T H E M O N T H LY
#ISSUE 11
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J U LY 2 0 1 9
A NOTE FROM BETSY: THE TROUGH OF SORROW There isn’t anything quite like the excitement and glamour of a new adventure - You know the feelings: thrill, optimism, ambition, hope, sorrow... WAIT - Sorrow??? Let’s just get honest. Starting new things isn’t all roses. If you’ve ever done something new, chances are you’ve also experienced the “Trough of Sorrow.” This term was coined by Paul Graham, Co-founder of Y Combinator,
an organization that provides seed funding for startups. Clearly, he’d seen this cycle of optimism and struggle often enough in new business ventures to decide it needed its own name. Starting something new is hard. We all start with high hopes and the best intentions, but then the struggle sets in. And that’s where the quitters quit and the winners are made. My daughter recently joined the swim team after seeing her brother’s excitement and success on the team. She was over the moon to get going, and even called her first day on the team the “best day ever.” (This is a big deal, because, you guys, she has a lot of great days). But then it was time for the first meet. Enter: the Trough of Sorrow. There was pressure. There were swimmers better than her. People were watching. She might fail. Suddenly it was the “worst day ever” and she was literally sick with anxiety. She told me she quit. And then she did her first race, and won. You’ve probably been there, too. Leaping into photography (and maybe even a business) with the highest of hopes, only to discover that it’s not as simple as you thought. The challenges flow in, and with them discouragement and doubt. Maybe it’s a lack of confidence, no bookings, a struggle to find the time, or even that “funk” that holds us back at times. So if you’re in that valley, remember that the struggle is normal (so normal it has its own name). The Trough of Sorrow is very real, but it doesn’t last. It’s part of the process, but it doesn’t have to be the end. You got this! Betsy