Prudence is a virtue and for darn good reason: it encourages a pause for reflection, to integrate knowledge, to make a thoughtful decision. Hesitation, however, implies self-doubt, something I strive to run far from. Being reckless is not an attractive trait by any means, but too much waiting around limits your options and therefore your timeline for success.
“Hesitation is the biggest hitch in us finding our joy”- uknown
After working many years as a bank teller, a job that offered stability, predictability and money (pun intended), I decided to harness my entrepreneurial spirit and quit. Leaving my 9-5 job, I got my real estate license with a 3 month old in tow. Vividly, I recall the moment my husband suggested that I ‘just go for it’ and quit the bank. I distinctly remember the turn in my stomach and the racing thoughts. Taking a pause, rather than embracing hesitation, I quickly made a good choice, I became my own boss (ironically, that same day I cut my own hair and it was easily the worst decision of my life- different story for a different day).
Fast forward to the present moment. I am sitting with my now 2 1/2 year old daughter in Millersvile, Maryland. We munch on the most delicious doughnuts and giggle about the bird that just flew into the glass front door of Quad Doughnuts & Deli. Earlier we checked in on a listing of mine, went to a park and dropped off a deposit check at my office- quintessential day for us. She really likes to be with me and man is she cool. This moment here is sponsored by good decision-making skills; where the unknown variables outnumbered the facts. My days are spent at the beck-and-call of my desires to be successful and to the needs of my family.
Soon upon walking through the doors of Quad Doughnuts we met the owner, Tina. She is an open book of inspiration and I connected with her story instantly. Taking me back in time, over three decades she shared that making doughnuts was her hourly-wage responsibility and she became quite skilled. Furthermore, she liked what she was doing but was signing the back of checks and not the front of them (thanks Jim for that articulation) so she had to work the night shift. When she found out she was expecting a son she made a purposeful decision to go into business for herself- she chose to be with her child and to make the most of the skills she already had. Tina, like me, didn’t abandon stability without a plan, she was prudent but far from hesitant. Now, from the proud words of Tina, her son is a college-graduate with a good job and still has time to help his Mom’s business, 30 years after the doors opened. THIRTY YEARS! Tina emulates girl power and the entrepreneurial spirit that echos within the very fiber of my being. I happily patronize her business and you should too!
Applying the idea of courageous prudence to big life decisions, allow me to share a brief story of two parallel clients. Each family earns almost the exact income, has a similar family structure and the location/town preference is the same. One family went under contract on their home in a matter of days and the other has been looking at houses for more than half a year with no real prospects. Neither family is going to have a more joy-filled home at the end of the day because of the settlement date. What I have seen clear as day, though, is that hesitation has thrown a hitch in one family finding their joy sooner. Why wait? It isn’t about the cosmetics or being overly picky; I see self-doubt delaying the gratification of home ownership. So it comes down to letting joy come to you or seeking joy – prudently of course.
So….you scrolled to the bottom just to get a synopsis
- All we know is what the interest rate [house inventory, weather, traffic, job market] is today, there isn’t a crystal ball for your future.
- We can make good choices even when the unknown variables outnumber the facts.
- Use the skills you have, glamorous or not, to find success with ease.
- Quad Doughnuts & Deli is a SLAM-DUNK for lunch and is dangerously close to my office.
