Make a Bet on Future You

First published on April 20, 2018

I'm in Los Angeles, for a coaching event. Santa Monica to be precise. In the airport before I set off, I posted on Facebook that 95% of the reason for me coming was to look glamorous and successful. Of course I was joking, but it is cool, right? It is to me, at least. I've flown out to LA to meet my coach. To learn. To develop myself. That is cool. 

I was reflecting, today, on the reality of this trip. And one part of the reality is that, to be able to afford to make it at this moment in time, I needed to borrow money from my fiancee and my mum. 

I am very grateful to them, allowing me to spend against my future earnings. Because that's what I'm doing really: I'm betting on Future Me. I'm betting that this event will help me generate income, one way or another, greater than what it costs me. In some ways. In other ways, I'm saying there are very few things I can spend money on that are more important than developing myself, through experiences and learning.

But it's a good business decision, too. For those of us who want to create more of what we want, whatever that may be, in the future, investing in ourselves is a good decision. For those of us who have the power to generate extra income for ourselves, or for whom our business depends almost solely on us, if you ask me it's a no brainer.

Sometimes I still need to talk myself - the me that worked in charities for years, squeezing every penny out of the organisations' incomes, and every bit of value from the often small salaries that I earned - into investing in myself and my business. How many extra clients would I have to get - ever - to make this investment pay for ITSELF? And in that frame, the investment, and the loans, look incredibly sensible. 

And that got me thinking about all the other ways I've found the money to do the things I want to do. The things that were calling me.  

For years, I worked on a small salary in the arts, spending my savings and my energy to do work that I thought was important, and I wanted to do. I scrimped and saved, on everything from my lunch to what I did in my spare time.

In my coaching business, I've borrowed money from my parents and Emma on several occasions.

I've negotiated discounts on training, and payment plans for coaching.

I've taken advantage of free and discounted workshops and trainings. 

I've eaten out less, said no to things, not been on holiday, not been out, taken my own lunch and many other little things, in order to get resourceful and make things happen. 

I've worked jobs I didn't like, and coached in the evenings and at weekends, waking up tired just to do it all again. 

To pay for my coach training, I spent onto an interest free credit card for almost the whole fee, and paid it back over something like 18 months.

Its important for me to share this because there is a way. There is a way to make happen what you want to happen. To be resourceful. To create what you want. But you have to believe.

And you have to take action. And you have to ask for help. 

So finally, I'll say thank you. To all the investors in me, via loans, discounts, payment plans. To the people who have shown me that sometimes you have to gamble, and taught me that is ok. To all the people who have shown faith in me, and allowed me to bet on my future.