“Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.”
–John Allen Paulos
I know what it’s like to watch with bated breath when someone leaves the safety of their job and follows their dream. It looks shiny on the outside, but what’s it really like on the inside? This article is not about courage — you can read more about how I mustered up the guts to leave my job at Google and go out on my own as an author, speaker and coach here. This is about what happens when the process of becoming an entrepreneur shifts from the adrenaline of taking a great leap to actually balancing the bank account — or failing miserably at it. Going from a steady (very healthy) paycheck to….total uncertainty…was a major adjustment. I broke even in July and felt great — I was off to the races! But things didn’t fare so well in August.
One night I went to bed with a knot in my stomach about how I’d pay my credit card bills. The next day, in one hour, I had sold $5K of business. The next week, it was gone — and the tough-break tsnumai took another $2K speaking gig with it. Then, to add insult to injury, I got a bill in the mail from COBRA for $2K that I owed retroactively so as not have a lapse in coverage while I moved to NYC and found new health insurance.
I was deep in the hole and didn’t see a way out without dipping into my savings, which was a huge disappointment for me. If I get in the habit of dipping from my savings I won’t have anything left; as far as my fears are concerned, it’s a slippery slope toward living in a van down by the river!
The August income roller coaster was intense, but I’m glad it happened; it taught me several critical lessons:
- Take deep breaths, stay calm and take care of yourself. Eat well, exercise and make sure you are taking care of your mind and body. You’ll need every ounce of creativity and awareness to get out of a financial pickle and get your business back on track.
- NEVER count (or spend!) your chickens before they’ve hatched. It’s ridiculously easy to do, and it is definitely not fun to dig out of. Desperation isn’t attractive when dating or selling.
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