Going Solo. 6. Make a decision.

Hey. How’s it going?

Last week, I promised that this week, we were going to make a decision. To be honest, if you are reading this post, then I suspect that you have already made your choice. However, I want to put a rational framework around what is probably an emotional desire.

The story so far

Let’s put aside emotion. In posts 1&2 we looked at what we wanted to do and why. I made some annoying statements about having a swim during work time, and working at the beach. In 3&4, we examined the resources we need, time and money. Last week, we delved into the bear-traps, the downsides.

Read through your notes. Can you do this?

Try this as an exercise. If you were reading these notes, made by a friend, would you advise them to go for it?

Reflect

At this point, I urge you to take a deep breath. Really think on this. Going solo is not for everyone. It isn’t. Some people thrive on uncertainty. Others loathe it. To make something work, you will be investing that most precious of commodities, time.

It may be that this is not the right moment. If that’s the case, great! The process that you have undertaken is not wasted; far from it. It has probably saved you a lot of time, energy and possibly even cash. Simply set a reminder to revisit your notebook some time hence. Things change. Ideas evolve.

Every individual will see this differently. You may feel that your side project will only require a couple of hours a week and that you have that time available. You may be happy to give it a go, accepting that you may quickly tire and give up.

However, in my experience, side-hustles only work with 100% commitment. If I feel 90% about an idea, then I don’t do it. I keep it on hold. Be honest with yourself. Life is not a rehearsal.

Decision

Alright. Next week, we get on with it. I assume that we are committed, and that we are going to get started.