Have you ever thought about leaving your day job?
Of course, you have. Everyone thinks about quitting that boring and demeaning day job, every day. But none takes the initiative to actually do it because we are all afraid to lose that paycheck we receive at the end of each month.
So, what do we do instead? We suck it up and go through that day, hoping that tomorrow things would be better, knowing subconsciously that it never will.
If you hate your job and feel like it’s consuming you in whole, you should go ahead and quit it. And no, you don’t have to risk your finances over your day job.
The obvious solution is to plan it ahead before you actually quit your job. So that you have a way to pay the bills while you live the rest of your life doing something you love, working from home, and stress-free.
But how? Well, that’s a good question. Let’s find out, shall we.
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Why You Should Quit Your Job
Over the past few years, there have been an increase in suicides caused by stress at work. Even some of the top level startup CEOs ended their lives over stress and depression caused by work.
According to the latest statistics from the Labour Force Survey, in 2014/15 period over 440,000 cases were reported of work-related stress, depression, or anxiety in the UK.
Workload pressures, including tight deadlines and too much responsibility, were among the main reasons that caused stress, depression, or anxiety.
CDC also reports that each year about 18.8 million American adults (9.5% of the adult population) suffers from a depressive illness.
Ask yourself: Is your stressful job worth risking your life?
“Staying in a job that is killing you is like staying in an abusive relationship” – Executive coach Achim Nowak via New York Post.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Who would leave a lucrative job and a big fat paycheck just because it’s depressing and stressful, right? Who’s going to pay the bills and feed your family? Why take that risk to try and build a home business? What if it fails?
It doesn’t matter if you don’t get to spend quality time with your family, you’re doing your job for them, right? At least, that’s what you think.
Maybe this following story will help answer your doubts.
Once Upon A Time..
There was a man who had the perfect job. A job at the most valuable company in the world: Apple. In fact, this man worked side by side with Steve Jobs to invent the iPod and iPhone.
But, only a few years after the iPhone launch he decided to leave Apple. Why? Because he was working on a secret plan. At the moment, he was secretly building a project of his own. It was nothing more than a tiny smart thermostat and he was ready to launch his product.
The thermostat, which you may now know by the name Nest, turned out to be such a huge deal that Google jumped at the opportunity to buy the company for a whopping $3.2 Billion.
The man I’m talking about is Tony Fadell. He was just like you. Doing a day-to-day job, staying safe, working at a reputable company. But did he became a billionaire by doing a day job? No. He achieved success because he took the necessary steps to build his own business and his own financial security.
(Photo: Tony Fadell, Founder & CEO, Nest Labs / Credit: LeWeb)
Later, during an interview, Tony explained that it was because of his son that he decided to leave the company. His job at Apple was so stressful that he didn’t have enough time to spend with his son. And his son was starting to push him away.
Now, he gets to do what he love the most while spending more time with his family.
‘My son said to me the other day, “Daddy, you’re making things with us like your granddad did with you,”’ said Fadell. ‘I almost cried.’
The Proper Way to Quit Your Soul-Sucking Job
Start planning before quitting your job.
It’s the only solution to your stress, depression at work, making more time for your family, spending some quality time with your kids, and actually making your childhood dreams come true.
Tony planned Nest Thermostat for years before leaving his job at Apple. Then he teamed up with a colleague to build his product in a garage.
You might think that you’re too late or too old to build stuff in a garage, but believe it or not, Tony Fadell was 40 years old when he left his job.
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it,” – Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple.inc.
You don’t have to come up with a startup idea and build a billion-dollar product before leaving your job. You just have to come up with a good plan.
You can start your own business at home, sell your skills as a Freelancer, share your experience as a coach, be a consultant, sell products. There are only so many ways you can earn money from home.
But, what about making money? You’ll be alright as long as you follow this checklist:
- Know that working from home is not going to be easy. It takes a lot of effort, hard work, and determination to get a business off the ground, even freelancing.
- Start saving up some money to cover your expenses during the startup period.
- Develop your game plan. Choose work that you would love doing. Something that you’re passionate about and that can earn big bucks. Start doing research and learn everything you can about it. And start developing, one step at a time.
- Create profiles on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook and start building your authority online.
- Collect all your files, work, and proof of your experience. You’ll need it when building your reputation.
- Prepare your speech. Instead of giving the middle finger to your boss and leaving your job like a badass, try to make a point of all the positive sides of the job and be willing to continue your relationship with your boss and colleagues.
What To Do Next?
If you leave your job in good terms with your boss, you can even do freelance work for your company at the comfort of your home.
Show your boss how he can save money by hiring you as a freelancer to pay you per project instead of a monthly salary. And also, explain how you can be more productive when you’re working at your own pace from home, away from the stressful environment at work.
It actually works. I know several people, including a copywriter and a graphic designer, who followed that same technique to quit their job without going broke.
Once you’re free from the corporate restraints, you can build your own business, start charging higher fees, get paid more, and expand your services to more areas.
Solve A Problem
Look for a unique ways to solve a common problem.
This is how startups generally take off. Tony Fadell saw the frustrations and problems people had with ordinary thermostats so he built a product to solve it. And everyone loved it.
You can never go wrong with that plan.
Once you have your plan up and running, it’s up to you to drive your business to success. So, constantly educate yourself, learn new skills, build relationships, and keep doing what you’re passionate about.
When in doubt, always “Trust your gut and go with it”.
So, are you ready to sail away from the comfort zone and start a venture of your own? Are you ready to be the next Tony Fadell?