder sometimes if I should follow them down that same stable job, guaranteed income, normal hours, paid holidays type route. It's really tempting and I'd be a liar if I said I haven't spent hours looking through the jobs listings and pondering the pros and cons of applying for one of them.

It usually only takes me a short while to realise that no, I shouldn't. It's taken me a long time to realise that I'm not built like that. It's taken me even longer to understand that it's ok. I've grown up surrounded by business, albeit not your typical one. I've had the best possible mentor, my Dad, who has thought me there is only one way to do things... the right way. It sounds like a cliché but if you don't set your standards (and goals) high then you're not giving yourself the best chance to succeed.

This year I've spent time putting actions to some ideas that I've been told are ridiculous notions and can't be done. Negative responses like that spur me on and inject a stubborn insistence into each project along with an unshakeable belief that there is nothing that can't be done.

I guess what I'm trying to say is there will be countless times when you doubt yourself (as I do), your ideas, your ability to make shit happen. There are days that you'll feel like a fraud (as I do)... "Who am I to think I can change the world just a little bit?". The truth is you're changing the world simply by trying. You've left the shelter of the safe harbour and the ripples you create can turn into waves of change.

If you can look beyond your bank balance, the food you don't have in the fridge right now, the rent you're days or weeks overdue, the critics and the self doubt, then you're halfway there. If you can still visualise your goal, right there in front of you despite all of that and give it all you have then the success will come... as will the money or anything else you want.

Just remember... doubt is temporary, change is permanent.

Make it happen.