Taking a leap of faith

Having a dream is great. But, how many times do we take the leap of faith, and turn our dreams into reality? Well, for me, the dream became just that – a reality.

After working in the Marketing industry for several years, getting a great deal of experience and meeting some amazing people along the way, I got to the point in my career where I no longer felt the joy and inspiration that I once had.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved my job, the cause, and the people I worked with were like family to me. But, there seemed to be something missing. Something which should have sparked a fire, a passion in me.

There were months of ups and downs, where one day I’d be content getting up at the crack of dawn and dealing with peak hour traffic daily to get to work, and the next I’d feel conflicted and deflated, spending many nights lying awake thinking about what I wanted to do with my life and asking myself where I wanted to be in my career. I was frustrated and couldn’t figure out why I was feeling that way.

Then one day, I caught up with a friend over coffee and we chatted about how she’d recently left her job to follow her dream, to help people through life coaching and fitness classes. She discovered what her passion was, had braved the unknown and took the step to doing exactly what made her happy.

Seeing how passionately she spoke about her work, it finally became clear to me… I wasn’t being completely honest with myself. I wasn’t doing what I really loved doing, and this was ultimately impacting my happiness and wellbeing – both at work and in my personal life. I needed to re-evaluate and alter what I was doing and why I was doing it.

So, after a lot of deliberation, I decided to take the time to do some soul searching and self-exploration. I wanted to make a few positive changes in my life. I started making a conscious effort to regularly go to the gym – even when I felt exhausted from a long day’s work. I began following a cleaner and healthier diet, which consisted of loads of vegetables and proteins, and I felt better for it.

But most importantly, I finally put myself first and made the very tough decision of resigning from my job to pursue my dream… to start my own business in doing something I love, something I’m good at, and something which would truly challenge me to step out of my comfort zone.

In doing this, I instantly felt like a significant weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Although I was filled with mixed emotions, saying goodbye to friends and colleagues I’d been working alongside, and stepping away from a company that had looked after me and helped develop my career for many years – including the steady income that came with it - I knew I was making the best decision for me.

I believe that with the motivation and determination to take control of my destiny and face the fear of change and uncertainty, I’m on the road to a great future and no doubt will lead a more balanced, fulfilled life.

If you feel as though you’re in the same or similar boat, and know you’re destined to achieve greater things in life, but not sure where to start, then keep the following points in mind:

Are you doing what you truly love doing? If not, what are the reasons?
Life is too short - take chances and make your dreams a reality. Be fearless in the pursuit of a dream that sets your soul on fire.
You’re focussing all your energy on your weaknesses and getting better at the things you’re not good at. Instead, try spending time honing on your strengths and excelling in what you are good at.
Set yourself realistic goals. By identifying and planning your life and career goals, you’ll start to see how many of those goals can actually be achieved.
Sceptical of change or the unknown? Make small changes! Start by taking small steps in your life and gradually widen your stance once you become more comfortable and accepting of change.
Scared of failing? Everyone is fearful of failing at some point in time. But, you will never know unless you try. As Winston Churchill once said, “success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”