When I was in third grade I had to do a group project about Washington D.C. The project was to choose one of the important buildings, create your own version of it, and make a presentation to teach others about it.
Pretty simple. But for some reason my group had a hard time with it. We chose the U.S. Mint, and got together one Saturday to build our replica.
Things did not go well.
We couldn’t figure out how to build the replica using the boxes we had available to us (the kind you use for wrapping a present). After hours of attempting, we had created a replica…but it wasn’t very good.
It was wonky-shaped. The boxes had tape all over them. And it definitely looked like a young child had made it.
Since we were all so exhausted, we just agreed it was good enough.
But that week at school we got a behind-the-scenes look at the supplies the other students were using: wood; cardboard boxes. And we realized we couldn’t use the replica we built. We needed something better.
Now, in theory, we could have used it. The replica was built and it met all of the requirements for the project. It would’ve got the job done for us.
But we wouldn’t have been fully happy with it. It wouldn’t have been aligned with what we were actually capable of. It wasn’t making us proud to be turning it in that next week.
So we made a decision: burn it to the ground (figuratively, of course, as we were eight) and start again.
We stomped on the replica we built until it was flattened to the ground. Then we threw it away, found a decent cardboard box and set a time to rebuild our replica.
And when we were finished, it looked exactly how we wanted it to. It represented the best of our collective abilities. We were very proud of it.
Sometimes, in life and in business, you have to “burn” to the ground the things that are no longer working for you, and be brave enough to start again. To create something new. To step into the unknown.
One year ago TODAY, I did exactly that.
I officially closed the private story coaching and ghostwriting side of my business (and the side that was making me the most money) and launched my new brand: Dream Life Or Bust. A brand dedicated to the multi-passionate writers, creatives and visionaries of the world who know they are meant for big things, who dream big, take action on those dreams, and who know they will stay the course and achieve everything they want or die trying.
Because that’s who I am. It’s who I’ve always been.
I’m a dreamer who’s a big time doer. I take action on what I want. I put my energy, effort, focus, intention, time and money where my dreams are. I do what it takes. I deal with the BS that comes up, and I keep fucking going.
Even when I stop. Even when I get stuck. Even when I make excuses. For days, sometimes weeks.
I always get back to it and keep moving forward. Over and over again for a decade+ now.
But up until last year at this time, I had only been living and running a business based on part of what I wanted to be doing. I had created a brand as a writer, author and story coach. Its what I’d become known for. I worked so hard to build that business and deal with all the BS that got in my way. I earned it.
And at the same time, I knew it wasn’t it. I knew I had to burn it down and start again.
I wanted to build a business around ALL of my passions, not just one of them.
It was a scary thought, giving it all up. I had finally grown my writing and story coaching business to near-six figures. If I had kept going I would’ve easily hit six figures and beyond this year.
But I knew it wasn’t the business I really wanted.
I wanted a business where I can be and do ALL of the things I want to. I wanted to be able to write books and work with writers, and teach people story structure, like I always had been, but I also wanted to start a t-shirt line; edit books; teach people about manifestation, mindset and being multi-passionate; and host in-person retreats.
I knew my business was meant to be about MORE than what it had been up to that point.
So I “burned” it to the ground. I put an end to private story coaching and ghostwriting and all the other little random-but-not-aligned things I was doing for money.
And I made a decision: I would build a business around doing and being ALL of the things I dreamed of.
Today, I celebrate one year of living and creating into that decision.
It’s been a roller-coaster of a year. I’ve had a lot more lows than highs, to be honest. But the highs have been really high, and have become more consistent over time, and I know not long from now things are going to be better than I ever imagined they could be.
And I’m damn-proud of myself and of what I’ve created.
Over the past year I’ve built the foundation for my multi-passionate business. I’ve stopped doing the things that aren’t aligned for me. And I’ve not only created many one-off products and workshops, but I’ve also created my core product and service offerings.
I’ve always been a multi-passionate entrepreneur; now I’m acting like it.
You can do, be and have anything you set your mind to and take action on. ANYTHING.
But you have to be willing to “burn” to the ground anything that isn’t aligned for you, no longer serves you or doesn’t make you feel good, and start again.
Dream life or bust,
jen
P.S. I’m hosting a FREE training on How To Find Your Personal (and Business) Success Formula. This training will be diving into what I’ve learned over the past 12 months that has allowed me to unlock my own personal success formula, including a set of activities that, when I do them daily, make my life work in amazing ways.
>> Register here: www.dreamlifeorbust.com/successformula
If you’re multi-passionate, it’s time for you to do your true soulwork–ALL of it! And I’ll be showing you how in today’s training.
And YES, it will be recorded if you can’t be there live.
>> Register here: www.dreamlifeorbust.com/successformula
