Quitting Your Job To Work From Home Requires Some Thought

Ah, to work from home. Either you are doing it or you are so close you can taste it, working from home is living the dream. With job uncertainty on the rise, day after day, more and more people are making the decision to transition from an 9-5 beatdown to working from home.

And once that transition is made, over 60% of them are making a very decent living from the comfort of their own private dwelling while having for freedom to actually live life!

But, what does that mean for you?

How can you go from an average 9 to 5 daily beating, to the absolute joy and freedom of working for one’s self while maintaining your professional demeanor?

Well, the easy answer is: Practice, Consistency and Knowledge

Okay, perhaps it’s not so easy. First of all, not falling into that “couch potato” slump is harder than one would think. Then, you need to keep structure and set boundaries, just like at your old corporate job. Just time time, there is no boss to answer to. You are the boss and you answer to yourself.

Simple solution?

Get out! that’s one of reasons you wanted to work from home, isn’t it? There are a plethora of places you can go to keep fresh eyes while keeping your eye on the prize.

Including, but not limited to, coffee shops, restaurants, cafes, and of course, your local library. Have a portable hotspot? Work in the park or on the beach. The key is to stay focused but not get bogged down or over stressed! Otherwise, what was the point of leaving your 9-5?

Exercise

Next, get into an exercise rhythm. “Stay at home” does not mean “stay in chair”. It’s easy enough to have all this new found time to multitask without a boss breathing down your neck, but really, what are you going to do with it!

Are you going to stay in that home office all day writing blogs, or are you going to take a minute or to and go for a walk around the block every hour or so?

After all, you choose your own breaks now. Why not choose a break that includes cardio time? Plus, keeping the blog pumping, giving your brain short break and sparking those “feel good” endorphins will make your work from home endeavor more profitable.

Try to Eat Healthy

And while we’re on the subject of fitness, can we talk about meal time? Yes, we are all WELL aware of how much easier it is to snack on a bag of chips rather than actually crack open a salad, but let’s face it, this is your body here.

If you are eating “couch potato” foods, then you will feel like a couch potato. Eating healthier foods and maintaining a schedule will also help keep you out of the slumps, will give your energy and better focus. Energy and focus + work you love = INCOME!

The transition is difficult. Awakening that inner entrepreneur while you have a steady income is frightening. But, here are a few tips on what helped me:

Do not expect things to go as planned! You must, must, must plan for the worst and hope for the best. Unfortunately, going about it the other way could lead to a whole heap of trouble. But that doesn’t mean you need to lose your optimism. Entrepreneurs have to be optimistic. Keep that. Just also be realistic. When you make plans, have the worst case scenario all the way to the best case. This will better prepare you for whichever you receive. Remember Murphy’s Law, whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. Even the most well- crafted plans could run amuck?
Do you have a business? I know this seems like a silly question but you would be surprised how many people ask me to help them work from home and they have no business or affiliate ideas. Leaving the security of a regular paycheck is risky, already, but leaving before you have crisp, detailed business plan… that’s just plain ignorance.
Do you have a budget? Again, I am asked on a daily basis how to help someone to work from home but they have absolutely no budget and if they don’t make money that month, they could be homeless. Do not let this be you. Stay with your 9-5 until you have a couple months of saving built up, so you can make the plunge. If, by some the unfortunate stroke of bad luck, you have lost your job and you MUST, MUST, MUST find a new source of income. Then, there are a few ways to begin without an investment. It just depends on your skills and how much time, energy and work you’re willing to put into a “not budget startup”.
Have you covered your medical insurance needs? Many entrepreneurs forgo medical insurance when launching their businesses because they feel they cannot afford it. If that is the case, hold off on launching. Work a few more paychecks at your 9-5 so that you can build a bit more of a savings so you can afford medical insurance. Get medical insurance coverage. It is a necessity for everyone. What would you do if you became suddenly ill and couldn’t afford treatments. Do you think you’ll be working your hard earned home based business then? No, you’ll be desperately seeking a way to cover your medical bills. Ditch the potential for drama and get coverage through a spouse or through COBRA. They have several, several independent marketplaces, these days. The options are there. Find one that fits your situation.

After you have handled the “biggie” concerns, your transition into the self employment world will be much, much more smooth. All you’ll need to do is Make the jump! Making the jump will be a scary,
exhilarating, exhausting experience. Being prepared is the best way to make that smooth transition.