“Sometimes the safest choice is the riskest.” – Unknown
Looking back on some of the most pivotal moments in my life and career – they all have one thing in common: FEAR. In all of the key moments that have given me major economic boosts: buying my first place, switching career paths, leaving NYC to get more schooling in Georgia, and investing in rental property, there was a degree of unkown/risk that was scary. I had people in my ear cautioning me not to take the leap, but in each of those pivotal moments, I trusted my gut and pushed past the fear.
These decisions all seem rather minor in hindsight, but I remember agonizing over them at the time. I don’t know about you, but I find uncertainty terrifying. It’s tough to leave behind what you know or what everyone else is doing in order to follow a different path. That said, the universe has shown me repeatedly that fortune truly does favor the bold. I’ve seen so many peers watching cautiously from the side-lines complaining about cities they hate, jobs they detest, partners they despise, but they are too scared to make a move.
If you don’t like your job – explore your options and get a different one. If you hate the city you live in, for God’s sake – MOVE! If your partner isn’t a good fit, part ways gracefully. Life is too short and too precious to waste time with people or in places that don’t give you joy. These moves aren’t easy, but those moments when you feel close but not quite ready are the deciding factor moments. In my head I picture it sort of like climbing a steep mountain – the next handhold is in your sights and you can just reach it with the tips of your fingers…that’s exactly when you need to take the calculated risk and jump.
If you wait too long where you are, you might be too exhausted to make the leap and properly grasp the next handhold. In life, I’ve seen this happen where a golden opportunity opens up and watched dear friends talk themselves out of action: I’ll wait until I have more money saved, I need a bit more time in my current role, or the one I hear most often “I’ll do it next year.” Next year comes along and circumstances have changed unexpectedly – the golden window of opportunity has closed and the person is kicking themselves “I should’ve gone for it when I had the chance!”
I have so many examples of this phenomena in my own life that it is difficult to select just one example…since I’ve shared a bit about real estate and investing already, this time I’ll share a W2 career example. When I was in my late 20s, I was back in my hometown working for one of the largest, most respected companies in the region. I hated where I was living and I hated the uptight corporate culture of my job. I learned a lot and made some wonderful friends, but I was pretty miserable – nothing about the situation aligned with my spirit, but I spent 3 years suffering quietly for fear of looking like a “job-hopper.” Then I hit rock bottom: my miserable relationship of 2 years had just ended (felt like the end of the world since I was pushing 30), I was in a city I didn’t like, I hated my job – to top things off: I woke up New Year’s day to below zero temps with half of my face paralyzed! It was like the universe was refusing to let me fake smile through this mess of a life anymore. My life sucked and I needed to make a change, but I was sooo scared! The economy was in the dumps and I was terrified by the prospect of starting over in a new company and/or city.
That said, I did the work. I kept killing it in my current job. I started working out and meditating 30-60 mins each day. I mentally focused on the life I wanted while making the best of the life I had. While my face was still paralyzed (Bells Palsy – only temporary, thank goodness!), an ad agency in Atlanta that I’d visited with my class in grad school reached out about a Director level role on their team. I’d loved this place and the people and recalled telling my classmates that it was exactly the type of place I’d like to work. So, basically my dream company called out of the blue offering me a role 3 levels above my current one in my dream city.
Ironically, I almost didn’t move forward with the interview process because I didn’t feel qualified. My peers and mentors didn’t feel I was ready, but I went for it and I got the job and two months after waking up with a half paralyzed face (it miraculously went back to normal just in time for the in-person interview rounds) and a life I hated, I moved to Atlanta and started my new job. I LOVED it. I loved (and still love) Atlanta, and I met the man who would become my husband the same week I moved to Atlanta. I pushed past the fear and the universe gave me a giant pat on the back.
So please trust me when I tell you that fortune favors the bold and the well-prepared. If the universe presents you with a golden opportunity – take it! You’ll rarely have the luxury of 100% confidence behind most big moves, there is always an element of risk. So, if you feel ~80% ready, my advice is to go for it. Worst case scenario, you fail and you learn valuable lessons. The beauty of failing is that once you survive a couple of setbacks you become braver because you’ll realize that failing isn’t the worst thing that can happen – not trying and saying “if only” or “I should have” is actually much worse.
Freelennial 