Want to Quit Your Day Job and Work Less? The journey to your dream starts with these three simple things you can do today.
By Matthew Toren •
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The dream is simple: work less, live more. Tim Ferriss capitalized on this universal desire in his first book, The 4-Hour Workweek, but in essence the idea has been around for centuries. Everyone seems to want more out of their personal life and less time at their day job, so how do you do it?
Related: Before You Quit Your Job, Do These 10 Things
Here are three ways you can get started on your journey to quit your day job and live the life of your dreams.
1. Get clear about the goal.
In Tony Robbins' new book, Money: Master the Game, the renowned motivational master talks about working with a client who wanted to make a billion dollars. When Robbins and the client got into the "why," it was really about wanting a plane of his own. Through a little research Robbins helped the man realize that you can lease-share a corporate jet that allows you private plane travel without the billion-dollar price tag.
The lesson? There are creative ways to get the dream life you want that may require a lot less money than you may think. The key is identifying what is at the root of your desires. Is it the validation that motivates you? The private jet? The innovative solution? The thought-leadership position?
Get clear on why you want what you think you want. If you're willing to act and think creatively you can figure out ways to achieve your dreams that may be outside the box of your current thinking.
Related: 9 Reasons to Quit Your Job As Soon As You Can
2. Define the dream.
Following this thought even further, don't stop at identifying your dream. Get clear on why you want to quit your job and what living your dream means. While sitting around doing absolutely nothing sounds pretty nice, it's probably the quickest way to depression and self-worth issues. If you're really serious about quitting your job with the thought that doing nothing is the dream, you may want to take a vacation from work and see what truly doing nothing all day feels like.
The first few days you'll probably love it, but when your friends are all at work or working on their businesses and you're just sitting around, you'll probably start to feel pretty bored. Take some uninterrupted time to figure out what you really want in life and how your job might actually contribute to your dream life. Doing something you love and are passionate about often provides you with satisfaction, purpose and fulfillment that goes beyond just the idea of not having a day job.
3. Realize that entrepreneurship is the dream.
Let's be honest: quitting your day job to live the dream is why so many people become entrepreneurs. It's important to recognize the things that entrepreneurship provides. It doesn't mean the end of a day job per se, but it does mean a different kind of job.
It's a job that you ultimately control and in which you are responsible for yourself, for better or for worse. It comes with a lot more risk, but also a lot more reward and satisfaction. If you get clear on numbers one and two, you'll be poised to start a life where your job and your dream are completely intertwined. It becomes less about leaving your work behind and more about creating work that fuels your creativity and drives your passion.
Related: Americans Are Quitting Their Jobs More, and That's a Good Thing
