Or maybe you just couldn't resist the curiosity to see what happened? Whichever best describes you we're going to get along just fine! Curiosity and a desire to test boundaries are driving forces that have led to some of the greatest inventions in the world we live in today.
It takes courage (and sometimes sacrifice) to step out of your comfort zone and jump in to the great unknown, to follow your dreams, take a different path, to go it alone, to build a business of your own from nothing.
I know this from first-hand experience.
Being an entrepreneur is anything but the ‘safe’ or 'predictable' way to build your future. So often we're told the sensible approach is to 'follow the rules', to keep doing things the way that way they've always been done, to avoid taking risks, to stick to the 'well trodden path'. But for some of us this just isn't enough.
As a child I struggled at school, even the basic tasks such as reading or copying from the board were a massive challenge. I felt different to my classmates, the pressure of being able to achieve simple tasks such as reading out loud were, at times, unbearable and I would spend hours daydreaming wishing I was 'just like everyone else'. But as I grew older I began to see for what I lacked in the ability to achieve everyday tasks such as remembering verbal directions or a phone number were balanced by an immense creativity and un-boundaried thinking.
Discovering in my 30's that I was dyslexic was in many ways not a surprise but it did help me to understand my ability to see the bigger picture and my tendency to think outside of the box. It also helped to explain my tenacity and hard working ethos; I never give up and want to prove people wrong who have said I can’t do things! This was demonstrated when, despite my early school day challenges, I went on to achieve a First Class Honours Degree in Business and win the University of Brighton Digital Marketing award in 2017.
I love to see things from a different perspective. Often a determination to stick to the rules can stifle creativity, embracing others viewpoints and challenging perceptions can ignite a spark that leads to fantastic things.
Looking beyond the ‘here and now’, asking questions and listening to the answers, tapping into a strength to challenge the status quo, finding the courage to take calculated risks and reach for what you want and are the things that can lead to creativity and innovation.
'Vision is
the ability to see the invisible'
JONATHAN SWIFT
But most of all trust your instincts and yourself. Feel good about what you do. Being a rule breaker still means you do things in a good and ethical way, you just give yourself permission to visualise your dreams and step outside of your comfort zone.
So listen to your inner hopes, those dreams or perhaps it was that person who told you that you'd never do it. That might just be the spark you need to step into the unknown to break the rules.
From one entrepreneur to another, let’s create the business of your dreams!
