Soaring
Over the past few months, it has felt as though my life went from relentless effort: working and working, planning and building, trusting and adjusting – from tilling the soil and removing all of the rocks, from selecting the seeds and carefully planting them, from diligently finding the weeds and ripping them up from the roots, from watering and waiting – to reaping.
In an instant.
In one huge leap that felt like just the easy, natural next step.
I went from plodding and persisting to soaring in a moment that’s now unfolding over the course of months.
There were so many days and weeks and months (heck, I’ll even say there was a year or two in there) over the past 8+ years of owning my own business where I worried and wondered if I was three feet from gold or if I was mining in the wrong hills altogether.
I have had doubts and trials.
I have had slow periods and rushing wins.
It has been the typical, terrifying, exhilarating, agonizing, aggravating, gratifying, heart-filling, intense growth adventure of the entrepreneur. Unique in its iteration, but surprisingly predictable.
When you’re in a moment of doubt, when it seems that things aren’t coming together (or at least not fast enough), it’s so easy to be tempted to throw in the towel. It’s so tempting, in fact, that most businesses don’t make it to their 5th year anniversary. But those early years of effort and of error when things feel low or slow or unsuccessful, THOSE are the very moments when the pieces are being built.
You can’t go from an idea to success in one bound.
Well, you can, but it’s so rare and atypical that planning on being an overnight success is the kind of strategy that leaves you many years in and feeling ready to throw in the towel.
I used to hate the low-and-slow growth path.
Yuck.
Incremental movement felt like quicksand beneath my feet.
But, now, 20 years into my career and in my 9th year of business, I recognize that all of those years of growth – sometimes fast and fun (the way I like it) and sometimes slow and scary (the way I hate it!) were necessary. I was gathering resources that I would need for this next stage of the journey. Resources of all types: some were spiritual, some were emotional, some were intellectual, some were experiential, some were practical and tactical. All were necessary.
Profoundly necessary.
And, in looking back, I can see what it’s taken to live out the adage of being an overnight success 20 years in the making.
How about you?
What are you working on? What are you building?
Are you still plodding or are you feeling ready to leap? Are you peering over the edge or soaring?
If you’re feeling like you’re ready to grow and to get to the place you’ve always dreamt of being, let’s talk! I would love to help you get there.
Learn more about Legacy Leadership Institute.