Do you have a passion you’ve turned into a side business?  Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could turn that passion – the thing you think about 24/7 and tell everyone about  – into what you do for a living?  Imagine waking up each day excited to work and even getting butterflies when you think about it.  That’s how I feel about what I do, and I want to help others feel the same!

So many people have a passion they’ve turned into a side business, and they want to quit their job to work on their passion full time.  Several years ago, I did the same thing, and I can’t tell you how amazing it is to go to bed Sunday night excited to start work on Monday!  But don’t quit your day job just yet! This is a transition process, and there are certain steps you must take to eliminate the stress, ensure financial security, and make sure that your decision to quit your job is the right one!

 

 

How to Quit Your Job 

#1 – Make a gradual transition.

Even if you hate your job, keep it until you reach a point where you can go part time or slowly transition out of what you’re doing now.   A lot of people get down on themselves and lose confidence when they don’t have a job. A gradual transition makes the process less scary and relieves the pressure of immediately having to make the same amount of money you did at your old job.  Keep working at your side business, and if possible, slowly cut down on your normal working hours or transition to part time.  This way, by the time you leave, you’ll feel confident you can make it all on your own!

 

#2 – Understand you must make sacrifices.

The most common excuse I hear people make for not pursuing their passion as a career is they don’t have time to work at it.  If you really want to make your passion your full time business, you have to make sacrifices.  For instance, you’ll have to give up things like lying around the house an extra hour on Saturday mornings, watching reality TV, or shopping.  Or, you might have to get up an hour earlier or stay up an hour later on week days to fit it in.  But don’t worry, these are minor sacrifices in the grand scheme of things.  When you have the opportunity to have full control of your schedule and create the life you want and deserve these minor sacrifices are easy to give up!

#3 – Reverse Engineer how to make it happen.

Now that you’ve set the goal, what exactly do you need to do to make it happen?  Break down every task you must complete in order to build up your business to the point where you can quit your job.  Research the steps, brainstorm on paper, and break each task down into baby steps. This way you can start putting a plan into motion and continuously work toward your goal.

#4 – Set a money milestone at which you can quit your job.

How much does your business need to be making in order for you to replace your income from your job?  You need to set a money milestone – an income level you must reach in order to quit your job.  Keep in mind this doesn’t have to be the same amount you are making now.  Because when you quit, you’ll have 40 more hours to devote to your passion, and your business will take off!  So pick a number at which you can transition your full focus to your side business and work toward replacing your current income completely.

#5 – Create a schedule with deadlines and see them through.

Once you’ve brainstormed the steps you must take, and you’ve set your money milestone to work toward, create a schedule for this process.  Set deadlines for each task and points you must hit in your business each month to grow it to where you can quit your job.  Set hard and fast deadlines, and stick to them!

With focus, dedication, and consistency, it’s totally possible to build up your passion, your side business, to replace your full time job.  Yes, it takes work, and you’ll have to make some sacrifices to get there. But having control over life and waking up excited to spend each day doing what you love most is so worth it!