Don’t the proverbial “they” say that the first step is the hardest? Or…getting started is the toughest part? Something along those lines? Regardless, I’ve been thinking back on how much work it was to set up Nothing Past Nine, and the anxiety I felt before getting my first real sale. (Sorry friends and family, you didn’t count!) It feels similar as I begin to build a foundation for working from home.

There are so many aspects of creating a new career for myself that I can control such as which jobs or tasks to apply for, how many hours to agree to, etc. I’m a recovering control freak so these are the pieces I live for! What I can’t control, however, is the stuff I dwell on and fret about for hours on end. Will I be able to make enough to support a family? When will the right opportunity present itself? Will my “big idea” take off? Ultimately, my fears boil down to “What makes me special?” and “Can I do this?”

I read a lot of articles/books that tell us we can’t be too hard on ourselves; we need to be positive and see the good. So, I am trying to find these small victories and moments when I feel confident. Such as…my first article was recently published on Goals.com and while it only had 14 views after being live for two days (8 or 9 being me, my husband, and my friends….), I am a published author!

It is a small affirmation that I have talent that someone will pay for. It doesn’t matter how long it took to hear back, how much money I made or how many views it gets – I DID IT. First step taken, and I didn’t fall down. I may be impatient and need to adjust my expectations to be a bit more realistic, but I CAN do this and I WILL do this.