It is all up to you—no boss breathing down your neck. This is the exciting part and the scary part. Now is your chance to show your stuff. You have been talking this up for a long time. Let yourself shine!

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Mind-map and get the big picture of how things interlink and impact each other. Take action on plan A, get feedback, and when plan A isn’t working, shift to plan B. You will also need plans C, and D, and maybe even Z.

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Fail often and early, and soon you will be soaring. The toughest lessons viscerally settle in your bones never to be forgotten. No academic learning can match the raw power of wisdom learned in the fire.

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Anything and everything can happen and it will. Be ready to flex and change course on a dime. At the last minute, a client refuses to sign the contract. Your key employee leaves abruptly. You are left whirling in the dust.

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Everyone will tell you that you need to re-do your business plan. Soon you will be doing nothing but. Business plans are important but they will be out of date by tomorrow. Create them based on the purpose--for you or investors?

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