On Not Being a Lonely Island

I’ve mentioned today’s topic on more than one occasion, but it is so important, it bears repeating. So here it goes…

It is super tough to grow your business past a certain point without help from another human being. Period. When you are on an island of one, it can be difficult to step back and make some of the decisions you need to because you are too close to your work.

And then, of course, there are the things that you literally just cannot complete on your own. Maybe the project is too large for one person to possibly complete solo or maybe the timeframe is too tight or maybe…well, you get the point. The worst part of all this is that it can be hard to recognize that you need help with something when you are so used to always working by yourself. “Of course I can do this, it will just take me a long time. No problem.” You think to yourself. And then eventually you become a scrunched up stressball and you realize that you might just be headed down the wrong path.

That’s what recently happened to me. Here’s the story…

Right after Christmas break ended and everyone was back to work, I had a moment that involved  a little crying. Okay, a lot of crying. I couldn’t believe the amount of work that had to be done (by little old me) in such a short time period. And somehow, it had all caught up to me in this one moment, sitting on the couch, watching a movie. I cried it out and the next day, I reached out to a couple of my friends to ask if they could help me with one of the big things on my to do list (which may or may not be that secret thing I’ve been working on for Altitude Summit). They agreed and I immediately felt a huge weight off my shoulders. They came over about a week later to help me tackle said project and as we were measuring a very large piece of fabric for what seemed like the 100th time, a million things went through my mind. These were the three main thoughts…

1. I totally couldn’t have completed this without their help and smiling faces. I would have gone crazy.
2. I really should have reached out to them sooner.
3. Why don’t I do this more often?

The “Why didn’t I think of this before / Why don’t I reach out more often” part was a light bulb moment for me.

I cannot do everything on my own. Most things? Yes. All things? No!

Chances are, the exact same thing is true for you. So this is your reminder. You do not have to be on that island alone. Invite people you respect and admire to collaborate with you. Support you. Be your sounding board. Whatever you need.

Do not be afraid to reach out and ask for help. And often.