10 Steps to Escape the Job World and Create the Life You Really Want
1. GET THE POINT ? OF LIFE, THAT IS. How many of us will look back in our old age and wish we'd gone to more meetings or put in more overtime. The point? Despite pressure to "play it safe" by sticking with your day job ("...but dear, you have a good job, you want to be HAPPY too?") you have every right to follow your entrepreneurial dreams. With the realization that life is for living comes the understanding that it is up to you ? and you alone ? to create the kind of life you really want.
2. GET THE RIGHT PICTURE. Be honest. How much time do you spend bitching about your lousy boss, hellish commute and on and on? As satisfying as a good gripe session is, you're wasting precious energy on the wrong picture. Five minutes a day spent visualizing your ideal work-life and fashioning a plan to get you there will move you far closer to your goal than 30 minutes of complaining about what you don't want. Bottom line: You won't see yourself doing it until you can see yourself doing it.
3. GET CLUED INTO YOUR PASSION. The most successful entrepreneurs love what they do. Haven't quite figured out where your passion lies? Start paying attention to situations or things that grab and keep your attention. Focus less on your skills (what you CAN do) or your resume (what you HAVE done) and instead, try to tune into what it is you really LOVE and WANT to do. What types of things did you love to do as a child? What kinds of characteristics or talents do people compliment you on? What kind of work or lifestyles do you envy? If you don't yet have the knowledge or skills to turn your heart work into a business venture, make it your business to fill the gaps.
4. GET A GRIP ON "IT."Â In her book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, Susan Jeffers says IT is what scares you ? and ultimately, what's holding you back from going after your dream. Perhaps your fear centers on money, or that you're not "smart enough," or that you'll fall flat on your face. Let's face it ? shaking up your life is scary. Yet, "Unless you walk out into the unknown," says Tom Peters, "the odds of making a profound difference in your life are pretty low." So go ahead and indulge in your worst-case fantasy. Then get busy figuring out what steps you can take to prevent it from happening.
5. GET REAL. You've seen the easy money pitches: "Earn $1,000 a week stuffing envelopes in the comfort of your own home." Sounds great, right? Now, snap out of it! Launching your own business takes time and effort. You should also expect a drop in income ? at least in the beginning. Now is the time to revisit the ideal life you outlined in Step 2 and ask yourself, "How much do I really want my ideal life? What am I willing to do or give up to get it?" If you are serious about living life on your own terms, the sacrifice will be worth it.
6. GET INFORMED. Change always seems scarier when you have either inadequate, or worse, inaccurate information. Go to the library. Join associations. Talk to people who have started similar businesses. Take classes. Read trade publications. Subscribe to ezines. The more informed you are, the less "risky" the risks become.
7. GET READY. A goal has been described as a dream with a deadline. Take out a calendar. Even if you haven't nailed down all the details, you should still go ahead and set a target date for when you want your "new life" to begin. Besides being a great source of motivation, knowing how much time you have between now and "D-ream day" lets you create a realistic plan for hitting it.
8. GET SUPPORT. Enthusiasm is contagious, but so is pessimism. Avoid the nay Sayers and try to seek out others who share your passion for living life on your own terms. Consider meeting weekly with other aspiring entrepreneurs to generate ideas, share information and help each other stay on track.
9. GET GOING. To keep from being overwhelmed ? yet still make headway ? break your larger goal down into more manageable steps. Then, no matter how hectic thing get, pledge to take at least one action a day. Even the smallest actions ? jotting down a new idea, reading a single page, or making one phone call ? start to add up. And, once you actually get the ball rolling, it's hard to stop!
10. GET GRATITUDE. At the same time you're setting your sights on achieving your future goal, be mindful of how much abundance you have in your life RIGHT NOW! Changing course is a journey. Count your blessings and enjoy the ride. When you think about it, it's all we really have. "Off the beaten career path" consultant, Valerie Young, abandoned her corporate cubicle to become the Dreamer in Residence at http://www.ChangingCourse.com, offering free resources to help you discover your life mission and live it. Her career change tips have been cited The Wall Street Journal, USA Today Weekend, Redbook, Entrepreneur's Business Start Ups, and on-line at MSN, CareerBuilder, and iVillage.com. An expert on the Impostor Syndrome, she's presented her How to Feel as Bright and Capable as Everyone Seems to Think You Are program to thousands of people.
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
I Quit!
More and more people are calling it quits to successful careers to create some personal leisure time or to pursue another career. This trend is becoming more popular and common. Years ago few people voluntarily quit a job midway through their careers, no matter how unhappy they were. It was not acceptable to leave one job without having another job to go to. There was a stigma present that you were damaged goods if you did so.
Sample Cover Letters ... The Hidden Pitfalls
You can benefit from sample cover letters as they can help you learn about the constructs of a high quality cover letter.
Relocation Issues...Who Will Pay?
In light of recent unemployment figures, and a continual downturn in the labor market, many unemployed professionals are finding themselves in a bind when their benefits or severance packages are depleted. It is not easy to compete with 300-600 resumes for one job. Those seeking jobs through postings on the web or through a professional recruitment service must consider a new place to live as well as a new employment situation -- if they are serious about the jobs they are applying for.
Don?t Be Too Passionate About Your Work
Of course, she then offered me a six-month process, costing thousands of dollars to get me back on track. However, I must say she was ethical in her approach and suggested I get a medical check up to rule out any physical or mental-health issues.
Resurrecting the Perfect Resume, Part One
Is your resume dead? Don't be so quick to say, "No way!" Of the hundreds of resumes I've seen written by job seekers of all backgrounds and educational levels, easily 95% qualify to be labelled as dead-but-not-yet-buried.Â
Top 10 Resume Writing Tips to Get You the Interview
There are many reasons why you could be in the market
for a new job right now. Perhaps...
The Big Mo : Momentum and the Hiring Process
Momentum as defined by Webster's is: strength or force gained by motion or through the development of events. For our purposes, the interview process is a "development of events". Creating and maintaining momentum throughout the interview process is critical to attracting and securing top candidates in today's competitive market. Momentum or "The Big Mo'" as I frequently call it is a term widely used by sportscasters to describe the modification of energy between two parties to in a sporting event or game. As a recruiter, we see both sides of the hiring process. Rather than have momentum shift from one participant to the other, we seek to have momentum or positive energy shared and exchanged by the participants, moving in unison with each other towards a common goal.
How to Conquer Job Hunting Apathy
Jack, downsized from his last job, was frozen in a place called Apathy. Had been for months now. Knew he had to get moving, had to find a job, but ? just couldn't seem to get his act together. Oh, he'd tried ? a little. But his lack of immediate success just made him that much more apathetic.
Writing CVs and Resumes for Professionals with Examples
Tips on writing your Skills and Achievement Based CV (ABCV) by Mike Kelley at First Impressions
Recruiters for MSN or Data Miners?
Is Kenexa recruiting for Microsoft or just mining for data?
Seven Myths You Must Challenge Now To Begin Your Second Career Today
* Has it been awhile since you explored career options?
Change Your Career, Change Your Life!
Lots of times I see and talk to people who are tired, bored and burnt out of their current jobs. I'm not sure what causes this dis- satisfaction. One reason, though, that I've thought about is that the work they are doing is not their life passion. Or, if it was, something in the person has changed or the passion needs to be re-kindled.
A Look At Some Out of the Ordinary Jobs
What do you want to be when you grow up? Chances are if you ask that question in any third grade class, your answers will include at least one fireman, one policeman, one cowboy and an assortment of other jobs that are glamorized on television and books.
Learn How to Throw a Boomerang
Actually, "the boomerang effect" is a relatively new trend of inviting back talented former employees into the fold.
Troubleshooting Your Job Search
OK. You've posted your resume online. You've sent out a dozen copies answering classified ads. You've told everyone in your network that you're looking for a job.
Finding Your Ideal Career
In the current climate, many people are looking away from the traditional job market towards working for themselves. The massive redundancies and job-insecurity has caused many people to radically rethink their career plans. With the ever rising cost of living, many would be happy just earning extra money to support their family and to pay the bills.
A Concept That Could Double Youre Income in Mystery Shopping
Do you want to double, or increase significantly you're income in mystery shopping? If yes, I'll be sharing to you an age old concept. Now you might have learned this already or you may consider this common sense. But is a concept that's worth drilling on for more knowledge or for the sake of repetition, mind you "Repetition is the mother of all skills".
Phone Interviews: Prepare to Ace Them!
More companies are saving time and effort by doing initial telephone interviews before committing themselves to hours of time assessing and evaluating applicants. They are doing this because, frankly, it's a good way to save a team's time from interviewing obviously unqualified people. From your standpoint, this means that you need to develop an additional interview skill.
3 Secrets to Landing a Home-Based Position
Landing a telecommute position isn't easy. Finding them in the first place is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Then, when you finally do find one that looks promising, it's filled before you can even click on "apply for this job".
Careers-Changing Jobs: The Fantasy of the Ideal Job
Most people would agree that the concept of a job today is vastly different from that of 20 years ago. Organisations are changing at speed, technology has changed the face and pace of work, and globalisation is pushing every business to examine it's operations in a totally different context.
|