The Art of Starting Over: Build a Life First, Then a Business

If you are already retired this might serve as entertainment for you. If you have a job, it could be thought provoking, and if you own a business like me, it could be inspirational. 

I’m in a new chapter of my starting over journey, and I want to take you with me while I figure it out in real time. I’ll be sure to include a few nuggets of wisdom along the way so that you may be able to apply what I learn to your own situation. Hope you like being part of the story.

Most people don’t enjoy the trial and error version of life. Quite honestly, I don’t either. I much rather some higher power tell me which road to take so that my journey isn’t as painful and I can enjoy it more. But life isn’t like that. It’s not that cut and dry. 

And unfortunately for me, nor is business. I’m starting over both professionally and personally right now. I’m shifting from an online business to an in-person business, but I’m doing it with one rule: it cannot weigh me down. I’m not building something that stresses me out, ties me to a screen all day, or makes travel feel like a problem I have to manage.

I want to travel and run a business at the same time, but I do not want an online business. I haven’t fully solved the puzzle yet, so I’m going to try a few things. This could be fun, but I’m sure I’ll make some mistakes (that you can learn from) along the way. Some ideas will work. Some won’t. But I’m not waiting for the perfect plan to appear before I move. I’m moving, and I’ll adjust as I go.

But where am I going? That’s the first thing I need to figure out. 

Where to live

If you’ve been reading the Starting Over Series for a while, by now you know that I’m exploring the idea of living outside the United States. It’s been a long time dream of mine and although I’ve lived briefly in other countries over the past 4 years I really haven’t planted roots in a secure second home. It’s been difficult and I think it’s because I don’t have anything in person, in any country.

In order to travel these past few years I’ve been running an online business, but I’m no longer enjoying it. It gave me freedom and I want to keep that freedom. So, though I’m moving away from running my business online, I still want location and time freedom. And I want to build an in-person business in a way that supports my life instead of taking over my life.

Have you ever felt like your professional life runs your personal life, or worse, your professional life makes it impossible for you to have a personal life? Then you can imagine why I’m being careful and thoughtful about this. I’m going to try some things. I’m going to test what works. I’m going to rely on my own understanding, my intuition, and the advice of brilliant mentors, but this whole thing is still trial and error.

I’m going to pay attention to what brings peace, what brings stress, and what feels sustainable. As I collect and analyze the data I’ll use it to make decisions along the way. The goal is to build a life first, then a business. This is what I teach my clients so I have to practice it myself.

I’ll continue to share the journey with you as I go. So if you see me going the wrong way or you sense I’m getting distracted and off track please make me aware of it.

Because starting over is not just one decision. It is a series of decisions that all come back to being dedicated to a vision. Do you still remember your vision? Are you still dedicated to it? It could be time to either reignite, recommit or to reimagine your vision. 

You can start over with me if you really want something new. It can be subtle changes that pull you in the direction you want to go. But my suggestion is that you get clear on the vision first. I’m having a Vision Session for the public on February 20th if you’d like to attend. Go here for all the details.

It is online and will likely be the only thing I do for my business online. This is a slow transition like what I teach my clients. 

I’m working with a client right now who is 5 years away from her “starting over” vision coming true. She has a daughter who’s a freshman in college and a son graduating in June and going into college in August. So she has a lot of responsibilities and big expenses. Too many to feel comfortable starting over, so she is taking it one step at a time. 

So, like my client, if you are in that same place where you feel like it’s just not the right time, know that all is not lost. The best starting over stories are those you plan out. 

When you’re thrust into starting over you don’t have time to plan it out and that can make it very uncomfortable. But when you are aware that you’re on a starting over journey you feel more in control and less forced. I see so many clients stuck in old stories, commitments, or programs. So committed to them that they forget the vision.  

You can be dedicated to something without being committed to the old way of doing it. Maybe the thing you’re starting over is the way you think about a certain thing or situation. Your journey may not look the way you thought it would and you’ll need to become ok with that.

You might feel some grief around the shift, that’s ok. Feel the grief and move forward anyway. You don’t want to miss out on the version of happiness that’s coming because you question the version from the past.

Starting over gives you the chance to move away from what didn’t work, stay aligned with what is working, and even reimagine how to do what’s next. Life is a collection of starting over stories. And the best ones come when you stop trying to force your life into a shape that doesn’t fit (anymore).

Thinking about what’s next?

Starting over starts with one step in the new direction. You don’t have to start your whole life over. Just choose a place to start. I’m starting to chronicle my journey here in this blog with you and on my podcast. If you like listening to progress, tune in. The link is below.

On the podcast I talk more about my own starting over journey along with tips and resources on how to maintain power, peace, and pleasure in your life while starting over. 

You can listen to the current episode about what it means to “Agree to Disagree” and all the episodes here: https://www.kinecorder.com/podcasts/what-keeps-you-up-at-night