Wow, it’s been ages - sorry about that! We’ve all heard the saying ‘Would you rather be the jack of all trades, or an expert in one?’ - well, I totally agree, I don’t like to do things by halves, but in my own life I’ve taken on two MASSIVE projects that I don’t just want to be good at, I want to be world class at. One of those, riding, is my absolute passion and the thing that gets me up out of bed each day! But, my other love, business, is the one that pays for my riding! This is the age old balance isn’t it - riders get distracted from their riding being busy making money to pay for their horses, and somewhere along the way the vision they once had for themselves as a rider gets lost.
I propose a different picture. I’ve accepted the fact that for me to get to where I want to go in my riding, will be funded by business, (because if I can tell you a secret, I don’t think I’d be a very good employee! haha) and this means that I need to put time and energy into my business for it to grow and flourish. Likewise, I am not prepared to allow my riding to take a backseat and fall by the wayside. I love building business and working out new ways to be creative in helping people and making money, and I love my riding, I believe riding horses was the reason I was put on this rock! So, I will represent my country one day as a rider - I will be the respected rider and trainer that I want to be. AND, I will have massively successful businesses that help people all over the world - I will create the abundant and financially free life that I envision for myself…It’s just going to take a little big longer, than if I was just doing one, or the other…
Patience has never been a strong point of mine! When I see something that I want, I don’t want it later, like most people, I want it NOW! But wow…I am learning a few things about patience on this journey! :-) I desperately want to be getting my horses fit right now, to be competing at Friends of Werribee here in Victoria in a few weeks and then to be setting my sights on Adelaide 2** in November. Next month though, I’m spending three weeks in Malaysia and Singapore doing some personal development and attaining the next level in a qualification that is going to help me grow my business to the next step. The ponies, as a result, are in work and focusing on the dressage, as getting them fit for Friends of Werribee, then turning them out for three weeks, seemed pretty pointless to me! I am SO excited about the programs in Asia, don’t get me wrong - personal development is very important to me (which you’ve probably realised if you know me) but I would also LOVE to be hitting the training with the horses hard right now. (Watch out in October when I’m back!!)
You’re starting to get a picture of what my days look like…
I’m like the dog, except you can swap walks, car rides, and dog food, with horses, business and people food! Oh, and my days start and finish a little earlier than the dog’s!
My acceptance that my journey will take a little longer than if I was solely focused on riding or business, has caused me some frustration over the years, but I think I’m finally coming to a place where I have peace with that decision and knowledge. One of my personal rules is that I don’t do things by halves, if I’m going to take something on, I’m REALLY going to take it on, I don’t like quitters and I’m allergic to giving up. So, if I’m going to abide by my own rules, then without the technology to clone myself, I’m going to have to accept that I’ll get there, just not tomorrow.
Needless to say, finding peace with this has actually created for me quite a bit of a relief. The pressure is off to be the next Gold Medalist and to hurry up and earn a million dollars. What’s come of this is that I have truly fallen in love with my journey. Even when there’s some up’s and downs along the way, I know that by continuing to focus on my growth and being the best that I possibly can be, at everything that I undertake, I am ensuring my success. I have found joy in daily tasks like going to the gym, cooking beautiful nutrition food for myself, having conversations that make me uncomfortable, reading a book…because I know, that these actions are the ones that will accumulate and help me to grow into the person who will one day be a great enough rider to win a gold medal, all the while helping change the world through business. I finally am beginning to really understand those sayings about ‘the journey not the destination being the goal’ and wow, it’s pretty blissful. I can highly recommend it!
We are SO quick to tie our “success” to the outcome that we want, our end result, the destination, that we quickly deem ourselves as ‘not there yet’ or ‘not successful’ etc etc until that thing is achieved. Does the fact that it’s going to take me a bit longer than some of my peers to become a gold medalist, make me a less successful rider? Does the fact that my business might not hit seven figures as quickly as some of my business peers make me a less successful business person? NO! HELL NO! My success is right here. Today. On the journey.
Don’t wait until you get there to allow yourself to feel like a success. Be a success simply because you have committed to the outcome and are working towards it every day. Fall in love with your journey. Stop doing things that you don’t enjoy. If that’s your job, then hurry up and get a new one. Why would you stay somewhere because it pays well if you’re miserable or you don’t have time to do the things that you love!? Take action EVERY day that will take you closer to being the person you dream of being. Thats right, not closer to having the things you want to have, or the results you want to have…take action every day that will take you closer to being the person you dream of being. Everyone seems to have missed the point, that if we grow into the person who can win a gold medal, then we will win one. If we grow ourselves into the person with the plethora of abilities required to build a multi-million dollar world changing company, then we will build one. Our results become automatic when we become that person. But, if you’re still busy sitting there wondering why you’re not happy in your job, and deeming yourself as unsuccessful today because you don’t have the perfect body, the perfect horse and the perfect boyfriend/girlfriend, then you don’t get it.
I felt like I had to get that out there - it’s one of the principles that I work through with all my clients, and one of the most important.
You are all awesome amazing successes, today, right where you are, right now. Time to start acting and thinking like it! :-)
I’ll look forward to sharing all about my trip to Asia and some more horsey goss when I’m back and ready to start competing!
Best Riding,
Nicole
