8 Things You Need to Know If You’re Thinking About Quitting Your Job And Starting A Business
Ways to stay on track while you make the transition
This last year has been quite an awakening. The isolation has caused many people to rethink their lives and their careers.
If you’re thinking about making a significant shift in your life, then here are a few pieces of advice to consider as you do it.
1) Any new direction comes with a learning curve. This means that you will NOT be good at it when you start. That’s OK. Try to be patient with yourself. It probably been a long time since you had to start from scratch. You’re out of practice.
2) It will take longer than you think. Because you’re learning new skills and you’re shifting directions, it will take time to build up the momentum you had in your previous endeavor. Mentally and financially, make sure you plan for a longer runway. Assume it will take you three times as long as you think it should.
3) You will get discouraged. It doesn’t matter how positive you are, you’ll hit a day where it’s just too hard and you’re too tired. Don’t choose that day to quit. Take the day off, do something fun, go to bed and get up the next day and keep plugging. If you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you will eventually get there.
4) Celebrate the small wins. For each big win, you’ll have 15–20 small ones. If you wait to celebrate until the big wins come, you may lose motivation. Instead, celebrate each small win: learning a new piece of software, getting your website up, picking a business name, etc. Each win gets you one step closer to success.
5) Crystallize Your Discontent. Make a long list of all the reasons you left your former life behind. This way when the new life gets hard, you can remind yourself of why you left. If you don’t do this, then you risk hitting the wall and going back to your old life because you forgot how much it sucked.
6) Get an accountability partner. When stepping into something new, it’s often helpful to have someone hold you accountable. This way there is someone who will call you out if you spend your days watching Netflix instead of launching your business.
7) Remind yourself of why this decision will make you happy. Every day remind yourself of why you chose this path and what it will bring you. Keeping your eye on the prize will keep your motivation levels high.
8) Take time off. When your financial future is on the line, it’s easy to get tunnel vision about having to get everything done yesterday. But it’s important to remember that you will actually be more productive if you take regular time off. Nothing is a faster path to burnout and non-productivity than working non-stop.
Any change is challenging. Change that is tied to your financial security can be really stressful. So using the tips above to help you stay motivated, positive, and moving forward while taking care of yourself will give you the best chances of success.
Here’s to your success. I believe in you. You’ve got this!
If you’re an empath and you’re starting your business, I have some more tips for you. Join my mailing list.
