I coach a lot of people who are interested in expanding their horizons and doing more with their lives than just working for someone else. We grow up and are expected to get a job, work 9-5 for 40 years, retire, and live happily ever after, right? Well, not anymore! Even if that were still the expectation, it would just be a huge waste of our potential. Our capacity to learn, grow, and do is seemingly endless, but most jobs only tap into a small portion of our capabilities. I am not saying that getting a “regular” steady job is a bad thing, but I do want to provide a better understanding and enhanced perspective of what lies beyond the realm of 9-5 monotony. I cannot emphasize enough how much more there is to life than spending precious time doing something we really are not that passionate about.
Statistics show that 85% of Americans hate getting up Monday morning to go to a job they really don’t like. It is highly likely that the rest of the world feels similarly. Most people do not follow their passions because they don’t think they can make a living at it. Now, you might be part of the fortunate 15% who love your job and that is great; keep doing it. But, if you, by chance, find yourself in the other 85% then this information is for you.
Jobs come and go. It is inevitable. Most people move from job to job throughout their adult professional career, whether it’s a natural progression or an abrupt change in employment. Some moves are voluntary, while others might take us by surprise. The downside of working for someone else is that you are at their mercy, whether you like it or not. There are any number of factors that come into play as to whether that job is secure. The uncertainty of it all can leave you feeling rather helpless with circumstances out of your control. In addition, when we are working for others, we are working so that they can fulfill their dreams, not so we can achieve ours.
Fortunately, there are alternatives to the drudgery of working hard to carry out someone else’s aspirations. One option is developing business ideas and concepts that will pay you the same amount or more than what you are making at your current job. This course of action might seem daunting to some, but this is primarily because most people just don’t know where to start or how to get their ideas going. I specialize in helping people investigate their lives by examining and assessing what they really want to be doing each day. Most people want more but are not willing to do the extra work required to achieve their dreams of financial freedom. Even if money is not your chief motivation, the fear of living a life of regret may be. Most of us fall into one of two categories when it comes to dealing with whatever life throws at us: proactive or reactive.
The proactive person takes initiative and learns what is needed to be independent, regardless of age or situation. Proactives study tirelessly, taking the time to learn how to make things happen in their lives. Proactives seek out mentors and pattern their lives around the positive character traits these successful people possess. Remember, we are byproducts of those we associate with. If you hang around non-achieving deadbeats, you stand a very real chance of falling victim to those same circumstances because you refuse to change your surroundings. Distance yourself from people who are negative and only bring you down. These individuals don’t want you to succeed because your failure or inability to flourish only reinforces their own insecurities and weaknesses. If you fail, they feel better about themselves. If this sounds a little too familiar, change! It’s not too late.
Rewriting your story or reshaping yourself may prove difficult, but life is about changing for the better. Struggles and challenges should be met with confidence and determination. These hardships are what strengthen us, refine us, and mold us into the individuals that we are meant to become. So, are you going to finally take control of your life or continue down the same road? Perhaps you don’t have negative people around you. It is quite possible that the negative force holding you back in life stems from within! You are often your own roadblock on your path to success. Your mindset is usually the problem that is holding you back from achieving the success that awaits you. Mindset is key! Change your mindset, change your life. You will be amazed at the positive changes that result from simply altering your mindset.
The importance of being a proactive person lies in your ability to make things happen in and for your life before someone or something comes along and pulls the rug out from under you. Although this might not seem like something that would happen to you, if you are working for someone else, this could happen many different ways.
Here are a few examples to put this into context:
- You get replaced at work.
- Your job title or responsibilities change.
- Company goes bankrupt or downsizes.
- You are too expensive and can be replaced by someone younger or, worse yet, a machine can now do your job.
- You don’t like the people you are working with or they don’t like you.
- You don’t make what you think you are worth.
- You don’t feel you are getting anywhere after putting in years on the job.
- Passed over for promotion because you are the wrong gender, ethnicity, age, etc.
- Company is sold and now the new boss doesn’t need you.
By being proactive, we don’t have to worry about the what-ifs. If we torment ourselves with anxiety at the possibility that one day the pink slip will come or something out of the blue will blindsides us, that is when we become a reactive person. When something unexpected happens, the reactive person is forced to impulsively respond to the situation without the peace of mind of a backup plan(s)ready to kick in and take over. Having to react to a negative situation, for which we are ill-prepared, affects our physical and mental health as well as our relationships. Overall, it is not a pleasant thing to have to go through, especially when it can be avoided simply by being proactive. The time is now to be a proactive person, not reactive! Take initiative to start down a path that can lead to the success of finally being in control of your life. It is possible to get there, you just need to change your mindset and focus on working on you.
Many are unaware of the opportunity that surrounds us daily. Changing our mindsets and preparing ourselves to seek out that opportunity is vital to our success.
