Guest Post by Nabukenya Muwonge
Tracy was 30 years old and too scared to pursue her dream. Her father’s comments and complaints kept ringing in her head: “you’re supposed to be settled, you’re old now. When I was your age I had my Masters and my own house……”
But the truth of the matter was that even though Tracy was good at her job, it was strangling her spirit. Conventional wisdom, the credit crunch and the general instability of the economy kept silencing the panic. “You can’t make money as a coach!” one person said. “Being a consultant is really, really hard” said another. “It’s better to have a permanent position….” her Mom said, over and over and over, anytime she suspected Tracy was going to take the leap.
Tracy continued to be a loyal employee, but at the five year mark she had lost her drive, interest and quite frankly, her loyalty really. It was ten months into her fifth year with her employer and she had reached the end of the road. Waking up every morning was a struggle, she no longer felt stimulated. It was time. A good job like this one, was no longer a good job to her, or for her either. She did the scariest thing she could imagine: she typed her resignation letter, composed herself and submitted it.
Six months into building her business, she finally understood why some of her former colleagues thrived. They had discovered their passion. Sometimes she was so engrossed in her work, the learning lessons, business connections and potential opportunities, that she didn’t want to stop to eat her lunch. Finally, she understood her co-workers who were so dedicated they worked seven days a week. The freedom and learning curves that came from being an entrepreneur were something she had not experienced for years! Every day was different and challenging, being the only employee requires a huge amount of sacrifice and blind faith.
Tracy did not quit without doing any groundwork. A year before she quit, she began to explore the coaching environment in her community and asked herself some very serious questions:
- What is my long term vision for my business and for myself?
- Is this something people believe in?
- Are people willing to pay someone to do this?
- How long can I survive without a fixed income?
- Who can I identify to mentor and guide me in business development?
- Which professional affiliations would make my business credible?
- What kind of training would boost my skills and confidence?
- Do I believe in my ability to make this a success?
- How much of an investment financially will it take for me to set up an office?
Are you like Tracy, holding back on your passion? Take the first step to your independence today. . .
{Top Photo Credit}
Guest Post by Nabukenya Muwonge
Nabukenya Muwonge is a coaching consultant who provides life coaching and consulting services to clients all over the world. In her spare time she enjoys exercising, spending time with close girlfriends and teaching children.
Read more about her work at www.petitecoach.com
Follow her @Nabukay
