So what does it feel like exiting the normal work force, some of you may wonder…
Truthfully, it feels like a lead brick is resting in the bottom of my stomach 24/7! I’ve prepared, I have a Plan A and a Plan B, and even some ideas for other plans should those two fail, but planning alone can not ease the feeling in my gut. Oddly, this is almost the same experience I had when I was pregnant with my first child (and even my second, come to think of it). Not to loose my male audience, but its true! There are the same amounts of fear, excitement, dread, hope, and “what was I thinking???” moments as after we’d decided to bring a life into this world with no actual experience in doing so. We read books, attended classes, talked and listed to other people who had been there before us, and gathered advice from professionals until we had some level of confidence of our foundation and were ready for the leap of faith. Sound familiar?
I admit I have a parachute of sorts, I have some things going “on the side” of my real estate investing which will enable me to ease into my self-sufficient “jobless” status. Honestly, my real estate investing is no where near ready to support me on its own, but the Catch-22 of time and attention to real estate versus time and commitment to my job has been a major obstacle in being more successful in investing. I can get all the education and mentoring I need, but it does me no good without the time to implement the strategies. Now that the cycle is broken, I am excited to throw much more of my effort into real estate and see my success grow accordingly.
Just like when I was pregnant (sorry guys!), I know that I CAN DO THIS and do it well, and that the fear and doubt are minor in comparison to the rush of empowerment and excitement.
I am embracing this opportunity to strike out on my own and live my life as I wish to live it. I know the road ahead will be a difficult struggle, but it is one I believe I will vastly prefer over wasting 8 hours of every day to help someone ELSE live the life they wish to live. If I fail there will always be other jobs to turn back to, and if I must go back then I will do so without regret, but how else will I ever truly know the kind of success I might have if I never bother to try? The opportunity knocked and I gladly answered the door, ready and willing to follow it no matter what the path. Thank goodness I was ready for it when it did!!!
So tomorrow starts the first day of the rest of my life. I can’t wait to meet it, even if I do carry some extra weight for the moment. What’s a little lead in my stomach compared to the limitless opportunities that I’m about to be a part of? Sounds like I got the better end of that bargain, now if I can just find some cash flowing multi-family properties where the stakes are the same!!!
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How does the saying go.....when one door closes, another one opens?
ReplyDeleteSounds like this could be a blessing in disguise.
Stay positive and keep your eye on the prize, and anything is possible. :)
We all have to go through the high-wire act that is life, but we appreciate the safety net of a steady paycheck that a job provides. When you take the safety net away through your own choice or a choice that was made for you, some people get scared and look for another safety net while others are filled with courage and set off to stake their claim and actually perform better than when they had the safety net.
ReplyDeleteWhile we all dream of not having a job and being able to do what we choose, I'll admit that I'd be scared like anyone else if mine just disappeared. After getting over the initial shock, you have to enhance your sense of focus, stay the course that you have planned out (Plan B, Plan C, etc), and be confident that you will come out the other side better than ever.
It's not about the money; it's about the lifestyle. Good luck on your newfound adventure!