How to Keep Moving

When I was 25 years old, I was working in sales. It was exciting and stressful, and I often had no idea where my next deal was coming from. I was new to the industry. It was competitive, and the pressure to perform well was ever present. Instead of panicking, I decided to keep my head down and move forward. I would start looking for a new deal before I had even closed out the last one and in that way I kept myself busy and the stress at bay. Months later, when I finally picked up my gaze and looked around; I was surprised to find that I was the head sales rep by leaps and bounds. The journey had been nerve-wracking and unpredictable, but through that forward momentum I was able to go farther than I ever anticipated.

This is when I came up with a metaphor. Life (and business) often feels like travelling through a jungle by vine through in pitch-blackness. Your only choice is to take the leap, and trust that the vine you are on will bring you to another one. You will not be able to see it coming until you are almost on top of it, but you just have to trust that it is there.

When I worked in sales, my vines were my deals. As an entrepreneur, my vines are ideas, opportunities, partners, and growth. When I start a venture, I often do not know exactly how I am going to get from A to B, but I keep swinging. Now, do not get me wrong…I am a staunch supporter of preparation and due diligence and I never start a venture without a clear goal in mind, but there is always an element of faith involved.  Don’t be afraid to leap, but remember that the leap of faith has to happen with open eyes. The jungle is full of vines – there will be a new opportunity for you, even if you aren’t sure what it will look like when you start swinging. The next step will become clear. All you have to do is look for it, and have the courage to reach when the opportunity presents.

In my experience, the real danger is in not reaching. If you lose faith and assume that there will not be a vine there for you to jump to, then you lose momentum and wind up stuck – standing still in the middle of the jungle with no way to move forward.

Not every vine is going to be perfect, and it may not be the next step you are expecting. Even if the next opportunity you encounter isn’t the vine of your dreams, take that next leap knowing that this vine will carry you to the next one.

It’s about momentum, it’s about faith, and it’s about always reaching out and moving yourself forward.