A little bit of a late start on the new year motivation, but I hope this one finds you just in time.
If this year isn’t about replicating or finding your joys, I hope it is about doing things differently and not making excuses. How else do you grow, how else do you see a change if you hold on to what no longer serves you?
I think one of the things that convinced me to finally fully throw myself into entrepreneurship was the resolve that I wasn’t going to keep doing the same thing- getting the same results and then complaining about it. Complaining all the time is not fun -for anybody.
If, like most of us, you have been working for others your whole adult life it’s tough to define success any other way and harder to move forward without a letter of appointment confirming your competency for a job. I had to build up the courage to embark on this journey and even then, it was just enough to start. Have faith in yourself and your capabilities and know that your own approval is enough.
But, before you take that leap though, there are a few things to get out of your way for an easer transition to your own personal entrepreneurial journey:
Get Out Of Debt: If you are still employed, some companys offer financial aid programs to help you manage debt, use those. It’s never too late to start chipping away at debt and it’ll ease some of the financial pressures you might feel from not having a steady income in the beginning. If you have the option of moving back with your folks in order to do this, please do, I didn’t- I’m married AF 🙂 and my parents are in another province. I used my previous year at my job dedicating it to clearing my debt (which was only college debt, I’ve never like accounts) and then I put away half of my last bonus straight into savings and continued living like it didn’t exist, which brings me to my next point.
Cut Back, Miss Out, : And prioritize saving, there’s nothing as disheartening as having business goals but zero startup capital. You don’t have to shop for new dresses EVERY spring, winter coats every winter, not if you are an adult- the old ones still fit. You don’t have to be at every lunch with your friends, spend some time getting your rent’s worth and stay in. In fact, you probably don’t need that gym membership that you use once a month- hiking is free, a walk is free, pop in and see your friends, vice versa without the pressure of bills. There will be a time to get back into all of that.
Get Familiar With Budgeting: It is going to be your lifeline from this point on. Knowing how much you NEED to live on is so powerful so that you can cut yourself a break and set yourself up for success (you’ll also realize just how much you were living in excess). This helped me confidently quit my job knowing I wasn’t about to make us homeless because my savings were decent and my lifestyle inexpensive. I had a few months cushion to figure myself out, (I miscalculated of course -once I got serious about my business the expenses piled up and it was crunch time!)
Treat It Like A Job– Not unemployment, not a hobby: That means you wake up and make things happen. Talk about your business with vision and intention, set goals both long and short term. Research in depth the things you have your sights on for your business. You’re about to start one of the biggest journeys of your life, not everyone can do that, not everyone wants to, its a lot. And it’s all good to talk about our plans and ideas but until there’s action and discipline behind it all-others will have a hard time getting behind your vision – just do it.
Make It Happen 
Get Excited | Be Consistent
Give Yourself Grace: I quit my job and my first 2 months were spent running away. What I mean is I went on interviews, I still went to the gym for a short while, I injured myself at said gym, doing everything BUT pursuing the thing I said I wanted. I left the business I’d started 4 months prior hanging. This was until I noticed that I didn’t believe myself at these interviews- I didn’t want to be hired as bad as I said I did, I was tired of it, so I stopped going and finally examined my spirit. I realized I simply had been stalling, I had some healing to do before I could attempt to show up for myself and my business. The healing was a process and it started with me acknowledging I was in a terrible place and then spending constructive time with myself. In these moments have grace, life happens and it’s OK, just remember you have to get up, eventually, because you are not allowed to give up on yourself, it’s not an option.
You are NOT an empty vessel– nobody wasted their time teaching you how to talk, walk, and sharpening your natural talents, so pull on all your experiences, lessons- uplifting interactions with friends and family- at work, everything that’s ever been poured into you. You are not starting at point zero, with nothing. You should be familiar with your strengths by now, now is the time to show off all the smarts you’ve been collecting throughout your life.