I finally had to face one of my most dreaded tasks yesterday; the family budget. I don’t know about you, but for me the simple thought of having to update our budget gives me complete anxiety.
I am completely aware of the fact that things have been exceptionally financially difficult this year. However, it’s one thing to believe that you’ve been through a difficult year, it’s quite another to sit down and actually look at the reality of your situation.
Sometimes reality has to give you a wake up slap in the face so that you stop and look around!
As so many other people in this country, I took a substantial pay cut early in 2009. Along with the cut in pay came the elimination of 401k matching, company profit sharing and our annual Christmas bonus. If that wasn’t enough, our health insurance premiums went up about 35%.
Although I was aware of all of these “salary modifications”, they did not all occur at the same time so I didn’t really stop to ponder the overall impact until it was too late. Right or wrong, irresponsible or not, this is my reality.
I’ve known for a few months now that I really had to sit down and sort through all the bills and come up with a realistic budget based on my revised salary. I guess I was afraid to face the truth.
I finally took the plunge, though, and sat down to take an honest look at what’s coming in and what’s going out.
As I was looking through all of our family expenses, I was hard-pressed to find bills that could be reduced. Most of the items are fixed installment payments or utilities. I found myself delving through each and every line item looking for anything that could help save money. Even saving $50 a month would make a difference!
This is when I began to focus on the income section of our budget. Up until now, I’ve somehow convinced myself that I need to quickly figure out how to replace my current income. But if finding a way to cut $50 a month from the budget would make a noticeable impact, then bringing an additional $50 a month would make an impact, too!
I don’t need to make six figures right away; I just need to make something!
I know it sounds like a ridiculously simple realization but it has made a big impact on my mental state. I have a renewed energy for what I’m trying to accomplish now that I’ve removed some of my self-imposed stress.
Instead of focusing on how to bring in an extra $10,000 a month, I just need to focus on bringing in something. Even putting that unopened set of mixing bowls we received as a wedding gift (13 years ago) on Ebay will make a difference. It’s not going to make me rich, but it will certainly put me one small step closer to being free.
So there it is. My new revelation is something that I’ve known my whole life….take it one small step at a time!
~ Hope
“When the world says ‘give up’, hope whispers ‘try it one more time.” ~ Anonymous
Tags: budget, entrepreneur, self-employment
My journey to find self-employment has been an amazing education so far. Not only have I learned a lot about self-bossing but I’ve also learned a lot about myself.
I’ve always said that I don’t want to “be a number” at some big, faceless corporation. This desire to not become some anonymous drone stuck in Mega Corp USA led me to believe I needed to find a J-O-B with a small company that functioned more like a family than a machine.
Until I started this new voyage, I hadn’t realized that this conviction was an early clue to what I’ve always really wanted out of life. I just never saw it even thought it was hiding in plain sight!
I was correct in thinking that I did not want to become a mindless cog in the corporate wheel. However, that didn’t mean I should find a “happy home” in a small company where I wouldn’t get lost in the shuffle. It was an indicator to me that I didn’t want to be part of that game at all. Period.
This belief was my subconscious screaming at me to become an entrepreneur!
Unfortunately it has taken me many years, lots of ulcers, thousands of sleepless nights and more gray hairs than I care to admit to figure out that I’ve been misinterpreting my own desires.
In my defense, though, up until now I’ve been deciphering my feelings with the tools that society gave me. Sad to say, but I wasn’t educated enough to understand that my desire was not to work for a small someone; it was to work for NO ONE.
I guess that’s why I’ve felt so restless all these years. If only I’d stumbled upon the entrepreneurial option sooner!
Tags: entrepreneur, self-employment
I’ve always held a firm belief that everything happens for a reason. My new quest to find a way to escape the 9 to 5 grind has not been exempt from reaffirming that belief. It seems that every time I begin to doubt myself, something happens to remind me that I’m on the right path.
Take yesterday, for instance. After having yet another sleepless night, I was not only tired but irritable on my beloved commute to the office. Out of that irritation festered doubt that I will be able to make things work financially without having to rely on a punching a time clock. On my hour long ride I had only the radio and my thoughts.
A sign of our times, the radio squawked nothing but doom and gloom for the economy and preached over and over how we need to find a good job to ensure our future security.
This made me doubt my belief that finding a good job is exactly the opposite of what I should do.
As often happens, I entered my office with my mind completely preoccupied. My thoughts were swirling at lightning speed. I began to wonder how I became naïve enough to believe that I would ever be able to leave the confines of the traditional workplace. After all, this is what I was programmed to do. This is what I spent five years in college training for (yes, I said five. I switched majors in the middle!).
Throughout the day, I tried to focus on the things that I needed to get done, but (as usual) my heart just wasn’t in it. I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling of self-doubt.
When lunchtime rolled around, the office was a veritable ghost town. I normally spend my lunch hour catching up with co-workers. With no one to catch up with, I resorted to searching my office for something to read.
Earlier in the week I had brought a copy of Lisa Morosky’s “Real Answers to 50 Common Blogging Questions” to the office. As I turned over the report and saw the title, I knew instantly that this was one of those “moments”. This was my first indicator that I should not give up on my dreams just yet.
I headed off to the empty lunchroom to heat up my food and do a little reading. Of course, just as I got really enthralled with Lisa’s words of wisdom, the room began to fill up.
As is always the case in my office, most people cannot help but be nosey. I continued to read while one o f the owners of the company did a little reading over my shoulder. His reaction was as follows:
“Blogging? Are you gonna do that? What could YOU have to blog about?”
This reaction evoked a number of reactions within me. Of course, outwardly I just smiled and said “I’m just doing some light reading.”
My real reaction was, “What a rude ass”.
After the initial irritation that this ignorant statement stirred in me began to subside, I began to realize that he (along with the vast majority of people) had no idea that blogging can actually be a profession. His dismissive attitude was a clear indicator to me that he thought I was reading about something his 14 year old daughter would do to talk about her teachers and boys.
Although this irritated me, it also made me feel more confident about wanting to pursue blogging professionally. I want to take the path less traveled.
This exchange was also a reminder of the unprofessional nature of the “professionals” that I am supposed to be working my butt off for. This has been a huge source of anguish for me for years now.
How am I actually supposed to respect this person and earn money for him when he has no problem openly mocking something that I am clearly interested in?
I guess even rude, ignorant comments happen for a reason!!
~ Hope
“When the world says ‘give up’, hope whispers ‘try it one more time.” ~ Anonymous
If you’d like to read Lisa’s report that I reference above, check out her blog.
Tags: blogging
I finished the first module in David Risley’s Blog Masters Club last night. All I have to say is……Wow!
After completing only the first of sixteen modules, I can honestly say that I am very glad that I’ve made the investment to join this on line course. I find my mind wandering to the topics discussed in David’s videos while I’m at work during the day.
The Blog Masters Club has certainly helped me stay true to my new commitment to focus on one new venture at a time!
I think one of the things that I’ve been most impressed with is the fact that all of the lessons are available in video, audio or transcript format. That is extremely helpful. I really enjoy watching videos but I also like to print things out to refer to as needed. Of course, having the option of downloading an MP3 so that I can listen on my lovely commute is fantastic!
During the first module, David focuses on the basics of blogging and guides you into a bit of self-discovery. I must admit that I had a difficult time (at first) when it came time to look inside myself for answers. After pushing myself, however, I actually began to enjoy the assignments.
Having to look inside and answer some very pointed questions is exactly what I needed!
I must admit, though, I wasn’t really prepared to have a personal revelation while completing an on line course about blogging! That is just one more reason that the Blog Masters Club is an excellent program (in my opinion).
If you haven’t heard of David, please take a look at his blog. I find him to be an incredibly down to earth guy that genuinely wants to help people. Of course he’s making money helping people, as well, but who among us wouldn’t make money doing something we love if we could?
~ Hope
“When the world says ‘give up’, hope whispers ‘try it one more time.” ~ Anonymous
Tags: blogging, David Risley
Last year we bought a used 2001 Ford Excursion. After the purchase, I started seeing the same vehicle in the same color all over the place. I’m sure all of these other vehicles were on the road before we made our purchase, I just never noticed them. It wasn’t until I had one of my own (and therefore a newfound interest in them) that I started “seeing” the others on the roads.
Something similar has happened to me in my quest for self-employment. Once I convinced myself that you don’t have to have a JOB to make money, I started reading about, hearing about and seeing opportunities everywhere.
So much so, in fact, that the seemingly endless stream of options has become completely overwhelming.
Overwhelming in a good way, though (if that’s possible). By that I mean that I don’t necessarily think that it’s a bad thing to have too many good options! My problem, however, is focusing on one at a time to see if it’s something that can work for me or not.
Part of the problem for me is that a lot of the income generating possibilities that I’ve been learning about are things that I had not even heard of three months ago. It’s like being a little kid in a toy store for the very first time. I don’t want to focus on one thing for too long for fear that I’m going to miss something else!
I just really need to get a grip and focus on one thing at a time here!!
As I’ve tried to reel myself in over the past few days, I decided to make a list of the different options that have peeked my interest over the past few months. I’m hoping that by writing them down I’ll convince my brain that they will not be forgotten, just put on hold for awhile.
Interesting income-generating options to investigate further:
- Blogging
- Affiliate marketing
- Copy writing
- Ebay sales
- Consulting (I currently am in the construction industry and consulting is very prevalent)
- Producing and selling e-books
These are a few of the ideas that have caught my attention. All of which (except consulting) I had not even heard of three months ago. I had no idea how people who called themselves “internet entrepreneurs” made money. I’m beginning to see now that there are infinite ways to generate income if you are willing to work hard and think outside the box.
In an effort to stop my mind from reeling with all of the possibilities, I’ve decided to try to focus on blogging first. To be honest, until recently I had never even visited a blog. However, as with the Excursion, once I started visiting them I haven’t been able to stop “seeing” them. There are so many helpful and informative blogs out there and I’d like to be part of that community.
With that in mind, just last night, I joined David Risley’s Blog Master’s Club. I’m very excited about it and will be discussing it on this blog as I go. Incidentally, David is someone that I became familiar with through another blog that I started reading.
Now that I’ve made a commitment to myself to concentrate on one option at a time, maybe I can quiet my mind a little. While it is exciting to discover that there are possibilities out there that you didn’t know existed, it is also a little tiring. Hopefully now I can enter this new coaching program with a clear mind that is ready to accept all of the knowledge that David seems to be prepared to share!
~ Hope
“When the world says ‘give up’, hope whispers ‘try it one more time.” ~ Anonymous
Tags: affiliate marketing, blogging, entrepreneur, self-employment
On my journey to self-employment, I’ve done a lot of research on the internet. One of the names that I’ve come across a number of times is Rosalind Gardner. Rosalind’s journey from air-traffic controller to self-employed internet marketing guru is extremely inspiring to me.
In 2003, Rosalind wrote a book entitled “Super Affiliate Handbook: How I Made $436,797 in One Year Selling Other People’s Stuff Online”. I was so intrigued by her story and all of the great things that I read about her on line that I just had to check it out.
Although the paperback version of the book is available at my favorite on line seller (Amazon), I opted to purchase the e-book direct from Rosalind’s site so that I could begin reading it immediately. Someone who figured out how to make almost half a million dollars a year on line most likely has a lot of insight to offer a beginner like me!
And I figured with her 100% guarantee, I couldn’t go wrong.
Once I downloaded the book I immediately started devouring the words. Rosalind’s writing style is incredibly easy to read and comprehend. Reading the book is like having a conversation with a good friend. Although the book is full of detailed steps to becoming an affiliate marketer, at no point so far have I felt like I was reading some boring, drab how-to manual.
The first few sections of the book focus on how affiliate marketing works, how to choose a niche and how to create a successful website. I have been particularly impressed with the fact that Rosalind even includes advice on how to organize your new business venture and tips for software and services that might be helpful.
To me, she has proven that not only is she a leader in the internet marketing world, but she is also an extremely intelligent businesswoman.
For me, the combination of text, figures and live internet links make this an extremely helpful guide to earning internet income. So far, I’m really glad that I decided to make this purchase. Although I have not made it all the way through the book yet, the first few sections certainly have grabbed my attention.
I can say with certainty that this will be a book that I complete soon and permanently retain as a reference manual.
~ Hope
“When the world says ‘give up’, hope whispers ‘try it one more time.” ~ Anonymous
The past few weeks have been exceptionally difficult for me. Two weeks ago my grandmother passed away as a result of complications that come along with Alzheimer’s. On top of dealing with the grief associated with my grandmother’s death, I was in the middle of an extremely stressful project at my JOB and my ulcers were acting up worse than ever.
As I prepared to leave work so that I could make my way to my grandfather’s house to prepare for the funeral with my family, I found an extreme sense of guilt come over me. That guilt began to mix with the stress I was already feeling because I was leaving my project at a very frantic point.
Guilt, stress and grief make a very dangerous combination.
As I drove away from my jobsite I began having difficulty breathing and my stomach felt like it was on fire. Once I was able to compose myself my guilt started to turn into resentment. I was so angry at myself for getting so entrenched in my JOB that not even the death of my grandmother felt like a good enough reason to leave work early.
I actually started running through scenarios in my head of what I could tell my family to buy me some more time at work. Would it really make a difference to anyone if I showed up a few hours later than I had originally planned? Would anyone really miss my contributions?
How is it possible that these thoughts were coming from MY mind? I have always taken pride in the fact that I put family first (or at least I say I do). Where and when did I veer off track?
I guess it should count for something that all of this JOB-centered thinking stopped at being thoughts. I did not take action on this ridiculous line of thinking. I continued on my journey to be with my family where I belonged.
It was, however, another slap in the face to remind me that I have to break free from the confines of the traditional workplace before it kills me.
Not only does my health suffer (I’ve had more ulcers than I care to remember) but the bitterness that comes along with not living the life I would like is toxic to me and to those around me. How present do you think I was when I finally made it to my grandfather’s house that day? I was there in body but my mind was elsewhere.
Partially to blame for the extreme disconnect between my body and my mind was the way in which I deal with grief. I tend to withdraw when I’m trying to process something difficult. I’ve always internalized my feelings so that I can sort through things at my own pace.
That was only part of the reason I was so distant that day, though. I can excuse that part of the reason. The rest, I think, is inexcusable. In my rational mind, there should never be anything that comes before my family. Period. End of discussion.
I guess my convictions of putting family first are not as finite as I like to believe.
I think that this is a repairable defect, however. My new journey towards self-employment could not have come at a better time. It is apparent that I have a lot to repair within myself as I travel down this new road. As 2009 comes to an end, I am adding fusing my convictions and my actions to my list of things to work on in the coming year.
~ Hope
“When the world says ‘give up’, hope whispers ‘try it one more time.” ~ Anonymous
The past few weeks have been exceptionally difficult for me. Two weeks ago my grandmother passed away as a result of complications that come along with Alzheimer’s. On top of dealing with the grief associated with my grandmother’s death, I was in the middle of an extremely stressful project at my JOB and my ulcers were acting up worse than ever.
As I prepared to leave work so that I could make my way to my grandfather’s house to prepare for the funeral with my family, I found an extreme sense of guilt come over me. That guilt began to mix with the stress I was already feeling because I was leaving my project at a very frantic point.
Guilt, stress and grief make a very dangerous combination.
As I drove away from my jobsite I began having difficulty breathing and my stomach felt like it was on fire. Once I was able to compose myself my guilt started to turn into resentment. I was so angry at myself for getting so entrenched in my JOB that not even the death of my grandmother felt like a good enough reason to leave work early.
I actually started running through scenarios in my head of what I could tell my family to buy me some more time at work. Would it really make a difference to anyone if I showed up a few hours later than I had originally planned? Would anyone really miss my contributions?
How is it possible that these thoughts were coming from MY mind? I have always taken pride in the fact that I put family first (or at least I say I do). Where and when did I veer off track?
I guess it should count for something that all of this JOB-centered thinking stopped at being thoughts. I did not take action on this ridiculous line of thinking. I continued on my journey to be with my family where I belonged.
It was, however, another slap in the face to remind me that I have to break free from the confines of the traditional workplace before it kills me.
Not only does my health suffer (I’ve had more ulcers than I care to remember) but the bitterness that comes along with not living the life I would like is toxic to me and to those around me. How present do you think I was when I finally made it to my grandfather’s house that day? I was there in body but my mind was elsewhere.
Partially to blame for the extreme disconnect between my body and my mind was the way in which I deal with grief. I tend to withdraw when I’m trying to process something difficult. I’ve always internalized my feelings so that I can sort through things at my own pace.
That was only part of the reason I was so distant that day, though. I can excuse that part of the reason. The rest, I think, is inexcusable. In my rational mind, there should never be anything that comes before my family. Period. End of discussion.
I guess my convictions of putting family first are not as finite as I like to believe.
I think that this is a repairable defect, however. My new journey towards self-employment could not have come at a better time. It is apparent that I have a lot to repair within myself as I travel down this new road. As 2009 comes to an end, I am adding fusing my convictions and my actions to my list of things to work on in the coming year.
~ Hope
“When the world says ‘give up’, hope whispers ‘try it one more time.” ~ Anonymous
Tags: entrepreneur, self-employment
I left the house at 5:45 this morning hoping that I would be able to miss rush hour traffic on my way to work. No such luck. At the worst point of my commute, it took me 35 minutes to travel 2 miles. As aggravating as this brain-numbing snail’s pace travel was, it gave me an opportunity to do a lot of thinking.
Since finding an alternate way to make a living has been occupying most of my thoughts lately, this morning my brain chose to focus on all of the things that I will not miss when I get to quit my job. Here is a list of ten things (in no particular order) that I will NOT miss when I am self-employed:
- Sleepless, stress-filled Sunday nights
- Horrendous, mind-numbing traffic jams
- Bosses who MUST be related to someone important
- Co-workers that would rather see me work twice as hard to pick up their slack than lift a finger themselves
- Waking up in the middle of the night because I am worried I didn’t “pick up the slack” well enough
- Business dinners with people whose conversations are not nearly as compelling as my toddlers’
- Ridiculous deadlines set by people who have no idea what I do
- An extremely limited number of days in which to enjoy my “vacation”
- Hearing my kids ask, “Mom, will you be home from work before we go to bed tonight?”
10. Suits, dress shirts and heels
I can’t wait until I can start not missing these things!
~ Hope
“When the world says ‘give up’, hope whispers ‘try it one more time.” ~ Anonymous
Tags: self-employment
Before having kids, I had no idea the impact these little creatures could have on my life. Not just the obvious lifestyle changes. Having kids has actually altered the way that I think about and view life.
For example, I spent my pre-kids life dreaming of building a long-lasting career. I defined success by the title on my business card and the number of digits on my paycheck. There was nothing and no one that could convince me I would ever change this way of thinking.
Then along came my children.
Almost immediately after giving birth I started wondering if my choice to be a career woman was the right decision. Suddenly the long hours at the office necessary to climb the corporate ladder seemed ridiculous.
At first I thought that these feelings were just a temporary result of postpartum hormones. I figured that my intensely career-minded self would return once I got back into the swing of things at the office.
No such luck!
These feelings weren’t a temporary result of a mother’s roller coaster of hormones. What I previously thought were unwavering beliefs had actually changed.
Before I had kids I never considered quitting anything, but now I find myself longing for the day when I can quit the drudgery of corporate America. I still have a strong desire to make contributions to this world and support my family.
I just don’t want to have to sacrifice quality time with my family to do it.
Searching for a way out of this self-made conundrum is my new mission in life. I have to stop ignoring the nagging feelings that I am not leading the life I was meant to lead.
It’s time for me to build the life that I dream of. The life that allows me to be a class room mom, chaperone fieldtrips and show my children that traditional employment is not the only way to make a living.
I want to inspire them to follow their dreams on their own so that they never have to be inspired to quit.
~ Hope
“When the world says ‘give up’, hope whispers ‘try it one more time.” ~ Anonymous
Tags: entrepreneur, self-employment, stay at home dad, working mom
