Back in my yoga teacher days I took a 3-week dream tour of India with a world-renowned yoga teacher and a bunch of fellow yogis, starting in Kerala and ending in the Himalayas.
But early in the trip, things started to go wrong.
Travel times were much longer than expected, so we didn’t have much time at our destinations or we’d miss them entirely because they were closed.
Next up on the itinerary was an overnight bus trip to Jaipur. Originally that sounded kind of fun and adventurous, but by now it was WAY less appealing!
Not only was my body already sore from so much sitting, but because of delays we were only going to have one day in The Pink City before leaving again. (On another bus! Nooooo!)
I started thinking there HAD to be a better way . . . and then pulled out my map and realized there WAS.
We’d be passing through a city with an airport! I could FLY to Jaipur!
My two most like-minded tourmates immediately booked flights, too, but the rest of the tour declined.
Because just a day earlier, in an effort to lift everyone’s spirits, our yoga teacher stood up on the bus and delivered a lovely speech about resilience and sticking things out and finding happiness right where you are . . .
Which is all fantastic advice when you’re stuck on a bus in the middle of the jungle with no other options.
But now we DID have options!!!
And the three of us who seized the opportunity ended up having one of the most magical and serendipitous afternoons of our lives . . . .
Our tuk tuk driver mistakenly dropped us at one of India’s most lavish hotels for dinner. (If you’ve been to India you’ll totally get the hilarity of rolling up to the Rambagh Palace in a rickety little tuk tuk 🤣.)
For the first time in weeks, we sat in a serene, modern lounge and indulged in fresh watermelon martinis. It was like peeking behind a curtain and seeing a completely different India.
Later we wandered into the hotel gardens and found ourselves in the middle of an extravagant wedding party! We got invited to join, experienced what few foreigners will ever see, and eventually returned to our hotel happy, stuffed, and covered in gorgeous henna designs. That night we slept more soundly than we had the entire trip.
As for the rest of our tour group . . . well, the bus ended up getting delayed AGAIN!
By the time everyone rolled in around noon the next day - exhausted and smelling to high heaven - there wasn’t a single person that didn’t wish they’d come with us instead of toughing it out.
And I think what it all comes down to, and what happens so often, is this:
We convince ourselves to take the looooong route even when there’s a faster option right in front of us.
It happens in business, too, when struggling entrepreneurs create a million reasons NOT to get personalized support.
But when it comes to business, decisions cost you A LOT more than a missed visit to the Amber Fort.
Let’s get real with some numbers . . .
Say Mary and Jane have both been in business for a year or two but haven’t really made any money.
Jane invests $10k in courses over 5 years (those sales pages are just sooo good!), and that’s when her business reaches 6 figures.
Mary goes all-in and decides to invest $80k in coaching, and her business reaches 6 figures in 2 years.*
Now check out the profit:
Jane’s yearly earnings look like this: $2750, $7000, $22k, $49k, $100k. Total earnings are $180,750 and profit is $170,750.
Mary’s earnings look more like this: $49k, $100k, $160k, $240k, $325k. Total profit is $794.
The difference between the two isn’t just $623,250k.
It’s what you were able to DO with that money. It’s how you were able to LIVE, and how you FELT during those years of earning 6 figures or multiple 6 figures.
Is it stressful to invest when you don’t know the exact timeline or ROI? You bet. Entrepreneurship takes cha chas.
But if you’re determined to make it work, you have to weigh that stress against the greater stress of multiple years of disappointment and uncertainty (and later, regrets!) if you take the long route.
And besides . . . If you’re going there anyway, why not get there sooner?
So whether you feel like . . .
. . . now’s not the time to really lean in, or
. . . how could you ever justify spending or borrowing that money?, or
. . . you can’t bear to tell your partner you’re investing AGAIN
Stand back and look at the big picture.
Because instead of the 13-hour bus ride, you could fly and be THERE, where you want to be.
And that’s true whether you’re waiting to finally see the wonders of Jaipur or waiting to feel the wonders of a business that runs like a well-oiled machine.
Here’s to the fastest route possible,
Jenna