Sir Edmund Hillary and I have climbed the same mountain...

Listening to the breakfast news on Wednesday morning, announcing Sir Edmund Hilary's death, I was struck by one of the most poignant quotes he had ever said....

As a mum who decided to leave the corporate world and set up in her own home-based business, I sometimes feel I have climbed & conquered many mountains, and I will continue to do so as my business grows and develops.  But perhaps my greatest challenge of all is captured in what Sir Edmund meant when he said.... 

"It is not the Mountain that we Conquer, but Ourselves..."

Starting up a business takes a tremendous amount of courage.  I'd also like to say Self Belief too!  But I'm afraid I can't confess to having bucketloads of self belief when I took the proverbial leap into self-employment.  Even now, as my business grows and develops, I have scarey moments of temporary self-doubt.  But what I've realised is that this is perfectly normal!

In working with my own business coach, and in coaching other mums starting up in business myself, its become apparent that most often the only real obstacle slowing us down - is ourselves!  Time & time again I coach mums through this - and it is amazing, inspiring and not-at-all-surprising to see women conquer their greatest self doubts, and to launch and then grow a succesful business, created on their terms.  If you look at the success stories on this Blog, you'll see this again & again.  Sometimes the journey has not been easy, and sometimes there have been some adjustments in lifestyle.... But the greatest achievement of all is that ALL these mums have succeeded in starting up & growing a business - and not regretting their decision at all! 

So for mums thinking of starting your own home-based business and for those already launched and perhaps planning your 2008 strategy for success, please remember, the only mountain you really need to conquer is you.  Be courageous in 2008 - I know you can do it!