The saying goes: the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. What this leaves out are the huge failures and mental downs along the way. The other part that is left out? The frequency of downs.
This applies across the board, from personal to business decisions. You have two fundamental choices: play it safe and stay steady or push for something more and ride the waves.
The fool I am, I’ve chosen to go big. It started with the decision to leave PEI for a much more expensive (and opportunity filled) city along with a more expensive school. This has paid off already with the amazing Year One Labs opportunity, but has been equally filled with downs. The downs include less time with family and friends, going broke frequently, landlord issues and so on.
I’ve learnt a few things to stay sane throughout this process.
- Focus on the big picture and take a step back.
- Remember, it doesn't have to be intense/stressful, but odds are the alternative is going to bore you to death.
- Use everything as a learning opportunity, particularly the downs. All it takes is a few minutes of reflection, and then you should be able to explain the all important why/how.
Learn from this all. Constantly remind yourself how much smarter and experienced you are. Be grateful that you’re learning from the ups and downs and that in no time these new skills will become second nature.