I can never quite work out why everything in life seems to happen at once, nor why when I have plenty of musings for blogs I don’t have time to write them. You’ll probably get used to seeing slightly less blogging action over the next few months (though hopefully not quite as sparse as the past few weeks), but I promise I won’t disappear completely. Writing is one of the things that keeps me sane, alongside exercise, and as the latter is still woefully lacking then I better make time to type away every so often.

Speaking of exercise, my dreams of hitting the pool and getting back on the cross trainer are quite a bit behind schedule after a relapse with the leg. In fact the whole marathon plan looks like it could end up being delayed 12 months after I managed to take a good few steps back with recovery. I only got off crutches last Thursday, and at the very earliest it will be late August or early September before I can think about running again. Even then the first month I’ll have to stick to the treadmill, and the chances to get a 10k run in before the weather starts turning cold and icy are looking slim. I’ve decided not to enter for a charity place, if I get my balloted place I’ll have a much better idea of how much time I have to train and whether it’s possible, and I can still raise money for Mind. If I don’t get the balloted place I’ll aim for the 2011 Great North Run and 2012 London Marathon. Much as people try to persuade me, I refuse to give up, I just might not get there quite as quickly as expected!

The main reason for my lack of writing is that most of my spare time is spent on the business. Setting it up while working full-time is a challenge and without exercise to give me regular energy boosts it’s definitely testing me. It is however giving me the opportunity to prove that I have learned from past mistakes and somehow finding a way to have some semblance of work/life balance. It’s finally sunk in that if I get tired I need to rest, otherwise I’ll burn out. Two hours less work on one evening is better than a week without work because I’m exhausted. And I can give myself credit for the progress I’m making, even though I set myself impossible deadlines, deep down I’m realistic about what I can do. I have a first draft of my business plan, I’m getting the administration stuff set up, I’m making sure I’m doing all the right things by the day job and I’m starting to put together a marketing and sales plan. I’ve even given it a name.

Naming the company was a rather interesting process. With nearly 20,000 private training providers in the UK it’s no surprise that the obvious through to the fairly obscure with a tenuous connection to training are taken. I’ve never had much issue with naming in the past, but this is different. If my business is successful then I could be working with this name for many years to come. With the added complication that I was quite far along with the branding process it made finding something unique that fit seem almost impossible. My sister compared it to naming a baby (something she’s done twice) and reliably informed me that the baby does grow into the name even when you’re not quite sure. Except with my baby business, I already have a very good idea of the personality it’s going to have when it grows up. It’s been a couple of weeks now and it is definitely growing on me, and as of today it’s a limited company. Say hello to Mariposa Development Ltd…

Now I’m looking forward to getting out there and starting to share my plans with potential clients, and building on what I have so far. It’s a few weeks off, but there’s plenty of work to do before then. Somehow over the years I’ve learned to take a step back and prepare before rushing in like a bull in a china shop. Things are moving quickly, but they’re not running away with themselves.

Day by day I’m gradually quietening the voice in my head that tells me I’m silly for thinking I can run my own business, though I think it’s a while before I stop looking in the mirror going “What am I doing?!” I’ve had some really positive and encouraging conversations, it surprises me how many people say “I would love to run my own business, but…” I’m not going to lie, taking the plunge is scary, it scares me every single day, but I just have to face the fear and focus on what I want to do and why I want to do it. Coming to work reminds me why I want to be my own boss (even though my current boss is lovely!!!) now I have a clear idea of what I’m doing I know it’s an opportunity to do the things I love doing every day, I’d kick myself if I didn’t try and do everything I can to make this work. Having your own company means working incredibly hard, but the freedom to do something I’m passionate about and have control over my own life will make it worth it. If it’s a success I’ll lose the security and perks that a day job has, but I will gain the freedom and flexibility of planning my own time. Whatever happens this could be the most exciting adventure of my life so far!