Soul Proprietor - The Great Game

If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, you gotta admit – last night’s season finale was pretty darn epic. I’m still reeling from all the twists ‘n turns – but now I have to get back to reality – and my daily grind.

When you’re in business for yourself, you don’t have a lot of time for fantasy. There is work to be done, tasks to conquer and people to serve. Every day, you have to suit up and charge in, sometimes without any support.

There are days when everything flows like wine – things get done on time, clients are happy and finances are in feast mode.

But then, there are those other times when everything that can go wrong…does. Technology snafus, bad news from your accountant, the client from hell demanding instant gratification, not enough money coming in and your mortgage is looming. That.

Those days make even the sturdiest entrepreneur fantasize about getting a “regular” job with a steady paycheck and normal hours. They make you crave the expected. Because the ups and downs of doing your own thing can be scary.

More so than some would you like you to believe. There are plenty of biz gurus and the like who show only the sunny side of business. The ginormous income, the large team that handles all the “dirty” work, the pictures of them lounging at the beach…it’s a seductive vision – which is why so many assume this path is an easy, breezy one with money coming out of thin air effortlessly.

But it’s not realistic.

It’s fantasy, nothing more.

In one scene of last night’s episode, the mother of dragons, Daeneyrs, sits with her advisor Tyrion, to discuss all the crap that has been going down – and what’s ahead.
Tyrion looks at her and sagely says: “You’re in the great game now. And the great game is terrifying.”

That’s a bit more what it feels like to step into your own business. When you actually get in, it doesn’t take long to see that it’s a gamble and long, hard slog. It’s rarely glamorous.

Entrepreneurship requires a bold vision but also great persistence. In some cases, a bit of luck too.

It’s not for the faint of heart and if you don’t like those moments when the bottom drops out and you’re hanging on the edge of a moon door by your fingernails, then this may not be your jam.

But if you are willing to play the game and hang in there – you may just win…and win big.

Blessings,

Theresa