#4 A Taste of a New Journey 29/03/22

I've been reading through one of my old notebooks, dated back in May 2017. This notebook marks the beginning of my interest in business and entrepreneurship, after I attended a number of business workshops back in my days at Northumbria University.

Ultimately I decided not to pursue anything to do with what I studied (Criminology and Forensic Science), and instead was gripped with the potential of launching my own business. It seemed significantly more exciting and promised a much more rewarding career than simply following the tried and tested paths of education, followed by a high-demand, entry-level job.

Instead, I started to stretch my entrepreneurial muscles and tried to come up with a unique and profitable idea that could get me where I wanted to go. The idea I decided to pursue back then (for a short while) was nothing to do with craft spirits, but rather a "ground-breaking" health and wellbeing app. I postulated that there were some people who struggled with sticking to a healthy diet because they had little to no willpower to see it through, and I wanted to create something to help them on that journey. I wanted to create an app that took all the decisions regarding food and cooking out of their hands, to make it as easy for them as possible. I wanted to have a full database of easy, healthy meals they could make, tailored to each individual and the goals they were trying to achieve. There would be a shopping list ready for them at the start of the week, then all they would have to do is buy everything and put it together. The app would tell them what they should eat, when they should start cooking, and when they should start eating. I wanted it to almost be like a personal trainer right there in the house, telling them what to do and when for the best results. I also thought about its potential to expand further than just food and incorporate exercise and sleep cycles.

Eventually I decided this course of action wasn't going to work. For one, the health and wellbeing market seemed incredibly saturated, particularly when it came to mobile phone apps. Also, do you know just how big and complicated the world of healthy eating is? Not only that, but who on earth wants an annoying app that's constantly sending them reminders to eat a stick of celery? I decided that someone better than I was more suited to develop such a thing!

But it was a great exercise for me, and allowed me to direct my attention at an exciting new opportunity that I had never explored before. Looking through this old notebook, there are still thought exercises in there that I find will certainly be useful for me today! A nice simple one I have here is STOP, START, CONTINUE. Back then, I put:

"STOP stalling - work out the best way to start this thing. Should I look for a business partner? Or wait for one to appear naturally?"

"START researching - there's a lot to learn, so start looking for the right resources to get a groundwork going!"

"CONTINUE being hopeful and developing your idea - you're on an exciting new path, so keep your eyes on the prize!"

Honestly, not much has changed. These points are still some that I would follow today. But now, I would write:

STOP feeling like you are inadequate. You may not feel like you've come far, but when you look back at the challenges you've already had to face to get to this point you should see that you have what it takes to face them head-on.

START pushing - utilise the momentum you've gathered from your successes to get the brand name further, to have a bigger impact and in turn to help others more.

CONTINUE being hopeful. Continue looking ahead to the future, always look for what's next and continue learning from who and whatever you can. Keep your eyes on the prize!

I ended this section in my notebook with a date and a signature; a promise to myself to remember when I started on this path, and to never forget to pursue this dream to achieve my goals.