In July of this year, I will have been a business owner for 3 years. And the one thing I can say in my still very young experience is that you never stop learning.

I used to read books on leadership and entrepreneurship long before I took my own leap, (more like a hard shove) into the business world, and I would always hear a phrase that went something along the lines of “putting out fires”. It registered with me, but I never fully could comprehend what they meant until I experienced it 1^st hand.

As someone who has never had the intention of being a freelancer, with ambition to grow a  social media management assistance firm, I knew that team building and team management was the role of a lifetime I would have to grow in to. You’re not only responsible for yourself but you now become the captain of a ship, with a crew and all, and things can get messy when you have more hands on deck.

This isn’t something only attributed to business but any relationship when another party is involved.

Things happen-life happens. One moment everything is running smoothly and going according to plan the next…that blazing fire you must put out before you can even think about what you were going to do next. And as the CEO of your own life, you are accountable for it all.

So, in the midst of the fires, and the cold stormy nights when you wonder ‘how the heck am I going to pay my rent this month’ or ‘how the heck will I support my family if I quit my job and pursue my dreams?’ or ‘how the heck do I take my business and life to this coveted next level when every time I try to take one step forward something forces me to take 2 steps back?’ or ‘how do I compete with that omnipresent “them”?’

“There is no competition for your true life’s purpose.” It’s in a league all it’s own.

You have to make the decision to persevere and keep on sailing.

I had a colleague ask me one day after we both had one of those days how do you do it?  How you balance all of this and handle it so well? If she could have seen my face she would saw my ‘do you have 2 heads’ reaction. I answered that I prayed and cried, and prayed some more, did what I could do, and then cried and prayed some more. (Okay, I did mention something about a punching bag and gloves, but I never did get that for Christmas).

The thing is, we can see the vision and write it down. We make plans for our success and take steps to implement that which we envisioned. We work hard to be the best and give our best, we divvy up when and where our time, talent, and treasure should go, and make a conscious effort to always better our personal best. That’s all we can do. If we should stumble… well, I like the way Les Brown puts it..

“Anytime you suffer a setback or disappointment, put your head down and plow ahead.”

Don’t Let The Pitfalls Deter You From Your Destiny.

Until Next time…

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Flickr Credit: Wsilver