In this post I will show you how to quit your job and work for yourself in 7 easy steps. I know where you are. I’ve been there. I was stuck in the corporate 9-5 hamster wheel for years and it felt like my soul was being sucked out of me every day. It took me a while to figure out what was holding me back and what I needed to do in order to finally quit and take control of my life.

What’s holding you back? What’s keeping you from quitting right now and creating something new and lucrative for yourself? People like you are doing it every day. In this post I will dig into that and will show you the 7 steps you can take to quit your job, love what you’re doing, and be your own boss.

 

1. Free Your Mind (and the rest will follow)

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This first step is very important. I’ve learned over the years not to make important life-changing decisions when I’m stressed out, angry, frustrated, or feeling any other negative emotion. I certainly don’t think clearly that way and the results are never good.

So, how do you do this?

Get away from all the distractions in your life such as social media, cable TV, family, or any other toxic people in your life. If you have a “go-to” spot where you like to sit and think, relax, etc., go there. Or, go on a hike or sit by the ocean. Being in nature always helps me clear my mind and makes me realize that I’m part of this larger universe where anything is possible.

Take a pad of paper and a pen with you so you can write down your thoughts. As you move into the next steps this will be very important.

 

2. What Is Your “Why”?

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Now that you are in a place free from distractions, and hopefully feeling relaxed and open, it’s time to start thinking about your “why”. What is your life purpose. This will be your north star as you set goals and take action towards your new venture.

I could write a whole book on this topic alone. In fact, there are many books out there already on finding your “why”? Simon Sinek has a best-seller called “Start With Why” which is awesome. A couple other books you might want to check out are “Find Your Passion” by Robert O’Gallagher and “Find Your F*ckyeah” by Alexis Rockley.

If you have time to check it out, this video is a compilation of the TOP 5 Best Advice Speeches out there on how to achieve your “why” or your life’s purpose.

German philosopher Frederick Nietzsche once said, ‘He who has a why can endure any how.’ Knowing your why is an important first step in figuring out how to achieve what excites you and create a life you enjoy living (versus merely surviving!).

Only when you know your ‘why’ will you find the courage to take the risks needed to get ahead, stay motivated when the chips are down, and move your life onto an entirely new, more challenging, and more rewarding trajectory.

 

3. Decide What You Want To Do

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Now, it’s time to decide what you want to do. What type of business do you want to start?

The first thing I recommend doing is to think about (and write down) what is important to you. Is it freedom to work from anywhere you want? Is it having flexibility so you can work when you want to? Maybe you want to build wealth and have unlimited earning potential.

Decide what is important to you first. Because, as you identify possible business opportunities, you will want to run those ideas through your lens of what is important to you.

This next exercise is one I do often. Get your piece of paper and pen and go through the following exercise creating a list for each item.

What do you like doing? Think back on your life and write down those things that you really love doing. Maybe it’s a sport you love to play or a hobby you like to tinker with. Think back to those times in your life where you were really happy? What were you doing at that time?

What are you good at? Next, create a list of the things you are good at. Maybe it’s a particular skill you’ve learned in your current or former job. Are you good with people? Maybe you have a knack for influencing others. Write them down.

What do other people think you’re good at? What do family and friends come to you for advice on? What are you known for? I’m sure you can think of several things. You might also ask a family member or friend what they think you’re good at. Sometimes our perception of what we’re good at may be a little different from what others think.

 

4. Choose A Business Model

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Now, you should have a pretty good idea of what is important to you, what you are good at and what you like doing. The next step is to decide on a business model. There are many business models you could pursue and be your own boss. Here are a few of them.

– Affiliate Marketing – this is a popular business model where you create a website or a blog on a topic you are good at or have a passion for (refer to step 3). There are many ways to monetize your website using affiliate marketing and you can earn passive income even while you’re sleeping. It’s pretty simple.

There are platforms like WealthyAffiliate.com and Affilorama.com that will teach you step-by-step everything you need to know about building a website, monetizing it and driving people to your site in order to make money. I learned everything I know today about building money-making websites from Wealthy Affiliate and I can definitely recommend them.

– Sell your own stuff online – eBay.com and etsy.com are two of the many websites out there where you can sell your own products online.

– Be a Freelancer – there are many websites out there like upwork.com and fiverr.com where you can post your profile and bid on freelance jobs. This is a way to get started quickly on becoming your own boss.

 

5. Set Goals

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Once you have an idea on what type of business you want to start from home, it’s important to set some specific goals. Setting goals will help you stay focused on your end game, which is running your own successful business and ditching the 9 to 5.

I recommend setting what’s called SMART goals. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based. You want to be very specific with your goals so that you know how you’re going to achieve them and when you have reached them.

An example of a SMART goal would be “I will have an affiliate marketing business created by the end of this year and will be producing monthly revenues of $5,000”. That’s a good goal. And, you may have more. But, it’s important that they be specific and measurable and that you have a timeline for completing them.

 

6. Make a Plan

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Now, you must transform those goals you just set into actionable and relevant tasks that will drive you to achieving those goals.

Your detailed action plan is basically a to-do list of items that you can check off daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly.

It’s also another way for you to measure your performance. You can easily see what’s working and fix (or eliminate) what isn’t.

For example, let’s refer to the previous goal of having built a successful affiliate marketing website by the end of the year and be earning $5,000 / month in revenue. What do you need to do on a daily, weekly and monthly basis to get there. Break down that goal into actionable tasks that you can take action on each and every day.

One thing that sets successful people apart from those who are not is that successful people take action. They do something every day to move them closer to their goals.

Once you have your list of tasks, you want to put them into some kind of planner or journal. Then, every day you’ll simply open it and work on the tasks for that day alone.

This is how you stay laser-focused.

 

7. Take Action – Quit Your Job and Create Your Dream Life

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If you are currently working and planning on quitting your job, make sure you have a financial cushion to fall back on. Creating a successful online or freelance business does take time. I recommend having at least enough money set aside to cover 6 months of expenses while you build your business. Some people may need more than that.

Another option is to build your online or freelance business part-time while you are still working. Set aside a couple hours each day to work on your business. It may take a little more time but you’ll be able to cover your bills while you’re doing it.

Then, believe in yourself and make it happen!  Successful people call this taking action!!

 

Conclusion

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I have laid out 7 east steps you can take to quit your day job and work for yourself. Whether it’s creating a money-making website around a hobby or passion, or starting your own freelancing gig, you have the roadmap to make it happen.

Good luck to you and please let me know if you have any questions in the comment section below. My passion is helping others succeed so I would welcome the opportunity to help you.