Week five was tough for me at my nine-to-five, and it pushed my boundaries. I had to fill in for a duty that hurled me out of my comfort zone—troubleshooting an unfamiliar task. When production came to a standstill, I felt pressured to act so production could continue. I spent nearly two days devoting my time to this chore, leaving my work behind. Looking back, I realize most of my stress comes from my expectations. I struggle with being responsible for holding up production when people are waiting on me and not completing work on time. It’s weeks like this that drive me to start my own business.

Most of the time, I enjoy my day job. I am comfortable, my coworkers work hard, my boss is kind, I get regular paychecks, and I enjoy seeing print come to life. It is easy to push the fear and doubt aside, prolonging action. I am notorious for moving slowly, planning too many details, and perfecting my ideas. When I am comfortable, moonlighting a new business sits idle in the background.

Week 4 recap:

• Started carnation seeds.
• Ordered seeds.
• Prepared seed starting shelf.
• Mapped out new beds.

Week 5 plans:

• Review and continue designing magazine flowers.
• Build a budget for new beds and rabbit fences.
• Organize photos - 2009.
• Plan & shoot stop-motion seed starting video.
• Shoot condensation time-lapse.

In reality, I will find myself in uncomfortable positions, if not more, of these scenarios within my business. So how do you deal? How do you manage the tension and stress? Maybe it is the driving force to propel action.

Happy Gardening,

Lelo