Dreaming of quitting your 9–5 and getting the freedom to travel and work on your own terms?

Maybe you even declared last January 1, “THIS will finally be the year that I’ll quit my job!”

Now that we’re ALMOST DONE with 2021, how are you feeling about that prospect?

Are you still inspired by the possibilities of this year, or doubting that your dreams of finally escaping that 9–5 could ACTUALLY come true this year?

Here are five things you must know before quitting your 9–5.

Know what you’re passionate about

A business idea should be something that you love and believe in. Unlike your office job, being a small business owner will require much more of your time, so make sure it’s something you enjoy.

If you already know what you’re passionate about, that’s great, but don’t quit your job just yet. You need to do some solid market research to determine if your idea can be turned into a successful business. Ask yourself:

• How can my product or service help my audience?
• Is my product/service fulfilling a need in the industry?
• Who is the competition in the industry?
• What marketing strategies can I use to promote my products or services?

Get over the fear of failure.

Most people let this fear and its partner-in-crime – the fear of what people will think – control their entire lives.

How do we conquer this super-common fear? It’s simple, but not easy: by TRYING THINGS.

Choose something small, like a new workout program, creating a new habit that you do every day for a week, reaching out to someone and asking for their advice or insight on how they succeeded in building the life they wanted, or checking one thing off your to-do list that you’ve been putting off. Try it, and experience the energy that comes from completing it. Build that trust in yourself that you can accomplish things, and when the big stuff comes, you’ll be more confident and ready to give them a go.

Cash for six months of expenses 

Don’t dive into entrepreneurship without any savings. It’ll cause stress, anxiety, and leave your wallet crying for mercy! Try to save at least six month’s worth of cash before quitting your job. That way, you’ll have a comfortable savings cushion to cover you through the first lean months of being an entrepreneur. 

Utilize 9-5 Strategies

Most people quit their 9-5 jobs because they want to live a life without restrictions. Truth be told, your 9-5 gave you discipline. You had to be somewhere at a certain time, you had to attend meetings and you had to meet deadlines. The same discipline applies to your life outside of a 9-5. If you are choosing to own your own business, still set a schedule for yourself that you will abide by in order to still continue with success and accomplishments.

My first week fresh out of my 9-5, I did absolutely nothing.

My second week out of my 9-5 I binged watched Netflix and did nothing!

Can you guess what my third week looked like?

Yes, the absolute exact same!

It wasn’t until a month after my official quit date, where I realized that I needed to actually do something with my life. This is when my push kicked in and I decided to blog more frequently and plan my income strategies. I honestly and truly could not have done this without a planner.

So, there you have it. But remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all rule about this. That means you still need to learn and improvise along the way, the most important thing is to be dedicated and never lose heart.