It’s time to say yes…I hope…

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I hate to admit it, but I’m a “no” girl.

My gut reaction to almost every inquiry is to quickly say no, and assume I’m not ready for whatever is being requested. I pretty much hate this about myself, because I tend to miss out on a lot of opportunities. Recently, I said no to a certain something, and after putting more thought into it, I realized that maybe I should have given myself a little more credit. The other night I was given a second chance of sorts, and decided it was time to say yes!

A few weeks ago, Doniree was assisting me with a few technical things, and we started talking about my new blog design. She asked me if I had created my header myself, and I shyly replied, that yes, I had. She asked me if I had ever thought about freelancing, and I told her that I had thought about it, but didn’t think I was ready for it. I mentioned that I am going back to school, and would hopefully be ready after that. My fear is that I’m just not good enough, because I’m comparing myself to designers like Ashley and Jamie, and obviously I’m nowhere near their skill level yet. The next day, when I was talking to someone who knows it’s my dream to do freelance web design, he wanted to hit me. He told me that I was throwing away an opportunity, especially when it came from someone like Doniree, who has a TON of connections. I started to rethink the whole thing, and began to realize that Doniree wouldn’t have asked if she didn’t think I could handle it. I started to tell myself I should have said yes.

Then a couple days ago, Doniree posted on Twitter that she was looking for designers who primarily use the Thesis design frame. Thesis is the only platform I’m using right now, so I raised my hand. She was putting together a list of Thesis designers to provide to clients looking for help. She asked if I would like to be included, and of course, again, my first instinct was to say no, I’m not ready yet, maybe in the future. I turned to Justin and asked his opinion. He said his only worry is that I would take on too much, get in over my head, get frustrated, and quit designing. He said he knows how much I love it, and he didn’t want to see me lose that. (Perfect husband material, amiright?)

After thinking about it for a while, I decided it was time to finally say yes! I figured it couldn’t hurt to at least be added to the list. Of course there is a chance that no one will ever choose me off the list, but if I’m not on it, they don’t even have me as an option. I told Doniree to let me know if anything comes up that she thinks I can handle. I hold her opinion very high in the world of blogging and all things Internet, so I think she has a better understanding of what I’m capable of, than even I do.

This may all lead to nothing, but it also might lead to the very beginning of my freelance design career. I’m super proud of myself for saying yes, and I hope this will push me to do so more often!

Are you a “yes” or “no” person? Has anything major come along to change that?