Starting your own business - The Doorstep Mile
We are a few days into 2020 and, energised by the holiday break, at this time of year our thoughts often turn to resolutions and goals for the coming twelve months. How will you make 2020 count? Could it be the year you launch your business or side gig? Will you undertake the entrepreneurial journey?
I hope so for you and I also hope the pages of this blog will give you a few good resources to help you along the way. This week I am focusing on a book, which on the face of it is not about starting a business, it is about living more adventurously. The book is called The Doorstep Mile: Living More Adventurously Every Day.
“Are you being held back by a lack of time or money? By fear, indecision, or a feeling of being selfish or an imposter?” So reads the cover of a book destined to resurrect your boldness and stop you from “what-iffing”.
The brain behind this book is Alastair Humphreys an adventurer, author, and keynote speaker. As well as cycling around the world, walking across India and rowing the Atlantic, Alastair has also been named National Geographic Adventurer of the Year. He has presented to organisations from Google to England Rugby.
why is The Doorstep Mile relevant to this blog?
As the title suggests this book focuses on how to live more adventurously, but by this, it does not necessarily mean climbing Everest or running around the world. Instead it focuses on the attitude required to do the things you want to do. When I spoke to some students last year, I tried to encourage them to be bold and adventurous at a time of life when they actually have time to experiment, to try different jobs, time to learn without the pressure of having to support a family or pay a mortgage.
Being “adventurous” (whatever that means to you) is important.
I cannot sit here and tell you that as a young man I was particularly adventurous and therefore this wisdom is my own, however, I am smart enough to see the benefits and to look back on moments in my life when I feel I should have been bolder, in work and in my personal life.
I could have travelled more. I could have learned more. I could have tried many more things. I could have found a job I loved much earlier. I could have found true love earlier. I could have enjoyed myself more. I could have avoided much misery by getting more out of life.
However, I am not naturally inclined to be bold and adventurous, and I was not encouraged to be bold and adventurous. I did not have access to books like The Doorstep Mile.
How can this book help you?
There is no shortage of motivational books and the self-help shelves of bookshops have probably never been more bloated, but the reason I like this one is that it is a kind of manual, challenging the reader and asking questions.
The chapters are succinct, easy to read, with the Alastair’s handwritten notes frequently annotating points. Each chapter has an “Over To You’ section which forces the reader to think about their own life, and how to make changes to live more adventurously rather than simply breeze through the pages living vicariously through the people’s experiences or fantasising about making changes without taking action.
The chapters do not stop at asking the reader questions, but they also set challenges so you feel compelled to begin to make changes, no matter what you want to change. Responding honestly can be tricky.
There are personal stories (perspectives) that are easy to relate to. It’s hugely encouraging to understand that we all have the same hang-ups and worries that stop us from fulfilling our potentials or doing what we want. It means they are eminently conquerable.
You want to start your own business? Guess what, you can. There is nothinG stopping you but yourself.
Alastair Humphreys is “an adventurer” by trade, which means he has made a name for himself in the great outdoors, but do not be fooled into thinking the book is about this. It is relevant to all of us who dream of doing something but don’t do it.
You want to start your own business? Guess what, you can. There is nothing stopping you but yourself. It is about cultivating an adventurous spirit and if I (a negative, doubting worrier) can do it, then so can anyone on the planet.
How simple is it?
Very. And here is an illustration. The book is divided into 4 sections:
Dream big
Overcome barriers
Begin today
Do more
This shows you how adept Alastair is at making a concept simple, which doesn’t mean easy, but does mean it is clear what to do and how to remove the shackles that are holding you back. In his own words: “The Doorstep Mile will reveal why you want to change, what’s stopping you, and how to build an adventurous spirit into your busy daily life”.
So, what is stopping you? We have a few copies to give away so please keep an eye on our social channels for the chance to get hold of one.
You can also buy the book here.
Author: Thomas Smallwood is an outsourcing specialist. Having worked in companies around Europe, from the support desk to the boardroom, he founded bizee.co to help small businesses grow through efficient delegation to skilled virtual assistants. He is an award-winning blogger and a passionate advocate for mental health awareness.
Connect with Tom on LinkedIn.