Anniversary: Year 6
As the saying goes, the days go by slowly, but the years pass by quickly. January 2, 2024 marks the 6-year anniversary of D.M. Watson Consulting, LLC. It’s been an unexpected ride with various highs and lows, and stops and starts. I had a lot of questions coming into this year. Is this what I want to do? Where can I find new clients? Should I go back to being an employee? The life of an entrepreneur can be filled with doubt and uncertainty. Imposter syndrome always seems to be lurking at my doorstep. The temptation to settle for less than what you want is right next to it. These first 11 days of the year have been a powerful time of reflection and introspection for me. As a woman of God, I’ve had to stop and take a hard look at where my source has been. Honestly, I have been seeking to do it all myself and that has led me to a place of lack. The scriptures in Haggai shed light on my trouble.
“Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.” Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord. You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.” Haggai 1:6-9 ESV
This passage is a directive to the Jews who had lost sight of God as their first priority. They had returned from exile and had begun to rebuild their lives, but they had neglected to rebuild the temple of God. I found myself in a similar place. I had returned to a traditional workplace from 2021-2022 while keeping D.M. Watson Consulting active on the side. In the summer of 2022, I went back to consulting full-time. While rebuilding my company, I didn’t forget God, but He wasn’t my top priority and my attitude toward my business did not reflect Him. I became focused on all the minutia and my own capabilities. And just like verse 6 says, I had sown much but harvested little. I had also become compartmentalized, separating my faith from my business. I didn’t realize I was doing that until I had a conversation with a friend of mine who was helping me brainstorm for the year. I admitted out loud that I didn’t have any passion for work and had lost all care for it. She asked me what I was passionate about and I replied, “The Lord. I don’t really care about anything else.” She said I can hear that in your voice. You sound different when you talk about God than when you talk about business. She encouraged me to take a break, hone in on what I want, and be myself.
So I did. I took a couple days and met with the Lord. He gave me the book of Haggai and some revelations about lies I was believing from the enemy. I hadn’t lost my passion for business as I had thought. I had bought into a lie from Satan. The Lord also gave me some new business ideas and a renewed delight for my company. I enjoy being an entrepreneur. It gives me freedom that is unlike working for an employer. I get to be myself, but it is up to me to be my full self and not a piecemeal version of me. And the full me loves Jesus and talking about Him, as well as putting things in order!
So here’s to year 6! I’m looking forward to having God as the priority in my company and shaping my attitude; receiving the full return for the work; and being all of me.
