In the context of tremendous change in the economy and labour market, many people are deciding that self-employment is the right choice for them.
article by Diane Shawe M.Ed
So if you are seriously considering becoming Self-employed and leaving your PAYE job behind if this sounds like you, then you are probably half way out the door.
Does this sound like you?
Your boss is driving you crazy because of his short-sightedness.
You are sick of your great ideas being ignored.
You are frustrated at the status quo and the lack of innovation in your field.
Maybe you’ve been discriminated against, laid off, restructured, demoted and under-valued.
Well you must be thoroughly fed up and ready for a change.
Being self-employed is a way of life radically different from anything. To be successful at it you will have to make a real turn-about in how you both think and act. We can often be our hardest critic but remember….
“You are not judged on the height you have risen but from the depth which you have climbed.”
Frederick Douglass, 1881
But will I be successful?
The little doubting voices inside your head start going off
So lets take a look at how we define success? To some, is all about wealth. To some, success is all about achieving the perfect job, or the perfect marriage, or living the perfect life.
Let’s examine what Webster says about success:
degree or measure of succeeding
favourable or desired outcome,
the attainment of wealth, favour or eminence.
There are many ways in which people have come to define success, but one thing is clear: in order for your success to be defined a goal must be set in order to measure your achievements and success.
So why do some people live their life and go through each days, wasting precious time, effort and other resources without defining their actual goal? The question may sound elementary, but many people live this way and wonder why they fail to achieve anything of substance.
Goal Setting Mistakes
A popular goal setting mistake people make is pursuing someone else’s goal. So I am going to use the driving analogy:
How could you arrive at your own desired destination, if you focus on where other people are going? Would you get on the motorway and drive north just because other people are driving in that direction?
Where do you really want to go? In order to define your own destination in life, you must take the time to think about who you really are and what will really make you happy. Your success may be to teach small children to read and write, or your success may be to lead a girls football team to a national championship.
Resurrect latent skills and old interests!
Self-employment is a career alternative which requires mental and physically resilient, each moment can change the rest of your life and the course of your direction. If you are not intentional with your actions, you have already planned to fail. Successful people are driven by their vision which is fuelled by their passion. Successful people don’t become successful by accident-it’s sheer, practical application (although I agree that some element of luck goes a long way).
You have to do at least one thing toward your goal every single day. You have to dedicate yourself every day to doing what you love. Don’t just talk about it. Dreams are cheap, passion is Priceless. You may have no concept where you want to be other than theory, and that’s okay. You are guaranteed to get closer to your dreams if you just walk forward with confidence and passion and focus on being of service to those who want your assistance.
So what if you cannot see a way forward, well I am sure you have heard this saying, If you say you can’t your right, if you say you can your right. So you might as well adopt the ‘I can’ mantra.
Using your imagination
Albert Einstein once said, “Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attraction.” I believe he’s right. That phrase encapsulates so much of how I try to live each day.
Remember, when you think positively about your future, instead of living in the past which you cannot change, using your imagination in a positive way will help you attract what you desire toward you. It’s about your imagination and no one else’s. I challenge you to take what I’ve already given you this far and start to imagine your future in a constructive way. To get you going just ponder upon the following question.
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