Expansion Is Awesome!

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Look at me internet! I did something new and scary this week. Friends, I finally went to a networking event!

I know this may not sound like a big deal to many of you, but the idea of throwing myself into a room full of strangers and talking about myself is, horrifying? Alarming? Sweat-producing? Vomit-inducing? Yeah, all that and more, trust me.

I almost didn't go. The two previous nights I'd gone to bed past 2 a.m., so I was seriously sleep-deprived. I also needed a shower and was in an assy mood (because of the no sleep thing). But? But, I pulled myself together in a couple of hours and went anyway! Yes, dammit!

Every time I considered not going I felt really disappointed in myself. Which is a far cry from the other times I'd vaguely planned to go to a networking event and then crapped out on myself. Normally, I decide to stay home (sometimes for actual reasons, but mostly for chicken-shittery) and that's it. I ruminate over how I should have gone for about two minutes and then forget it.

This time, though, when I've been talking about EXPANSION this year and haven't actually done much of it, I could tell that I would really hold this not-going against myself. If I didn't go now, when the year is half over, I figured I never would. The very least I could do was go and see what happened, right? I figured if I got there and it was really an animalistic orgy I could always leave early.

Of course it wasn't that bad! It wasn't the most fun I'd ever had, or anything (due to the terror), but I didn't embarrass myself, either. So, Yay! Plus, I got some leads from a couple of the other networkers that could really help me out vis-a-vis more freelance work.

I'm planning, again and for real, to go to another event from a different networking group next Tuesday. I'll let you know how it turns out!

What was the last scary task you completed that you'd been meaning to do forever?