Overcoming brick walls and self doubt

Brick walls can come gradually or all at once.

The past few weeks, I've had my fair share of brick walls. While I've been working on getting my data storytelling consultancy "The Data Rocker" off the ground, there's been a degree of fear and self doubt about setting up my own business.

What if this doesn't work out? How am I going to get business coming in? Is data storytelling going to ease my client's pain in their jobs day-to-day? These questions keep coming back when I'm working on my business. However, that's not the only bit of self-doubt I'm facing now.

Starting a business while also freelancing and full-time job hunting is not easy. Having worked in journalism, the media and data storytelling sectors for over a decade, the self doubt still remains. In fact, I still don't know if I will ever work in those sectors again.

Embracing the unknown

For much of my career, I've embraced uncertainty. It is a skill I've gotten better at over the years through various professional phases, whether in journalism, digital marketing, data storytelling and beyond.

Not knowing if I would ever work as a journalist or data storyteller again still plays on my mind. However, I've learned to accept that discomfort is a crucial component to embracing uncertainty.

Discomfort is the only way to accelerate my professional development, which in turn, makes me a better data storyteller and person. Even if I hit several brick walls at once, I will find a way to overcome them, one wall at a time.

Even if it means working in another sector to pay my way in the sector I want to work in or starting from the bottom, so be it. I'm not afraid of hard work and if it means readdressing how I work, then it can only be a good thing for me long-term.

Resilience is a superpower

"Umar, your resilience is inspiring. How do you keep going when you've been constantly rejected for freelance/contract/full-time work?"

Many people in the media and non-media sectors have complemented my resilience for a good while. If I wanted to build a career in the media, I had to get used to weathering rejections, which built up the resilience required to overcome any challenge I have faced.

Resilience is one of my superpowers. The ability to keep going when you have nothing left or you are trying to break through a brick wall is useful in both professional and personal contexts. Now, my resilience forms part of how I tackle things head-on.

The lesson I've learned

Being busy for the sake of being busy is a symptom for hitting brick walls. Combine that with always working and you guarantee perpetual burnout and disillusionment.

I like to stay busy and there's nothing wrong with that. However, the issue with constantly working is you don't get a chance to switch off. Throughout my career, I've been guilty many times of working at 100mph and then hitting brick wall after brick wall.

Now, if I hit a brick wall, I take a break or move onto something else, which gives me the mental space to go back to something with a fresh pair of eyes. Taking breaks is absolutely fine, as long as you use them intentionally, instead of leaving aside something you want to do.

Self doubt and brick walls can consume you, but they don't have to leave you paralysed. Wherever my next professional adventure takes me, whether it is consulting or full-time employment in the media, I know I'm going to give it my best shot.