Be your hero

Think back to your childhood and remember who you wanted to be. Kids always have dreams about being astronauts, firemen or explorers and they let their imaginations run wild with it. The sky is the limit and there is nothing that can stop that dream and as a matter of fact these dreams are encouraged. Then at some point, and at some age these dreams and aspirations become unrealistic. We are told to grow up and get a real job, to follow in line and do what everyone else does. But why?

More often than not it seems the ones that tell us these things and push us away from our dreams are simply trying to protect us. They know that chasing wild dreams seems risky and uncertain. They want what’s best for us and know from their experiences whats going to lead to a more stable future. There is certainly nothing wrong with this route, it is without a doubt a safer way to go and may be right for you if you’re at the point in your life where taking risks is out of the question. But where is the fun in that?

Be a dream chaser

I want to encourage you to chase your dreams, no matter how big or how small. They don’t have to be the grand dreams that you had as a child, they can be simple things that eventually lead to wild adventures.

• If you dream about traveling around the world, start planning now. You can even shorten up the distance a bit and travel the country.
• If you dream about skydiving, don’t overthink it. Find a reputable company and schedule your dive right now!
• Ever dream about being your own boss? Start coming up with a business plan. Do what you love.

Whatever your dreams are you must take the step and do it now because life is too short and the time will never be just right. You have to be willing to take a chance and see what happens. If its fear that is stopping you, remember that the worst things we imagine rarely come true and that we must change our mindset to overcome it. If its loved ones who are pushing you in another direction, realize they are just trying to protect you and they don’t want to see you fail.

Do what you love

Happiness is absolutely crucial to our well being and you must do what you love. My first job out of college was an automotive mechanic which I choose because lets face it, I liked working on cars. This job paid well, I liked the people that I worked with and I was good at it. Then about five years in burn out set in and I no longer loved what I was doing, I was miserable, unhappy and angry. I began thinking about options:

• I could look for another job and start all over again. But what would I do? Be a mechanic somewhere else?
• I could stay put and just deal with it. Stay in the same position for years and hope to retire some day.
• Maybe I should go back to school and totally change careers?

Then one day an opportunity came up. An opportunity that involved starting a new business that had nothing to do with fixing cars or dealing with angry customers. In fact it was the complete opposite, this new business was a gym and my four partners and I were very enthusiastic about it. Our business quickly grew and I soon realized that for us to keep growing there was no way I could keep my current full time job and try to build a new company at the same time. I had to make a choice and at the time I was 26 with only a few financial commitments like a truck payment and apartment rent. I thought to myself, “you are young so if you’re going to make mistakes do it now. Whats the worst that can happen if this thing fails?” 

Whats the worst that could happen

I made the leap and took a chance knowing very well how risky it was and that the chances of failure for new business is fairly high. The pay cut was also huge at the time and I definitely had to make some sacrifices to my lifestyle like selling the truck and moving in with the parents for a time. But these sacrifices were worth it, the business is continuing to grow and the knowledge I have learned along the way holds more value than money ever will.     

The experiences I went through and the lessons I learned on my first business venture certainly put me far outside my comfort zone, but always remember that this is where growth happens. Never be afraid to take a chance and do what you love and just because everyone else is doing something doesn’t always mean its right for you. You have to take a chance and put yourself out there, whats the worst that could happen?