Do you remember that scene in Indiana Jones where he throws dirt into the air to reveal the hidden bridge? I feel like I’ve been taking those kinds of jumps a little more often lately. It started with Twitter and reaching out to people I’ve never met. Then, it was accepting advice and guidance from those experts.
Today it meant trying to rekindle a relationship that I was forced to terminate without explanation nearly four years ago. At the time, I was under an explicit, non-compete contract. Yes, I probably could have gotten away with doing some freelance work for this company, but at the time, I didn’t want to risk it. In retrospect, I would have handled that entire situation differently, but I can’t change it now. I can only move forward.
I saw this as an opportunity to pitch myself without a lot of repercussions. The worst I can be told is no, they are not interested. Besides, I figure the more experience I get pitching myself for freelance projects, the better I will get at it and the more natural it will become.
How are you taking leaps of faith in your career? Does it get easier?