You’ve got this dream. An entrepreneurial vision that you’re raring to get going. But you can’t quit your job right now and just dive in.
That seems irresponsible when your paycheck is great, you’ve got your family and a kitchen reno to think of, and you haven’t had much traction yet with the new endeavor.
Staying put is feeding some parts of you – the validation of being good at something and noticed for it is cozier than a wooly sweater in winter.
But your soul withers a bit each day on the job. And you can literally feel yourself aging and time slipping by. Meanwhile, your dream, with its bone-deep rightness, languishes.
All is not lost, my friend.
It’s not an either/or choice.
It’s not completely current life OR completely new vision. You can slowly build your dream into reality while inside your current life. And yes, you can do this without crushing overwhelm.
But you have to be strategic. With ninja-level diligence.
It’s time to dual track your dream.
One track is your current life. It stays pretty much the same. The only thing that changes with this track is How You Show Up.
Instead of your usual Best of the Best game, you need to dial it down a notch. Just a smidge! You take your 100% effort down to 90%; your A+ down to A-. And then you put vigilant boundaries around your mindspace to protect your energy for the dream you’re building.
Ahhhh!, your Old Self screams. But I cannot show up as anything but my best self! I either put in 100% or nothing!! Your Old Self throws a colossal tantrum at this notion of being anything less than award-winning.
Listen, your 90% effort IS most people’s 100%.
There’s a part of you that recognizes that truth. And it’s especially true as you look around at the interesting curation of the world’s finest knobheads you work with.
But what does that look like in practice? It doesn’t mean not achieving quota this quarter. You still get to kick ass at the things that you choose to do.
It means not putting your hat in the ring for the promotion. It means not joining the Governance Committee as the Chairperson. It means not going that extra mile a you always, naturally go because you’re a driven, high-achiever.
And do keep at the forefront of your mind the purpose of this whole thing. Pulling back a smidge is in service of creating the life you’re yearning for. The one aligned with the Core of You.
Then the other track – the track of Future You – you’re going to run simultaneously.
What you do here is kinda like tithing, but with energy. You’re going to put a small bit of effort – impactful, meaningful, potent effort – into your new vision at a regular interval.
You need this action to be potent because you need more than just ROI. You need ROEf – Return on Effort. You need ROEf to be high so you can be present for the rest of your life. Show up for the soccer matches, be in the front row of your partner’s first keynote, paint the kitchen wasabi green, and still be a baller at work (a 90% baller that looks like other people’s 100%).
Choose the action wisely.
And do choose – make an evaluated selection of the best, next action.
Don’t try to do All The Things.
The trick is to do this activity early in the day before Life piles on. Like Pay Yourself First. It gets priority.
Do it regularly. Daily is awesome but can lead to burnout if your boundary skills aren’t sensei-level (and most of us are struggling for our white belt).
Weekly is good. Weekly is very good.
By this time next year, you’ll have made major progress. You’ll have bumped up against (and worked through!) the initial kinks of entrepreneurial growth. And it’ll happen with the safety net of your current job in place.
Next year, you’ll be even closer to that dream. It’ll feel so real because it is. Because you dual tracked.
Want to clarify the most potent actions for dual-tracking your dream? Book a call with me and I’ll assess your situation and determine the next, most potent step. (Hint: it’s probably not going to be your logo, website, or accreditation). Book your call here.
Here’s to you and your beautiful dream.
Big love,
Jen
PS: Did you find this post helpful? I’d love it if you’d share it on your favorite platform. Sharing is caring!
PPS: Mississauga! I’m comin’ for ya! Looking to overcome overwhelm and in the Mississauga, ON area? Join me for an in-person workshop April 27th here: www.jen-archibald.com/serenity-prayati
Do Less. Live More.
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