throwing off the security blanket

I've been coaching since late 2001 -- almost five years now. During that time, I've always held a part-time job. For a couple of years, I taught a bazillion spinning classes a week (14 to be precise). I worked at Lucy for a very short time. And in September 2002, I started working at a bike shop.

Working at the shop was cool. It gave me some structure, some contacts, some benefits, some additional income, and someplace to go. If I needed more cash, I just worked more hours. Since I wasn't working on the floor, my hours were flexible and I could fit them around my coaching business and my own riding time. My boss was a friend and my co-workers kept me young. And of course, industry discounts are great.

But the down-side is that I had created a security blanket for myself that stunted my growth as a coach. I didn't need to be creative with new programs, market myself, or worry about income because I always had the bike shop to fall back on.

So, after four years of working at the shop, it's time to stand on my own two coaching feet. If I'm a cycling coach, I need to dedicate my time to being a cycling coach. Security blanket gone!

It's only been a few days, but I've already created some good habits, great structure, and been able to focus on some projects I've been dreaming about for years but didn't have the motivation to get going. Scared? Sure. But more than anything, I'm excited and happy.