The Uncomfortable business of being in business

"Be comfortable being uncomfortable"

Certainly a contradiction in terms. Yet, I finally understood what this meant last year. Last year was one of the scariest, most uncomfortable and rewarding years I have ever experienced. As such, I stepped into this new year with much trepidation, angst and excitement all neatly wrapped up into a lucky packet of "I-don't-know-what-this-year-has-in-store"- also known as, 'nervous anticipation'. 

You see, my long time friend and I finally started that business that we had been talking about for YEARS! Since our varsity days to be exact. And boy oh boy did it stretch us. Not only as friends, but even in our personal lives. 

We learn't that there is a vast gap between our 'great idea' and having a great start-up to carry that idea through. It was attempting to bridge this gap that took all of our energy and it quite literally drove us to near alcoholism (ok, ok, just skim over this last comment...wink wink). Basically, life as new bosses and entrepreneurs was uncomfortable from the day we opened shop, right up to the day we closed for the festive season. 

Someone said to me, "If you can be comfortable being uncomfortable, you'll be prepared to handle whatever situation that comes along." I remembered being comforted by the fact that this person was already themselves a successful entrepreneur, so I knew they knew what they were talking about. I won't bore you with the details of all the 'situations' that did come along...that my dears, is a story for another day.

For now the challenge is in maintaining and building on what we started last year and this I am told is another monumental hurdle to overcome. Is there a point to this whole post? well...not really. I just wanted to go on the record to say, if you have been toying with the idea of starting your own thing, however small, just start! Because trust me, no amount of procrastination will ever prepare you for what is actually ahead of you...and that goes for business or otherwise. So just embrace the uncomfortable and JUMP!