Your job may have some really awesome perks that you love. Things that you love about your job may be distracting you and keeping you from seeing the real impact that it is having on you, your health, and your loved ones.

Are these things clouding your judgment and causing you to think that your job isn’t that bad? Are they keeping you stuck in a job that actually has more negatives to it than positives?

I recently asked a group of self-employed women in a course I am taking, what their push was to leave their corporate jobs and go from employees to being their own boss. The answers came in fast and furious. Their responses hit home, and solidified even further that the company that fired me did me the biggest favour ever!

Here are a few of the responses:

• My energy at my 9-5 felt totally depleted, my energy when I worked in my side hustle was totally energized.

• My boss was a total shit head.

• Bad work environment with unsupportive management.

• Having a problem with the team and realizing it was never gonna get better.

• Bad leadership.

• I craved freedom, creative freedom, financial freedom, time freedom

• I was bored and undervalued

• I was spending thousands on medical bills because of my burn out at a previous job.

For most of these ladies, the first step was a side hustle doing something they enjoyed. That allowed them to see what was possible for them and learn the ropes of starting a business. Another big factor was paying attention to how they felt when working in their businesses. Think about how you feel when you get home from work and transition into something you enjoy doing. It can feel like flipping an energy switch on.

Pay attention to this shift. Think about how you feel when you’re walking out of work or shutting down your computer on Friday vs. how you feel on Monday morning. These are all signs. If I had been paying attention, I wouldn’t have been able to miss them!

• If you catch yourself thinking or saying things like, it’s not that bad:

• I make really good money

• I get X weeks of vacation

• Only XX more years until I can retire

• It’s almost bonus time

• I have some amazing co-workers

• I have amazing benefits

Or anything really that starts with, my job isn’t that bad, I want you to know that you don’t have to continue sacrificing, or making do at your current job. You’ve got so many options and if you have something that you love to do, I want you to be able to share that with the world. I challenge you today to get out a notebook, the notes app on your phone, or a giant whiteboard, whatever works for you. Then start brainstorming the things that you love. Take it a step further, and start jotting down ideas about how you can turn the thing(s) you love into a business!

When I reflect back to all of the red flags from the days before I got fired, I often shake my head because they are so obvious now. They weren’t obvious to me then, because I was focused on what I thought was the safety and security that that job provided me and because I didn’t know that the life I am building today was even possible.

Imagine where you could be one year from now if you start to take action today! I know it’s scary AF to start something new. My best advice I can give to you today if you’re starting to see the signs, if you are starting to feel that you are ready for big changes in your life and career, is to look at your circle of friends, and if it only includes others who are playing it safe, it’s time to expand your circle! It may sound crazy, but a great place to get started can be social media. Find a few business accounts that inspire you and send them a message to ask them how they got started. Business owners love to talk about their experiences.

I share so much of my personal journey to becoming a full-time entrepreneur, the good, the bad and the ugly, because I want you to know what it’s really like, but I also want you to know that if I can do it, you can too. I don’t have a background in business, or a college degree, but I do have determination and a willingness to do things that I've never done before.

I hope that I have inspired you to take your first step towards a life that you didn’t think was possible when you started reading this! For more inspiration, come join me on Instagram and TikTok!!

Sherry