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." 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.
MORE RESOURCES:
 Bloomberg | Nokia to axe 4000 jobs, move assembly to Asia Reuters To cut assembly jobs in Finland, Hungary, Mexico * Moves smartphone assembly to Asia * Shares 1.2 pct higher By Tarmo Virki, European Technology Correspondent HELSINKI, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Struggling Finnish phone maker Nokia plans to cut 4000 more jobs ... Nokia Plans to Eliminate 4000 Jobs as It Shifts Device Assembly to Asia Nokia to Cut 4000 Jobs, Shift Production to Asia Nokia cuts 4000 jobs in smartphone struggle |
 The Idaho Statesman | Acme's parent company to cut 800 jobs Philadelphia Inquirer By Maria Panaritis Acme Markets' corporate parent, Supervalu Inc., announced Tuesday it would cut 800 jobs across the country by the end of its fiscal year Feb. 25 as part of ongoing cost-reduction efforts. The Minneapolis-based supermarket retail ... Jewel-Osco cutting corporate jobs in Chicago Supervalu to cut 800 jobs nationwide CORRECT: Supervalu To Cut 800 Office Jobs By Feb 25 In Turnaround Effort |
 USA TODAY | Job openings jump to near 3-year high Albany Times Union The number of available jobs jumped in December, nearly matching a three-year high reached last fall, a hopeful sign that January's large job gain may continue. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) In this Feb. 3, 2012 photo, workers at Three World Trade ... More job openings, but job hunters don't have skills needed Dodge Dart Adds Thousands of Jobs Near Chicago Chrysler to add 1800 jobs, expand plant in Illinois |
 Boston.com | Available jobs leap to three-year high Pioneer Press The number of available jobs in the United States jumped in December to near a three-year high, supporting other data that show a brighter outlook for hiring. Companies and governments posted 3.38 million jobs in December, the Labor Department said ... Job openings rise to 3.4 million in December Available jobs rise; hiring still flat Number of available jobs reaches 3-year high, report shows |
 Mashable | Apps industry has created 466000 jobs since 2007, study says Los Angeles Times The demand for applications for games, quantum physics and many other things has created 466000 jobs in the US since 2007, according to an analysis released Tuesday by technology trade group TechNet. The estimate counts 311000 jobs at companies making ... 'App Economy' has created 466000 US jobs App Stores Create 500000 U.S. Jobs Apps-related jobs tallied at 466K in US |
 First Coast News | Cloud computing, apps power jobs growth in Silicon Valley Times of India SAN FRANCISCO: Silicon Valley is creating jobs and wealth for highly skilled workers but may be leaving some residents behind as employment closes in on pre-Great Recession levels, according to a report released Tuesday. The 2012 Silicon Valley Index ... Report: Silicon Valley sees growth in jobs, wealth |
 Los Angeles Times | Jobs numbers undermine Romney's raison d'Ãtre Statesman Journal Last month, 243000 jobs were created. That's significantly more than the 155000 new jobs economists had predicted, according to the Associated Press. In the wake of this latest report indicating a healing economy, Mitt Romney, the front-runner in the ... Keep pushing on jobs, Mr. President Obama's re-election campaign finds fuel with new job reports, GOP primaries Good jobs data force GOP pivot |
INSIGHT-The dark side of Germany's jobs miracle Reuters Jobs miracle fuelled by low-wage sector boom * More wage inequality, working poor in Germany * Germany reregulates jobs market as Europe deregulates By Sarah Marsh and Holger Hansen STRALSUND, Germany, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Anja has been scrubbing floors ... Insight: The dark side of Germany's jobs miracle |
 ABC Online | Job losses take centre stage in parliament ABC Online Parliament today heard competing explanations about recent job losses in Australia with pledges to save jobs and the promise of more broadband too, so we get a wrap of the day's action. CHRIS UHLMANN, PRESENTER: The Prime Minister stepped up her attack ... |
 Straits Times | As Massachusetts governor, Romney had an unremarkable record on jobs Washington Post A tepid economy is not producing enough jobs. And a successful businessman promises he can use his private-sector experience to jump-start the economy. This is presidential candidate Mitt Romney now, but it was also Romney nearly a decade ago when he ... Obama approval soars to 50 pc on jobs figures Obama approval soars to 50% on jobs figures The downward mobility of the American middle class |
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