Dream Big Start Small

I’ve always had big dreams. As a little girl, I wanted to own my own business just like my dad. I was always very independent and driven, any job I was in I gave it 100% effort. I loved working.

What would happen though is that I would love the newness of the job and the challenge but 6-9 months in that sparkle would begin to fade and then I wasn’t enjoying it anymore. I went through a couple of jobs like this and the novelty would begin to wear off quicker and quicker. I used to feel bad that I had no staying power in a job but it used to make me feel so physically uncomfortable that every Monday morning I would sit in the car and feel a tightness in my chest with the thought of another week. I realise now it wasn’t the job, it was me. Now, moving into my 5th year of being self-employed I can honestly say I’ve never had a day or even a moment like that since. I love what I do with every fibre of my being. It never feels like work, granted you’re tired at the end of the week but I never feel drained or wishing for the week to be over.

Getting to where I am now didn’t happen overnight. I worked hard and every hour for the 1st two years. But I didn’t mind because I knew it was leading to bigger and better things. I always admired the yoga teachers who ran retreats and big events and in the back of my mind, there was a little voice saying you could do that too. 

I started with just one class a week on a Wednesday morning. I put up posters everywhere. Some days I would arrive at class and set everything up and nobody would turn up but I keep showing up every week regardless. I knew I had to be consistent. I went back to working as a beauty therapist just 3 days a week to support me and then I had the rest of the days to research and teach classes. Eventually, the time came where I had to make the choice – Am I going to take the leap into becoming completely self-employed or keep going the way I was going? I took the leap and as scary and daunting as it was I believed I could make it work. 

The 1st year was spent setting the foundations, teaching as many classes in as many places I possibly could. This was very tiresome but I knew it had to be done. Eventually, I was beginning to build a reputation for myself and I could then scale back on the classes and focus on the ones that were popular.  

Year 2 my goal was to run workshops. Oh, the self-doubt was really seeping through. Do you know enough? There are so many more knowledgeable teachers out there than you? People will be bored! I just decided that I was going to share what I knew and from the heart and hopefully, people would enjoy and go home feeling relaxed and informed. 

Year 3 I had planned to run a retreat at the end of my 3rd year and wow was the pressure building. This was a big dream about to come true. I had been working towards this moment for 3 years. Again the questions started to arise What if no one books in and you have to cancel? Do you have enough skill and knowledge to facilitate 3 full days on your own? Oh yeah, this was a big responsibility. I knew I could do it and I was well prepared, everything was planned down to the minute. I had the most magical weekend with the 3 most beautiful souls. It was perfect. To be honest I was so glad it was just the 4 of us and I could really give them my full attention. 

Year 4 well what can we say 2020. For me, it was my best year. I had a strong and loyal community. The previous year I was at a point where I couldn’t physically do anymore, my schedule was full, so I knew I had to move online. This was something I was not skilled in at all. Thankfully Grace the marketing Angel and technical Guru came swooping into my life at the perfect time. We’ve been working together ever since and I have to say it’s the ultimate dream team. I moved completely online 1. Because I literally had no other choice because of COVID-19 and 2. It was another big goal of mine. As the saying goes “Don’t put off tomorrow what can be done today”. It was a rocky road in the beginning but I got there eventually and I’m still learning and improving with each day. 

It’s amazing to look back at where you started with just a thought to where you are now and see the journey. Now that I have arrived at my destination the journey hasn’t finished, it’s starting all over again. I’m going to take the next few weeks to visualize and think about my dreams and desires, explore those little nudges and insights. Then start taking those small steps in the direction of my big dreams. It’s exciting stepping into the unknown and I’ve realised now it always works out for the best so enjoy the process. The right people will come along and the doors of opportunity will open when the time is right.

Did I ever think things would unfold the way they did? NO! But I am so happy with how it’s all turned out and the life that I’m living right now.  

So my final bit of advice to you now is to keep dreaming but take small actional steps towards your dreams to make them a reality. 

Namaste,

Katie.