As I write this I can’t believe it’s been one year since I launched ThinkTwyce. It seems so far away and at the same time, like it was just yesterday that I was sitting on our bed telling my husband about this “crazy idea” I had. A year later, it feels less crazy and more inspiring.
I never thought I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I thought I’d be a teacher forever. And in some ways, I still am. Throughout this journey of launching my own business I have taught myself so much – everything from how to use power tools to how to effectively manage my business finances. But more importantly, I’ve learned about myself as a person. I’ve grown tremendously from this experience, because I’m not going to lie…. it hasn’t always been easy. I’ve had setbacks and pushback, doubt and fear, as well as numerous changes to the process. And now, a year later I find myself with a business in the midst of a pandemic, and that has its own challenges. But through it all, I’ve grown and become better for it—not just a better business owner, but a better person.
Here are four lessons I’ve learned (and am still learning!) since starting ThinkTwyce a year ago. While these lessons apply to business, I feel they translate into all areas of life.
Trust the purpose:
Believe in something bigger than yourself. Do good with this purpose in mind. For me, I regularly keep in mind the students, teachers and schools I aim to serve through ThinkTwyce. They are the reason I started ThinkTwyce and they are the driving force behind every decision I make and every action I take with the business. When you have a deeper purpose motivating you, it’s easier to push through the obstacles when they inevitably arise.
Trust the process:
Things don’t always go as planned, but they always work out. I’ve had so many setbacks to my designs, marketing campaigns, website updates, you name it! But each time something goes “wrong” I always come out on the other side of it with new information or a clearer outlook on the situation. Every time I’ve had to shed the idea of “perfection” (which is not easy to do for a Type A personality like me!). I had to let go of my expectations of what I thought should happen or how I wanted something to be and just accept the fact that I was going to have to go about it another way, or come up with a different solution. Facing unwanted challenges forces us to grow. This process is usually messy, yet I’ve found it is the journey of going through the murkiness that eventually leads to clarity.
Trust the outcome:
The process leads to an inevitable outcome. Sometimes, that outcome is not what we asked for. I’m slowly learning to trust the process and receive whatever comes from it, because more often than not, whatever happens, while it might not be what we want, it’s usually what we need. Accepting that certain outcomes are out of our control is another way of letting go of expectation and the idea of perfection. Giving up control is not something that comes easy to most of us (certainly not for me!). However, when I do, and finally accept the situation in front of me as a truth that is not going away, I find I’m able to regain the control I need in order to problem solve and move on without creating more drama for myself. I see the situation for what it is, instead of mourning what it is not, and am able to simply accept the outcome and carry on with a newfound peace.
Trust yourself:
This has been a tough one. Even if you believe in what you’re doing, sometimes doubt creeps in and sometimes you let yourself listen to the naysayers—“You left a good teaching job with benefits to do this?” or “Do making jewelry and education really go together?” Or my favorite, “But how are you using your degrees?” Trust yourself. When something feeds your soul, trust it. When something feels scary but exciting, trust it. When others tell you “NO,” but in your heart you hear “YES,” trust it. This doesn’t mean it will be perfect or that it will all work out as planned. Heck, it may even fail. But I can tell you this…it will be worth it. How? Because you started something important that you believe in and sometimes what seems like a crazy idea can be the start of something meaningful and inspiring.
So, while it hasn’t always been easy and I’ve had to give up the notion of perfection, (which I am still learning to do), I can honestly say I’m okay that. In fact, my husband and I have a new mantra in our house—“progress over perfection.” I’ve learned that sometimes you have to just keep things moving, even if it isn’t perfect. The power lies not in the illusion of perfection, but rather in the energy of moving forward. When we move ahead with the process we give ourselves permission to try…and ultimately, to fail. But when we at least try, and experiment, and push forward in spite of setbacks, rather than getting bogged down in minutiae or an expectation of how something is “supposed” to be, ironically we often end up with something pretty close to perfection anyway.
As I celebrate one year of being in business I can look back at that moment on our bed when I told my husband about my “crazy” idea to make jewelry out of school supplies and acknowledge that while the path may have been imperfect, the journey has been more than worth it.
What life lessons or “pearls of wisdom” have you learned over the years that make the journey worth it for you?
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