It’s March! While Kansas City may be susceptible to a later-than-desired snow, spring is definitely in the air. {My tulips are already popping up!}

This is my absolute favorite season of the year.

Maybe it’s because the flowers and trees come back to life with beautiful colors and smells that are so welcomed after feeling cooped up indoors all winter.

Maybe it’s because both of my springtime babies {who are no longer babies} are celebrating birthdays in the next few weeks.

Or maybe it’s because after two months of my new work-from-home life I’ve finally settled into a bit of a routine and am ready to start expanding my business.

Whatever the reason, I’ve decided to dedicate this month to all things growth.

Last week I had the pleasure of sipping green juice with the owner of Hello Big Idea. Ashley is one of the newest local small business owners to join up with Femfessionals Kansas City and I was excited to get to know her better.

As we shared our personal and professional journeys with one another, what kept weaving in and out of our conversation was doubt.

I told her about my insecurities with my new solopreneur gig, my fear that no one was going to read this blog that I cared so much about, and my frustrations for not having everything perfectly figured out already.

I don’t know if she meant it or was just trying to make me feel better, but she said something that really resonated with me.

She said that we’re all just winging it.

[tweetthis]We’re all just winging it. #truth #solopreneur [/tweetthis]

Sure, we can plan. We strategize and make goals. And then we look at what someone else is doing and think they’ve got it all figured out and then question our own actions.

The problem with that is that we’re comparing our insides {our fears and doubts} to other people’s outsides {their well edited final product}.

But the more I thought about what Ashley said, the more I started to take a closer look at some of the businesses, blogs and people I admire and realized she was totally right.

You can call it trial and error. Or fake it ’til ya make it. But the truth is the same; we’re all totally winging it until we make something stick.

But if you’re an off-the-charts Type A personality like me, how can you take control of your doubt and make sure that “winging it” still leads to growth?

Surround yourself with people you trust

Since I started working from home I’ve realized that I miss those moments where you can easily bounce ideas off of one another like in an office environment. I knew I’d need to establish {and cultivate} relationships with people whom I trusted and had the knowledge to help me grow.

I have a mentor who gives me great, honest feedback. He doesn’t always tell me what I want to hear, but I trust his advice and it plays an important role in how I make decisions about my business.

My husband is my biggest fan. I can have a complete breakdown about anything and he is there to talk me through it. There isn’t any judgement, just support.

The thing that my husband and my mentor have in common is that they both really want me to succeed. So when you wing it, don’t ever fly solo and make sure your people want the same things for you as you want for yourself.

Know where you want to go

While winging it may imply that you have no idea what you’re doing, you should at least know where you’re headed. You may deviate along the way or maybe the route you chose will land you in a totally different place altogether {maybe one you didn’t even know existed}.

Having a child, changing careers, starting a business all involve venturing out into the unknown. This is why we start to doubt ourselves. If you know where you want to go – raise a family, work for a non-profit, be an entrepreneur –  then even if you’re just winging it, at least you’ve decided to take action!

Get out of your own way

Sometimes the only person holding you back is you. It may be fear. It may be intimidation. But sometimes getting started is the hardest part. If you’ve got your people and your roadmap, then it’s time to let go of the doubt and quit getting in your own way. You have really big plans for yourself. I can’t wait to watch you grow!