What to Expect When You Change Careers to Become an Entrepreneur - When I Grow Up

What to Expect When You Change Careers to Become an Entrepreneur - When I Grow Up Leaving one job and starting another even on our own accord is listed as a Top 5 Stressful Situation. The others? Death of a loved one, divorce, moving, and major illness. I mean, these are often traumatic, life-changing events!  And yet, most of us try to brush off our impending career change as something thats no big deal. In fact, we should actually just suck it up and continue with our soul-crushing work because, really,  isnt that what adults do?   When we  know its unacceptable to spend the next insert-however-many-years-you-have-before-retirement-here years being drained and unfulfilled at best and abused at worst, its time to start initiating change. Our cavewomen brains HATE it when things change, and double hate it when were the ones who are controlling it! Its one thing to have to run from a bear that has just so happened to stumble across your tent in the woods, but its another to call for the bear and ask it to come charging. amIright?! To  soothe our inner cavewoman and inflict a bit less trauma on ourselves, heres what to expect when you change careers to become an entrepreneur: There will  be a moment where you have to jump no matter how prepared or confident you are and itll be damn scary.  I like to preach that quitting your job does not have to be a jump off a cliff. Instead, it could be you walking directly on top of a safety net, eventually noticing that youre walking on your own and the net is a few feet behind you. But no matter how many  SNAP (Safety Net Action Plan) tasks youve crossed off or how much money you have in your savings account,  giving your notice will make you feel like peeing your pants.  If it doesnt? Be worried. Youll yearn for support from like-minded people.  Community. Community. Community. I hear it from the vast majority of my clients, regardless of whether they feel supported at home. You are probably going to want to seek out other entrepreneurs, locally and/or virtually, and have a hive you can go to for resources, recommendations, and help. Youll be waiting for someone to walk in the door and take you back to your old job.  I expected this for  months when I quit my Executive Assistant job. I didnt even purge my closet of my business casual clothes for a few weeks because it didnt quite feel real! People might ask if you feel like youre on vacation, and it will, in a sense a working one! You wont make as much money for the first few months (or year!) that you did at your last job.  I dont care how long you side hustled for its near impossible to match your salary right out of the gate. Lower your expectations and realize that youre playing a long game here. Youll pinch yourself that  It actually happened and  Youre really doing it.  For years.  Its been five years and change for me and Im still shaking my head. HOW is it possible that I can be The When I Grow Up Coach full-time, of all silly things? And I can be making more money than I ever did at a stable job? Youll gain trust and confidence no matter what the outcome is.  Even if your business doesnt work out, or if it winds up looking different than when you started, you will take away so.damn.much. One of my clients said that starting a business led to more growth and clarity within herself than anything else shes ever done. Aint that the truth!  Never underestimate the act of doing. Youll have to be a beginner all over again.  And seriously? Its kind of the best. Youll have to learn how you work best and then make the rules.  This might be weird, especially for those of us who had never been in a managerial role before. Even if youre working without any outside help, youll have to discover how  you can best manage your time and projects, how  you want to communicate to your clients, what  your boundaries are. All I have to say is: Get comfortable with being uncomfortable! Youll experience more work/life integration than you ever have before.  A client of mine used this phrase the other day and I love it: work/life integration. Working from myself took away the distinction I felt between my Executive Assistant persona and my wife/daughter/friend self. Now, Im just me. 24/7.