Hung By The Hustle || Young Professional Series

The holidays are upon us and with them, the mad dash to wrap up all the gifts and loose ends of the year.

Like most things in horses, a lot of what they teach us has very little to do with horses.

One of the lessons that is especially important not only as a young professional but just in life in general— slow down to speed up.

The first year of starting your business is “ALLLLLLLL the things,” as a dear friend of mine would say. Meaning you have all the highs, all the lows, all the doubt, all the support, all the high hopes, and lots of challenges. Expect this roller coaster ride throughout your entire career. Working in the horse industry is not for the faint of heart, but passion is truly dismissive to most of it.

As a young professional, you quickly adapt and accept the hustle. We all become masters to some degree or another at multitasking and juggling the wide array of responsibility that is horses…and just life. Period.

It can become super easy to fall into this pattern of hustle. The hard work, although exhausting, becomes auto pilot. This is useful, but also deadly to your joy in this career.

Manual requires more attention, but that’s when the details become yours.

Don’t forget that when you choose to become a young professional in this industry, especially if you chose to operate your own program, you get a BIG say in what you want that to look like.

Speeding through the hustle, which inevitably comes with owning your own business, is good on some days and regretful on others.

Slow down to speed up.

If you’re anything like me, you want to (and almost always do) say yes.

“Yes, I can squeeze that lesson in.”

“Yes, I can add a ride this week.”

“Yes, I can stay after and talk about how she is progressing.”

“Yes, I can fit 5 new students on the calendar.”

“Yes, I can school him before he arrives.”

99% of the time I say yes because I genuinely want to.

But saying yes, all the time puts the multitasking, scheduling, organizational side of my brain on overdrive. Speed through it. Answer quickly. Great ride, got to go!

Here one second, gone the next, and suddenly a whole year has passed.

I’m happy I can look back on it with such admiration, even amidst a pandemic, but where was the pause to enjoy the creation? Am I happy with the trajectory of my program?

When was the last time you asked yourself if you were happy with what you’ve created?

When was the last time you asked what more do want?

What do you not want more of?

When was the last time you just stood without questioning any of it?

Slow down to speed up.

Revel in the wake of the hustle.

I preach this DAILY to my riders. Focus on the fundamentals. Ride the horse you’re on. Don’t get ahead of your horse. Push don’t pull.

Slow down to speed up.

If you are always on the next move before finishing the current one, when were you ever present? This is the most incredibly easy trap to fall into, on horseback or not.

Afterall, the ink you lay down today will be the story remembered tomorrow. The hard work will always be there. The good, the bad, the ugly, and the overwhelmingly happy—it’ll be there. You don’t want to miss it. Being a young professional is such a gift. It’s an open invitation to create, recreate, and brand a story and program of your own. Enjoy all the steps not just the finish line.

Slow down to speed up.

This is just one chapter… and so begins another in just a few short weeks.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

XO

Iron Ardour Equestrian