Well, Mama, in case you haven’t heard, the Goldens hit the road again, and as you read this I am somewhere in the western half of the United States and I may or may not have any Internet access.
Here’s what I DO have for you today: Lessons.
Specifically, lessons that I’ve learned in the RV apply to business, because YES, I can make EVERYTHING about business. It’s a gift.
So here we go:
1. Sometimes you have to slow down to speed up.
When we started this trip last year, we had very specific goals in mind. There was an itinerary, a plan, maps — the works. We had to get it right, see it all, and BE TOGETHER enjoying ourselves DAGNABBIT.
I have to remind myself — frequently — to pause, and to feel the pause. Sometimes, you feel like there’s this wide-open road ahead of you, and why would you not just push hard on the gas and GO full steam ahead?
If you do that, you’re going to miss the amazing views along the way. You’ll miss the tiny sign pointing out the roadside market where you can buy the most delicious cherries or the ridiculously campy souvenir that will make you smile every time you see it for the rest of your life.
We can stay places for a few days instead of just rolling on by because the schedule says we have to GO NOW!
We can actually throw the schedule away and enjoy the journey.
What are you racing towards? And does it really matter if you get there a week or a month later than planned if you get to sing along to the entire Britney Spears discography on the way?
2. Give yourself room to grow and learn.
We made a lot of mistakes during last year’s RV trip. Like, A LOT. At the time, these mistakes caused great heartache, lots of yelling, and a not-insignificant amount of money. When you’re in the middle of a learning opportunity, it can be hard to appreciate it. It’s a lot easier to give in to frustration. To cry. To vow that you’re NEVER EVER going to do this again.
This year, when we look back, we can laugh about some of it. More importantly, we’ve LEARNED a lot, and so we don’t have to make those same mistakes again. This paves the way for us to make NEW AND BETTER mistakes. And it means that we’re growing.
You WILL make mistakes as you build and grow your business. That’s just a fact that comes along with being human. What matters most is that you LEARN from your mistakes and that you give yourself room to grow.
3. Create the space you need.
RVs are not that large. My whole family is living in one, so we have a lot of together time. We still need to carve out ways for each person to have their own space when needed. Sometimes, we create “space” with headphones and closed eyes. Sometimes we get out of the car and spend time doing our own thing for a bit. And sometimes, we all get up close and personal with each other.
You can grow your business from a dedicated office or from a corner of the couch. Thousands of people all over the world have started great things from small and humble spaces.
Community is awesome — critical, in my opinion. You need people around you who get it. You always have support in The FreeMama Movement FB Group.
And sometimes, you need to put on your headphones, close your eyes, and block out the world.
Give yourself the space you need to build the business of YOUR dreams.