If you’re staying in a well-paying job you hate because you think it’s the most secure option for your future, think again!
Aside from the joy it sucks out of your life, the health-related issues stress can cause, and the fact we only have a certain amount of time in this lifetime to live…new research shows your job might not even exist anymore, in just a matter of years.
According to Oxford University researchers, 45% of today’s jobs will disappear in fewer than 25 years. [i]
Can you imagine? Forgoing your joy and dreams in exchange for a career that dissolves right when you’re hitting your later years in life?
“Wow, I’m so glad I didn’t do what I really wanted in my heart and soul when I was younger” – said no one I’ve talked to…ever.
On top of that, as a former financial advisor, I know how important those last few years of retirement savings can be…and…no job? No savings. No retirement.
I’m not saying you should quit your soul-sucking job today. I’m also not saying you should stay. What I am saying, is what if you took the time NOW to explore your passions further? To plant the seeds, nurture what’s growing within, and experience the joy of the thing you love most before time passes you by?
At the very least you’ll be more joyful in the meantime, as you’re expanding into the thing you love right now…and at best, you’ll turn those seeds into a lush garden of possibilities with tangible results to harvest and launch into a full-time money maker, side hustle, or whatever you choose in the future.
A new business. A new venture. A new book. A theory or method. A creation that speaks to your soul, and comes from within.
Sometimes this means finding another job, changing the way you’re approaching your current position, or starting an entirely new project or enterprise of your own.
Thinking of going into business for yourself?
If so, most people don’t realize that many successful entrepreneurs start building long before they actually quit their jobs. In fact, having a side hustle to build your passion, skills, financial reserves, and business acumen can be a great way to be ready for a full-time transition if you decide to finally leave.
Worried self-employment will put you on the fringe of society, while the rest of your friends unhappily drudge away in their cubicles or lavish offices that do little to fuel the true joy they’re seeking?
Never fear! At the moment, approximately 1/3 of our current U.S. workforce is in the freelance arena, and the numbers are growing rapidly. According to a study by Edelman Intelligence, “If the current growth rate continues, freelancers are expected to be the majority of the workforce by 2027.” [ii]
Doing your own thing NOW is already fairly normal, though it can be hard to see this if you’ve been trapped in a cycle of “climbing the ladder” or bumping your head against that ever-thickening glass ceiling.
A concussion, metaphorical or real, can make it hard to think, and as Stephen Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, has famously said “If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.” [iii]
So…what if you took a break, even if for just a moment, to stop and notice…
Where are you, and where are you going?
Is your life joyful and meaningful?
Are you using your greatest gifts and passions to enrich your life and the lives of others?
Is your ladder leaning against the right wall?
Or…are you giving yourself a headache bumping against that ceiling, while climbing up a ladder to a building that’s on fire?
Whether you turn your joy into a full-time profession, create a side business, or simply infuse more joy into your work and daily life, the good news is, wherever you are, you have a choice.
You can keep-on-keepin’-on exactly as you are. Or, you can take one nugget of inspiration and clarity from today and put it into action, tilting the trajectory of your life into the zone of greater fulfillment and joy.
It’s amazing what one moment of focused action can do to change your life, and if you’ve read this far, you’re well on your way.
If you’d like support, please let me know. I am here and would love to help.
The world needs more people living their joy and sharing their gifts. You have so much to offer, just by being you, and it’s time.
With love and gratitude,
Lena
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Lena D. Meyer is a Transformational Life Coach, and the founder of Gratitude6. She is ranked as one of the top life coaches in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, and since 2008 has supported hundreds of people in living their most joyful, purposeful, and empowered lives. Including media and public speaking events, her tools and messages have reached thousands.
Her specialties include intuition, mindset shifts, life transitions and positive impact, and she believes now more than ever we have the opportunity to create positive change in our lives and world.
Copyright © 2020 Gratitude6, LLC, all rights reserved. Read full disclaimer here.
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References
[i] Perry, Philip. “47% of Jobs Will Vanish in the Next 25 Years, Say Oxford University Researchers,” Big Think. 12/24/16
[ii] Edelman Intelligence. “Freelancing in America 2017.” Sept 2017. Slides 15-16, 18
[iii] Covey, Stephen. “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” 25th Anniversary Edition. RosettaBooksLLC 2013. P.105