Hey y’all! I can’t belive my 3 year business anniversary is upon us! I feel sort of funny celebrating it, because I haven’t exactly been doing the same thing for the whole 3 years. If you have been reading my blog posts, you may already know that I have tried on a few different hats while holding the Interior Love Affair umbrella; stager, decorator, and blogger!
However, at this time of year, every November 16th, I’ve renewed my business licence for Interior Love Affair. It’s all been under one company name. So I feel like there is something to celebrate. I want to celebrate that I have persevered. That my business is still standing. That I am finally doing exactly what I love. In my third year, I made many tough decisions. I decided to not take on new clients and design projects and give blogging a real try. This is what I am most proud of. Blogging is my dream job. And today I am celebrating that. So join me! I’ll also share with you 3 of the most important lessons I’ve learned in these past 3 crazy years!
- Listen to your gut. Always. It knows what direction you need to go in, and what you need to walk away from. It can be scary to make a drastic change, I know. But taking tiny steps in the right direction is a good way to start!
My gut knew each time I needed to make a big change. I knew in the pit of my stomach that was I was currently doing did not feel right to me. I tried ignoring it at first. But it only got louder and stronger. Sometimes this manifested as anxiety. Over time I realized I couldn’t ignore this voice, this feeling any longer. I started listening to it, and I have felt much happier since! If you’re currently trying to drum up the courage to make a big change in your business, read this post (Why It’s Ok To Change Direction in Your Biz)
2. Not every good idea is going to stick. Pick one great idea, and see it through.
If you’re like me, you probably have a thousand and one awesome ideas for what to do with your business or blog. And you cant wait to try out each and every one of them. I’ve been there! But from that I’ve learned that I’ve ended up with several ideas starting to get off the ground, but they never really do. Because a good business idea needs more than initial excitement to get off the ground. After that honeymoon period passes, you need to work on your idea consistently. For me, I actually need to enjoy the work. I can’t force myself to constantly work on something that crushes my soul 😐 . You need to plan out a “map” of where this idea is going and how often you are going to work on it, and how you will get there. If you have a million different projects going, all of them will likely suffer, and none of them will thrive. In my experience, it’s better to say no to the rest (and this will hurt at first), and choose one great, awesome idea, and see that baby through.
3. There is a perfect job out there for you. Sometimes you just have to create it yourself.
I’ve tried many different kinds of creative work. But I find that a blog best suits me. I love decorating and design, but I don’t do well with the pressure that comes along with client work. I don’t like having to answer to someone, and having to ultimately please someone else. I enjoy photography, but again, I realize photographing moving subjects is not my cup of tea!
I love that with a blog, I can fit it in whenever I want, and I don’t have someone else (like a client), waiting to hear from me. I like that I get to reach people and help inspire them with their own lives, homes, and offices! I love that I get to be creative, quiet ( I have realized I am an introvert at heart!), and helpful, and to top it off, work in a beautiful space. This is truly my dream job. One day this blog will be my full-time job. I am not going to stop until it is!
So there you have it friends. I tried realllly hard to keep it to 3 points! 😀
Next year, I get to stretch it out to 4! 🙂
What important lessons have you learned in your business? Let me know in the comments below!
