| 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.
George
Elliot once said, "It's never too late to be what you
might have been." Which is why former corporate cubicle-dweller
Valerie Young got off the fast track to become the Dreamer-in-Residence
at http://www.changingcourse.com.
Changing course offers inspiration and information to help
you find your life mission and live it. Barbara Sher, best-selling
author of I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was calls
Changing Course "wonderful, inspired and informative."
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