If you want to change your life nothing will happen until you make that decision. No one will come in on a white horse and do it for you. You’ll get some help along the way if you ask the right people but it’s up to you to make that change.
Now that said, making that decision needs to have some fuel behind it to be more than just talk. This is why you need to find your WHY and motivation behind why you want to change. (If you haven’t watched the video suggested in Step 1 in the 10 Steps to Getting Off the Hamster Wheel now is a good time.)
Let’s use me as an example:
I wanted to go back to a life that included more free time, less work and more of a freelance kind of lifestyle. I also wanted to be able to work from anywhere, travel and spend more time with my family. Plus I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to wake up everyday feeling as if what I was doing mattered as I was no longer getting that from the situation I was in.
Now wanting that kind of lifestyle and getting that are two different things and we’ll get to how to achieve that down the road but this is where your WHY is coming into play.
That WHY fueled my decision to change. I knew it was up to me to create the kind of life I wanted. Ask yourself:
- WHY do you want something different in your life?
- WHY do you want to quit your job?
- WHY do you want to get out of debt?
- WHY do you want to leave the rat race?
- WHY?
The more specific you get the better. To just say: “I’m tired of going to a job I don’t love” isn’t enough WHY. You need something stronger than that to motivate you.
“I want to quit my job so that I can spend my days with my kids before they get too old, travel in an RV for a year and then start a non-profit and make a difference” now that is more specific. Those involve goals that you can then break down to smaller pieces and work towards.
Your reason needs to be really STRONG…you need to find that burning desire within you that you are willing to do what it takes to get to your goal.
Think of an athlete that wants to go to the Olympics, let’s say in swimming. That is not an easy goal to achieve. That means that the motivation and the WHY must be there or getting out of a warm, nice bed at 4:30 am in the morning to be in the pool by 5 am is going to be a constant struggle. Without that strong WHY when the going gets tough it’s really easy to get derailed and give up.
Start asking yourself why you want something different in your life. Write those things down. Search for your WHY. Be specific as to why. When you do, changing your life is no longer talk. You get fuel for action. Fuel that serves as your catalyst for change.
Well, that’s all for the first post in the “How to Leave the Rat Race” series. If you haven’t yet, remember to sign up to have all blog posts and more delivered directly to your email, plus you will get your free copy of the 10 Steps to Getting Off the Hamster Wheel guide, which this series is based on.
Now, what action will you take today in order to get closer to finding your WHY?
My why is almost like the one you described above (sans the non-profit;-) Freedom, flexibility, time with family and unlimited income potential. Yeah, baby!
Gina Horkey recently posted…What Do People Really Think of Your Website?
Great post, Camilla. This is an absolutely essential step to breaking out of a life of mediocrity – and it’s a transformational experience.
I sometimes tell others struggling to understand the concept – think of “all I wanted was a car” by Brad Paisley – there is a classic line in there about how his Dad and Mom could hardly believe the change in their “lazy bum” son who transformed into a hard-working young man to earn enough to buy his first car – this change of character was all because he found his WHY – or at least, the WHY for that stage of his life!
My WHY is to bring real success into the lives of millions of entrepreneurs and wantrepreneurs and today I have got one step closer by helping a young entrepreneur get set up on LinkedIn for the first time. It’s great being able to help people and for me this is a dream come true.
Rick Siderfin recently posted…How To Speak in Public With Confidence and Authority – Part 1
That’s a great story Rick! Yes, when we find that motivation to do something nothing is impossible! And how awesome that you got to help a young entrepreneur get set up on LinkedIn…it’s through this awesome community where we share what we know to those that don’t so they can help others down the road we all get to our own little mountain top! Keep up the awesomeness! Cheers!