Sometimes the toughest part of starting a new venture—or just starting anew—is the beginning. We often convince ourselves that we're not ready, not capable, not financially stable enough (and so on) to just go after what we really want. So we keep grinding away to live a life other than the one we should have. You hear it all the time. Nike most memorably captured the motto: Just Do It. Well, Creator + Author of You're Not Lost, Maxie McCoy did just that. As in, exactly what she wanted to do, and like many before (and after her), it was all okay. We can all learn a thing or two from Maxie (to that point, she'll be mentoring at #createcultivateCHI!), which is why we asked her to share her advice and adventures in just doing it. Trust us, you need this. Read on. —JM
Six months ago, I stood facing the Pacific on the other side of the world. My stomach was in my toes. My toes were in the sand. And there were “What have I just done?” tears in my eyes.
I had chosen to leap. To the other side of the world. To a business that was mine. To distance myself from what I knew and could count on in order to be closer to a dream...my dream.
Launching a business of my own had been in the making for a while, whether I consciously realized it or not. I had been making tiny, daily, decisions for years: writing publicly, developing content partnerships, hosting my first giveaway, talking about my dream, taping my first video, meeting with other entrepreneurs to talk about my work. Each of those steps felt big while they were happening, but they were really just preparing me for the big leap—the one that would lead to formalized services and digital products, hiring a team of help, and moving to Bali to make my business a reality.
Leaps of faith happen as much in the small moments as they do in the large ones. And your career requires that you take them. You won’t always know how they’ll turn out, but you’ll be stronger, wiser, and more successful because of your willingness to make them. You may have to stick affirmations all over your desk and mirror to get you over that threshold of fear and onto your path…but once you do you’ll never look back. The hardest part is the decision to leap, the rest is an exhilarating ride.
If you’re on the cusp of making a big change or taking a risk for the sake of your dreams, remember this:
LOOK FOR THE PIT IN YOUR TUMMY
Wait for feeling of nausea that just won’t budge when you think about the idea. Wait for the the thing that scares you. The one you immediately want to say “ah hell no to”—and then do that thing. It’s part of the (sh)ero journey to initially want to deny that call to do something bigger. That’s typically when you’re actually onto something. Summon every support system, affirmation, and pep talk you can to get your toes of the ground.
"wait for the thing that scares you—then do that thing."
YOU'LL NEVER BE FULLY READY
If you’re waiting until “you’re ready” to quit your job, start your side hustle, or make that phone call—you’ll be waiting a lifetime. There’s never going to be a good time to leap. When it’s bold, it won’t always be logical. But it’ll be right. The less you wait for being ready, the more ready you’ll be.
WRITE OUT YOUR DISASTER SCENARIO
What’s the worst that could happen? Literally—the worst. Detail the absolute worst scenario you can imagine if this leap of faith were to go terribly wrong. Get it out there. Read it. Think about it. Roll around in it. If you can take inventory of your worst case scenario and still be pretty OK with the choice, you’ll be even more propelled to jump. Getting groovy with my worst case scenario was one of the best tactics I had in getting the courage to do it. I knew that if I could mentally handle that, I could handle anything. And now that I’m on the other side of that leap? I didn’t even come close to my worst case scenario. It truly did all work out.
Big magic requires even bigger courage. Making a leap of faith for your career is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself and your chances of success.
Maxie McCoy is the energy designer of Maxie, where she shares soul wisdom on the digital video series #maxie and her weekly writings. If you want your spiritual and emotional IQ shooting to the stars, Maxie is the place to be.
Let Maxie be your guide to unlocking your brilliance by following along at maxiemccoy.com. Maxie offers soul sessions, workshops, one-on-one coaching, and words of wisdom you really shouldn't miss. And get tickets to #createcultivateCHI to land a seat a our Mentor Power Hour with Maxie.
