The Day I Quit My Job
When I found myself getting anxious every Sunday night and had to give myself pep talks to get out of bed on Mondays, I knew it was time for a change. I quit my last corporate job that day. I didn’t know I was going to, but that’s how it ended up.
Life is far too long to dread what’s in front of you, and far too short to regret what’s behind you.
I’m lucky enough to get to work with people who fill my cup and spread joy through their work. It warms my heart when my clients talk about their work with excitement and satisfaction.
So many of you are so passionate about your business, and even feel blessed that you get to do what you do – and get paid for it!
But when I hear statements like this…
“Honestly, Megan, I would do this for free.”
… a few red flags go up in my head.
Whenever I hear this statement it’s part of a conversation we’re having about money and how a client has been paying themself. And behind that statement is a pain point.
Covering up the anxiety and fear of not knowing how the money is going to work out over the next 3, 6, or 12 months by telling yourself “this is fun, I’m having fun, I get to do the thing I love, I’d do this for free” is a pain-numbing mantra that only works for so long before underlying problems turn into feeling trapped inside your business.
The joy-sucking fear of future unknowns is not inevitable.
What if instead of having to constantly remind yourself that you’re having fun or having to talk yourself into loving your business, you had confidence in understanding your whole business, and you could lovingly make the right decision both for you and your business?
When we start to build out projections for a business’s money, time, people and other resources, there are three different scenarios that appear:
Things are AWESOME! Let’s build a plan for using your resources to fulfill your personal goals that have always just been dreams.
You have a solid business, but we need to shore up a few things and be more strategic so it’s not just more of the same struggle day in and day out.
A major shift is required. You are on the brink.
Let’s talk about #3. I only come across this scenario about 1-2 times per year. And each time my heart feels like it’s being wrenched from my chest as I work with my client to outline what’s happening, what is most probably going to happen, and what their next best steps are. But in every case these are ALWAYS my most rewarding projects because on the other side of this anguish is relief.
Come to think of it… Relief is what is waiting on the other side for all of my clients, but I digress.
In one case a client rolled back their locations and wondered why they hadn’t done it sooner. In another after selling off 100% of their assets and letting go of their entire staff they found a peaceful, profitable business more attuned to their desired pace.
Granted, these decisions are not easy. The bravery that it takes to make them continues to blow me over. And once they stop trying to force a business into success by sheer willpower and self-gaslighting, we find relief.
Next week we’ll talk about how stepping into understanding what you charge and how you communicate it to your clients is a make-or-break skill that you can start practicing now and keep practicing until you come to love it. That’s when things get far easier. <3
I’m rooting for you!