Don’t Quit Your Day Job, Unless You’re Willing To Do These Three Things by @LynnBardowski

by Lynn Bardowski

A frequent question I get asked is, “How did you know?” As in, how did you know when you quit your day job that it would all turn out ok. How do you know the bills will get paid and you won’t lose everything you’ve worked for? My first answer is, I don’t recommend anyone quit their day job until they’ve created a business plan and gained some experience with their new venture. I did both for six months, working my day job Monday – Friday while building my direct sales biz on the weekend. With a three and five year old to care for, my husband had to fill in the gaps. It was a stressful six months for all of us, but it gave me the experience and confidence I needed to make my crazy idea work.

My second answer is, giving up a weekly paycheck and going all in on your entrepreneur dream is scary. Channeling your fears, which my Mom called “sink or swim”, can be very motivating. You’ll swim faster and harder to keep your head above water, giving up all the excuses that are pulling you down. Fear gives you no other choice.

Don’t Quit Your Day Job Unless You’re Willing To Do These Three Things.

• Give up your stuff. Becoming a full-time entrepreneur requires sacrifice. My husband and I cut back on everything from the Disney channel to the daily newspaper. Coffee at Starbucks? Forget about it. At the end of the day, none of those things brought us happiness. Get lean and mean and create a budget with less frills. Cut back, stay in more and clip coupons, it still beats working for someone else any day of the week.

• Go all in. When you go all in there’s no looking back. Like the “Who’s with me?!” scene in Jerry Maguire, going all in is a wild, fun, exhilarating ride that will take you out of your comfort zone. You’ll be amazed at how many ideas you can come up with when your business is your only source of income. Be prepared to go on a life changing journey that will enrich your life, and your bank account. Life’s to short to not play big.

• Fire your a$$ if you need to. Being a good boss of you can be a challenge when you work from home. There’s so many distractions… GMA, The Ellen Show and don’t forget the big traffic jam in between your bedroom and your work space, which may be the kitchen table. The best advice I heard was from business consultant Kathleen Cashman, CEO of Cashman Consulting. Kathleen says, “Fire yourself every Monday and work your butt off to get hired back by Friday.”

Quitting a day job is something most people dream about, but few will act on. When your why is big enough, you’ll figure out how to get there.

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Lynn Bardowski: Award-winning Entrepreneur, Top 100 Small Biz Influencer, Speaker, Amazon #1 Author, Radio Host. Mom of 2. Detour Taker, Wine Taster, Traveler. milliondollarpartygirl.com

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