(So You Can Quit Your Job)
Was one of your New Year’s resolutions to quit your 9-5 in 2017? Are you feeling frustrated that, with only 111 days in the year, it hasn’t happened yet?
Let’s face it, when you're thinking about quitting a job but you're scared to, it's probably because you're thinking about how to make at least as much money as you're currently making at your 9-5, right?
I get it. I told myself that story for years before I finally quit my job, but, when I did, I replaced my income in the first month, so I know it's possible (and yes, I asked myself a million times, "Why didn't I quit sooner?!?").
I want you to quit sooner, so here are three tips to replace your income so that you can quit your 9-5:
Tip #1: Start on the side.
I’m not here to tell you to quit your job cold-turkey and then figure it all out after that. I believe in starting smart & strategically.
Even if you feel like you don’t have time or clarity, you can start somewhere, right now. Clarity and confidence both come from taking action, not from waiting to get clear or confident until you do, so it's time to get serious about starting or growing your business on the side of your 9-5.
Try just 5 minutes of action today, and see what that gets you. Did you love what you did? Did you hate it? Are you willing to do it again to get that freedom? Take that information and carry it into your strategy for tomorrow.
Tip #2: Focus only on money-making tasks
Do you know exactly what moves you forward in your business, and are you working on THOSE exact money-making tasks every day?
Do you know how to attract clients right now? If you've had paying clients before, how did you get them in the past?
Or, instead, are you feeling overwhelmed by trying to do something you heard from one expert and another strategy you heard from someone else you follow, and then finding yourself sitting down at the computer (when you do finally carve out some time) and feeling so scattered that you wind up scrolling through Facebook instead?
There’s a lot of busy work that feels necessary but is not directly money-making. Keep yourself focused on your actual money-making tasks, and let those be enough while you’re building your business on the side, or you’ll waste a lot of your precious time “working on your business” but not moving forward in your number one goal of replacing your income. Let go of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and focus on money-making tasks.
This strategy will serve you well even when you’re out of your 9-5, because even when your time is freed up, the more focused you are, the faster you can grow your business.
And, if you don't yet know what those tasks are, make it a priority to figure them out ASAP, so that you can use your limited time wisely and efficiently.
Tip #3 Create and sell premium-priced services
Get your value straight and price accordingly, not based on what everyone else around you is doing or what you think people in your area will pay for.
Create a premium-priced, value-packed offer based on what you’re good at, how you like to work and where you shine (your “Zone of Genius,” as Gay Hendricks, PhD. calls it in his outstanding book, The Big Leap). Hustling a lot of tiny, one-off services is going to take a lot more time and energy than a couple of premium-priced goods or services. It comes down to a numbers game, and if your audience is small, wouldn’t you rather be selling a few higher-priced packages than a few low-priced info-products? You’ll also learn how to sell in a way that feels good for you, and that will serve you perhaps more than any other skill as you build your business.
Do you have questions about any of these tips? Which ones are you clear on and which ones confuse you? Comment below and let me know, and I’ll respond with a next step for you!
Ready for more strategies on how to quit your job and replace your income? Grab Christine’s free workbook, How To Escape Your 9-5, and connect with her in her private Facebook community, Life With Passion Society.
Christine McAlister is a business + success coach for high-achieving women. Her company, Life With Passion, helps them create freedom-based businesses using simple strategies and self-belief.