The Stages of Growth

This post aims to provide a perspective on the journey of growth and its stages. This is done through a personal anecdote of starting my own creative business.

The story begins in the land of doubt.

My goal was to begin making visual content for brands. Though I was stuck drafting the perfect story, waiting for the ideal conditions to arrive. I would think to myself, "if only someone saw my potential, then I'd be successful". Saying "if only" was an excuse for myself for not changing.

This is La La Land. 

Secretly I loved being in dreamland because I was safe. I was safe from any real-world feedback, and I did not want to face the reality that my work might not be that valuable to others as I hoped. I was "abandoning a future that was uncertain in preference for something predictable" (Erling Kagge). The realm of possibilities was far more appealing than reality.

Thankfully, I picked up the book, "The courage to be disliked", and this quote stuck out to me, "Whether you go on choosing the lifestyle you've had up till now, or you choose a new lifestyle altogether, it's entirely up to you". A simple reminder that no one is coming to make my life better. 

The unknown anxieties of the future are heavy but not as heavy as growing old doing the same thing. As Tim Ferris would note, 'what is the cost of inaction?'. Rather than thinking about what could go wrong, focus on what is the cost of not doing anything. Everyone has nothing to show when they begin. They just get started regardless and then figure out what to do next. 

1) Action

Like any great adventure, it begins when the protagonist decides to take action to break their status quo. 

My days in limbo land were about to be over because I decided to take matters into my own hands. I took a leap of faith. With limited gear and resources, I reached out to a local gym asking to produce content for their socials.

I made this decision because I was already passionate about health & fitness. I then searched for a 'problem' that I could solve, which was their lack of visual content. And just like that "success occurs when opportunity meets preparation" (Zig Ziglar). I made sure to make my own opportunity rather than wait for it to land in my lap. All I had to do was have a bit of patience and wait for someone to say ‘yes’. 

2) Momentum

‘Beginner's luck’ delivered an opportunity to create work for an actual business. This instigated a new drive making me work harder than ever. My excitement allowed me to continue putting my knowledge to the test. It was a success!

And so I thought. Despite putting in the reps, I slowly noticed I was not as great as I thought I was. “Knowing is not enough; we must apply” (Johann Wolfgang). I learned that despite watching many tutorials on my camera, in practice I did not know my tools that well.

You know it is bad when the client was making jokes and trying to offer me constructive feedback without hurting my feelings. I did not read between the lines and my insecurities prevented me from being open-minded.

And so, after months of producing subpar work, my first client started to give me fewer jobs. Slowly fear began to paralyse me. I began creating more excuses about why things were not working out, rather than seeing the situation for what it was- I was just starting out.

I failed to appreciate how far I had already come! My strong reaction just meant I cared deeply about my work. This real-world feedback that I was not the next big thing was the perfect medicine for an 18-year-old to learn. "The professional has learnt that success, like happiness, comes as a byproduct of work" (Steven Pressfield). And I certainly did not put in that much work. Did I really expect success so early on?

3) Consistency 

My insecurities acted as an incentive to work even harder on my business. The social backing of my first client allowed other businesses to take a risk on me. And so I sought out consistency. Because "consistency is the mother of mastery" (Robin Sharma).

Ultimately this setup up the foundations to my creative business, as I was able to finally see what was actually working in the real world. My initial stubbornness with my first client prevented me from growing too quickly. In a way, this was invaluable feedback and a good reminder that good things don't come easily.

I found out that I was keeping the ‘dream’ alive by staying in La La land. “You don’t want to change so much that you’d be willing to sacrifice the pleasures you enjoy now” (Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga). Taking action, and using that momentum to build consistency is what has allowed me to exist dreamland and made my goals a reality.

Final Thoughts

This story began because I decided to act. I achieved my goal in starting my business- though it is not where I wanted it to be, I am proud that I made progress. I want to remember that it is enough to just keep moving in a forward direction because this is what makes it a journey. Life is not linear. Never venturing away from the known will prevent us from growing. As always, the choice is yours.