let go of your backup plan

Do you have a backup plan?

You know, something you tell yourself that you can do if your business idea doesn’t work out?

Maybe yours is to go back into employment. Or to rely on family for support.

Maybe it’s to work on several ideas at once, and see what takes off first.

i’ve had a backup plan only twice in my life.

I’ve made A LOT of big, life-altering decisions. Like moving continents, twice. Starting a business, twice. Ending a marriage (only once!!). Saying yes to big opportunities, so many times.

But, I’ve only had a backup plan twice in my life.

my first was in 1998-9

I was in my final year of high school and preparing to go to university. I was determined to be in NYC and New York University was my first choice. But I applied to a few other places and had some options to choose from if my first choice fell through. (It didn’t!)

my second was in 2012-3

I left my decade-long career in financial services. I had no idea what I wanted to do instead, but knew I needed some time to figure it out. And if I didn’t figure it out, I knew I could always go back to what I was doing before. (Again, I didn’t.)