Finish Line.

Before I baked pies 24/7, I actually had time to train for and to run three half-marathons.  I really appreciate the irony because I spent the better part of 1986 and 1987 hiding from my junior high school gym teacher and/or alternatively forging notes in Jeanne's handwriting with elaborate excuses as to why I couldn't run laps or participate in the flexed arm hang.  (As a side note, if you were a gym coach at West Junior High in the mid-1980s, I'll have you know that it all worked out just fine for me even though I couldn't master the hurdles.  THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONCERN). I'm sure there are a lot of people who run half-marathons and think it is totally awesome and are like "oh, Mile 12 already? Great!"  That person isn't me.  I'm big on milestones and distracting myself with exactly how much is left until the finish line.  This may or may not have lead to me throw myself on a traffic cop toward the end of a Kansas City race and scream "WHERE THE $*%%&* IS THE FINISH LINE?!?!?"

So I think maybe in this PJP V 2.0 experience, I've been looking a bit for the finish line.  I earnestly believed that once we had our lease negotiated and a contractor hired, the hard part would be over.  Then I moved on to thinking that if we could get our doors open, then surely the roughest part was over.  And then I thought if I could figure out how to stock the store and stock Lucky's just right, then we could kick back and relax.  And then I thought if I could figure out how to increase production and maintain our sanity, we would turn the corner to this being easy.

Yeah.

Remember when Forrest Gump decides to just go run, and then he runs for months and months?

tumblr_mqnypuDLXR1rdh6hbo1_500

Here is the business advice that no one shares:  starting and growing a business is like a run with no finish line.  And in the most complex way, the hardest thing about it - the endurance needed, the relentless demands required to grow - are at the same time the most fantastic and compelling thing about the whole process.

So what's my point?  I've felt a little unhinged this past week (just ask my Inner Circle peeps...I've been a little, uh, needy as of late).  I think I've just been looking for the milestones and landmarks that show me I'm close to the finish line and when I couldn't find any, HELLO ANXIETY.  I ran around to all my usual suspects and had the whole "What the $%#* am I doing" conversation, and like the traffic cop, all the people I value the most set me back on track toward something.  So, thank you, people.

I think I've made peace with the fact that when we have big ideas for PJP V 2.0, we likely will never find that spot where we feel like we can completely relax.  Now that I've processed all that emotion, I'm okay with it (well, today I am).  And while I am not one for the inspirational quote, especially if they are accompanied on a poster by a kitten or a baby horse or something, this is on the PJP Pinterest because OH MY WORD, YES (and, no baby animals).

66986cd2ddbd64fcb6f3a640703d04f3-3