\n<\/p>\n
A reader recently shared something with me that I think a lot of people can relate to:<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been contemplating a career change and starting my own business. Would love if you write about courage to take a risk, succeeding, pivoting when needed, financial freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n
Right?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s really overwhelming if you think about all the areas of our life that need our attention.<\/p>\n
Career, family, finances, relationships, health, friendships, hobbies, and most importantly, your mental state.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n It\u2019s A LOT.<\/p>\n Actually, life<\/em> is a lot. Just going through a day takes a lot of energy. So let alone starting something new like a business or trying to change careers.<\/p>\n It\u2019s no wonder why most people fail before they even start.<\/p>\n Not because their ideas are bad. It\u2019s just too hard to start.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve started (and failed) a lot of (side) projects in my life. Let me share with you what has helped me.<\/p>\n When someone says, \u201cI want to start a business,\u201d the idea sounds simple. But their mind immediately jumps ten steps ahead:<\/p>\n All valid concerns.<\/p>\n But notice what happens. You\u2019re worrying about the problems of running a business before<\/em> you\u2019ve even made the first thing!<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have customers, employees, overhead, or investors. You have an idea.<\/p>\n So deal with the stage you\u2019re actually in. Don\u2019t get ahead of yourself.<\/p>\n It\u2019s like when people start fantasizing about what their wedding looks like after three dates.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t need to quit your job, invest your savings, announce a career change, or know what you\u2019ll be doing five years from now.<\/p>\n You just need to find out whether your idea is worth taking one step further.<\/p>\n That takes a lot of pressure off.<\/p>\n Look, the internet loves dramatic stories.<\/p>\n So and so started a business with $50 and is now worth ten million bucks!<\/p>\n Oh, great.<\/p>\n You rarely hear about all the people who did the same thing and ran out of money.<\/p>\n The truth is that you can also bet on yourself<\/a> without betting your entire life.<\/p>\n Keep your job. Protect your savings. Work on the project for a few hours a week. You can even keep it quiet for a while. Your friends don\u2019t need to understand it and your colleagues don\u2019t need to know.<\/p>\n I started writing on the side while working in our industrial laundry business. I had no audience, and most of my early articles were read by almost nobody. I didn\u2019t make a big announcement. I just wrote and published, week after week.<\/p>\n Starting quietly gives you room to learn. You can make mistakes without feeling that everyone is watching. And you can change direction without explaining yourself.<\/p>\n Your first move should create options, not destroy the life you already have. And you don\u2019t have to start from zero. The skills you built in your current career come with you.<\/p>\n Look at everything you can do, not only your job title. Then ask: How can I use one of these skills to help a specific person?<\/em><\/p>\n That question can lead to a service, newsletter, product, course, consulting offer, book, or completely different career. Pick one direction and create something useful.<\/p>\n Preparation feels productive because there\u2019s no risk of rejection. You can research tools, compare platforms, redesign a logo, take another course, and keep telling yourself you\u2019re \u201cworking on it.\u201d<\/p>\n But nothing has entered the world.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a more useful way to start:<\/p>\n The first version has one job: To teach you what to do next.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t build the complete business. Don\u2019t create ten products. Don\u2019t spend three months making a website with seven empty pages.<\/p>\n Launch one useful thing.<\/p>\n It probably won\u2019t work exactly as you imagined. That\u2019s normal.<\/p>\n Maybe nobody signs up. Maybe people like the idea but don\u2019t want to pay. Maybe you discover that you hate doing the work. These outcomes are useful because they save you from spending another year on the wrong version.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re thinking about a project, everything is still a theory. Launching gives you facts.<\/p>\n You might learn that the problem is wrong, the offer is unclear, or the audience is too broad. Change one thing and try again. This is how businesses and careers develop: You make a move, observe what happens, and adjust.<\/p>\n A new career is like learning a new language. You\u2019ll make stupid mistakes. As long as they\u2019re not permanent, who cares?<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been running Launch in 48<\/a> this month, and I must say, it has been amazing to see how quickly some of the students are moving.<\/p>\n This has been the most successful course launch I\u2019ve done in terms of engagement.<\/p>\n After I published an article about betting on yourself, I received a bunch of emails from readers who wanted to join Launch in 48 but had missed the cohort.<\/p>\n So I decided to run one extra cohort. Registration is open until August 2.<\/p>\n This will really<\/em> be the last cohort of the year. If you also want to stop preparing and finally launch your project, you can join us here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Whatever you decide, start small enough that you can begin now.<\/p>\n An imperfect project in the world gives you something to build on. An idea in your head gives you nothing.<\/p>\n What are you actually afraid of?<\/h2>\n
\n
Do you have to bet everything on yourself?<\/h2>\n
How do you stop preparing and start launching?<\/h2>\n
\n
What if the first version fails?<\/h2>\n
Betting on yourself<\/h2>\n