Try something that scares you
When you’re self-employed and you work all alone at home, there isn’t a supervisor who’s going to assign you a more challenging project or suggest you step outside your comfort zone.
There isn’t a boss you’re trying to impress for a raise (raise! ha!) or a team goal you’re trying to hit with your colleagues (what are those, even?).
There’s just you … and it’s up to you whether you keep doing the same thing or try to challenge yourself.
For me, I find myself going through the motions a lot professionally. I get so caught up in my regular, ongoing assignments and projects that I don’t always make time to experiment. There isn’t time, I tell myself. I have deadlines! I have paying work!
But still … I want to do more. Be more.
After watching Amy Schmittauer‘s video “Everyone’s quitting vlogging. Let’s color!” yesterday morning, I felt kind of inspired. Her channel is fantastic and I love her vlogs (also, I get really distracted by her prettiness + shiny hair).
Could I try something like that?
Did I have the time?
Would it be completely embarrassing?
I recorded it in about 10 minutes, while the dog barked and slurped water in the background and the kids ran in and out from the backyard (probably wondering why I had fresh lipstick on at 3 p.m.). I edited it in a rush while doing other things, and uploaded it just before sitting down to dinner.
And you know what?
People liked it.
Not everyone, of course. Haaaaaaaa, can you imagine if all of the haters stopped hating? Nope, that will never happen and I’ve accepted it. After, what, 11 years of writing professionally, I’ve gotten pretty used to mean comments + emails.
But most people? They did like it. They liked my silly little vlog that I recorded on a random Tuesday afternoon in a baggy sweatshirt with a tea stain on the front (whoops). Best of all, AMY LIKED IT. Do you think I imagined, while lying in bed watching her vlog that very morning, that by the end of the day she’d be LIKING AND SHARING MINE?!
So today, for #WorkItWednesday, let that be what you take away: try something new. Take a giant leap out of your day-to-day comfort zone and try something that scares you. It’s the only way you’re going to see if it’s something that works for you.
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Heather's Handmade Life 