This decision isn't permanent

If you're reading this blog, it's likely because you're interested in (someday) going independent and starting your own consulting business. 

The decision to leave the security of your job to pursue entrepreneurship is definitely not an easy one to make for many people. You may have fears about sales, replacing your income, loneliness, or planning your own retirement. You might be making lists of pros/cons, talking it over endlessly with partners and family, and going back & forth with yourself about whether or not you're ready.

I thought I'd offer you a piece of advice that I originally shared with a good friend who was weighing various career options and trying to make a decision about whether to leave government to pursue consulting, which was...

"This decision isn't permanent".

Essentially, I was asking him to consider that this wasn't the last time he would be evaluating and reconsidering his career path. He would very likely have the opportunity to change his mind in the future. If consulting turned out to not be a great fit, he could always choose a new path or go back to government.

This seemed to instantly bring him calm and focus, and take the pressure off.

Several years later, he still reflects on our conversation and says how helpful this one statement was to him, and how he has since offered it as advice to his own colleagues and friends going through a similar decision-making process.

So... if you are making yourself crazy wondering if you're making the right decision and you're making it feel huge and overwhelming and scary in your mind, just remember... this decision isn't permanent and you can always change your mind!

I believe entrepreneurship offers a huge degree of flexibility and the ability to evolve over time. You have the option to play around with variables like industries, service offerings, fee structures, packages, and delivery methods, and you can always add or remove services as you learn what you like and what doesn't work for you. I may be biased, but I think it's the best of all worlds.

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