WHAT NOW? — C.E.O- Chasing Every Opportunity

I’m going to mix it up on this blog and get a little serious with you guys for once (I know you’re shocked, but please stick around.) What sparked this blog was my recent trip home. I had a bag of mixed emotions and all throughout the week all I could think about is, what is my next step?

For those that know me personally, it’s known that I’m a planner. Whether it’s a one, five, or ten-year plan. I like to have one in place. It typically leaves me with peace of mind and something tangible to go back to when I feel lost. So, when I made the choice to move to NYC it was a little bit of an unplanned adventure, basically I was just betting on myself to succeed (which I heavily recommend to all.) Fast forward 9 months and in the current worlds eyes I have found success. I have a job where I make plenty of money, I live alone in a spacious apartment, I’m able to do photoshoots to increase my exposure, and I have a large social media presence (all that really matter right?) In the beginning I loved this, I thought it would leave me happy forever and I would never leave. However, seeing my family and experiencing the memories from being in my hometown changed a lot of that. It made me realize that in all honesty that stuff doesn’t mean shit. Who cares how many followers we have on IG, all that game leads to is considering others’ lives and sparking jealousy and lust. Just some food for thought, this doesn’t mean I’m going to stop doing what I’m doing on social media, might as well play the game and see where it leads.

I have digressed, the main point of this blog is to tackle some tough questions that I had to ask myself, and I want to share it with as many people as I can in hopes that it helps someone going through a tough time.

WILL I LEAVE NEW YORK?

I still love what this city offers. The energy, the opportunity, and the unique individuals here make it an amazing place to live. Like I’ve said time and time again, if people want more out of their life, New York City is 100% the move. It’s great for young, single, ambitious people. For these reasons, I believe that my time in the Big Apple has a clock on it. I do eventually want a wife and kids (two boys) and I think at some point in time my goals will shift and starting a family will begin to take precedence over my success. For my family, I really like the smaller town vibe. When I say small town I just mean smaller than New York. Being raised in a small town where I knew everyone and could play every sport is something that I want for my future children and family. I think that raising a family in this(NYC) environment would be very challenging. I’m not saying impossible, but difficult at the least. I still have a lot I want to accomplish before I leave. I want to be set up so that when or if I do move, I have the freedom to start my own business and branch out on my own. In my mind that will take anywhere from 3-5 years before I even consider moving somewhere else.

WHERE WILL I MOVE?

This is the question that has weighed on me the most. The two logical decisions would be Lubbock or somewhere in Oklahoma. The reason I think Lubbock is a bad move is due to the memories I have there. Sure, there are some good ones. However, my time before I moved are filled with more bad than good. I tended to make selfish decisions at the expense of people closest to me. I feel like moving back would be a constant reminder of those times, and that’s not something I would like to go through. I still love Lubbock and all the people that I’ve become close with over the years, but I think a permanent move would not be ideal. Oklahoma makes sense because virtually all my family lives there, they have large cities and suburb options, and I believe my parents will eventually end up there as well. It has been a very independent experience being so far away from my loved ones, but it is not something I want to experience the rest of my life.

SHORT TERM PLAN

My immediate plans are as follows in my goals list.

1. Find a church home in NYC. (any recommendations?)

2. Be head fitness trainer of multiple OTF studios. (1)

3. Have 50K in bank account. (almost halfway)

4. Make it on a magazine cover.

5. Travel to London/Spain/Greece.

I did write this at like 11:45 pm on December 31st so there definitely is some fine tuning needed. The reason for these goals are as follows. I think a church home is a great way to meet genuine people. There’s something about New York vibes that tend to make people selfish and “me” oriented, I think a church home could fix that. I want to be head trainer of multiple studios so that I can learn more about the business. I love OTF and what we do, and if there’s opportunity for growth there I will certainly take it. The money goal is for financial freedom, if I can keep progressing at that rate yearly I believe it will lead to me having more overall opportunities for my future whatever it may be. Making it on a magazine cover is strictly vanity purposes. When my kids ask about my time in NYC that’s what I want to show them. I love traveling, and while I’m here those destinations are very close and easy to get to.

HAPPINESS

I’d like to end this blog with a small touch on happiness from my point of view. When reading this, I hope that it isn’t viewed in a negative light. I am not constantly sad or hating my life. I share these thoughts because it has been weighing heavily on me lately. I have thought a lot about the future and a lot about what happiness truly looks like. It’s funny, what we take for granted in the past. One of the most challenging things about leaving Lubbock was not having my mother and family at my side. The second hardest was leaving behind my best friend that also happened to be a previous girlfriend of mine. The thing that made it hardest was not the loss of a girlfriend. It was the loss of a best friend. Someone that listens to all that is on your mind and constantly there for us. She now is dating someone else and I really am so happy for her. She is an amazing individual and I wish nothing but happiness for her. The feeling of this loss was the hardest thing about being in Lubbock. It left a sour taste in my mouth and constantly occupied my thoughts. So, to those that have that person in your life, hold on to them and never take it for granted.

I hope this could help some of you and some way. I’ll make sure to keep future blogs light hearted, comedy is by far my strongest attributeJ.