Just about a year ago while attending one of the BMS Mastermind Conventions, I heard one of the other stylists say, “All of this is so great, but I’ve never done this shit before and I feel like it’s a case of new level, new devil.” My mind was blown and it’s stuck in my head ever since. I revisit this quote all the time when reflecting on my business and life, particularly whenever I face obstacles or adversity.

You would think 5 years into owning a brick and mortar space, 10 years as an entrepreneur, and almost 19 in the industry, that it would be easier than it is. I’ve done a lot of different things in that time, but I’ve never done some of what I’m doing right now. It’s stressful, but I’m compelled to keep going because I have a certain goal in mind. I’ve realized that as you get closer to your vision and goal, there’s a lot of shit you have to bust through, that you have to end, and that you have to have weird conversations about to move forward, but that’s exactly what that stylist was talking about. That’s the new devil.

The old devil is no longer tugging at you because you’ve pushed through that particular phase and now you’re onto something new. If you stay complacent, there’s still a devil you have to work with, whether it’s mediocrity or staying stagnant. For most of the people I’m around now, the idea of no growth or change seems like hell on Earth. But even though we would rather keep moving forward into new territory, it’s scary to face the new devils. At least with the old ones, you know what to expect. With uncharted territory, all the wins that you have are met with powerful adversity. There’s no playbook, and you’ve never done it before.

I’ve found that these new challenges are an addictive state of mind and place to be.

The new devil for me is that I keep on going and it never stops. I’m constantly asking myself, “Is it ever going to be good enough? Am I ever going to get to a place where I can settle it down a little bit?” I push myself past what I probably should be doing into what I feel called to do. I move very quickly, but it’s all pressure that I put on myself. My new level, new devil is branching out into unknown territory and how exciting and fulfilling that is.

It’s always just one more thing—let’s just keep stacking stuff on. So, as I share this with you all today—this is my reminder to check in with what I see in front of me and to make sure it’s what I want, and that if I need to slow down, I give myself permission to slow down and not put so much pressure on myself to do new new shit all the time. Maybe that new shit for me might be slowing down and falling back in love with some of the first things that I did.

What’s your new level, new devil? What are you currently struggling with in your business that you’ve never experienced before? I also encourage you, for the sake of perspective, to reflect on some of your old devils that you’ve already knocked out that don’t bother you anymore. It’s a cyclical process, but it’s always worth reminding ourselves how far we’ve come.