If I asked you, “Why do you get up and go to work every day?” Your answer may vary but the most consistent answer may be to provide for yourself and your family which makes sense. I believe everyone wants to go to a job that they love but unfortunately it doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes your passion and your “9 to 5” have nothing in common. But the fear of failure or financial instability can oftentimes hold you captive to that “9 to 5” which is a feeling I know far too well.
But instead of harping on the fact that your job sucks and you’d really like to be working full-time on your passion, have you ever thought about taking advantage of the hours of the day that you’re not at work to work for you? You may have a “9 to 5” but what does your “5 to 9” life look like?
What I mean by this is – what are you doing after work to benefit your overall success and realize the dreams inside of your heart? How are you taking advantage of the time that you’re not working for someone else?
One of the common questions I get asked is how was I able to transition from employee to entrepreneur. Firstly, I was fully convinced that that’s what I was supposed to do. Second, I was working on Embrace Her Legacy for over a year prior to when I decided to resign from my position. The hours in the music business are far from “9 to 5” so I would take advantage of less busy hours during work and evening hours for conference calls, meetings, develop website content, coordinate events, research business practices and much more. At that time, I didn’t think I would transition full-time into entrepreneur immediately but I was simply going after my purpose with a full-time attitude. I knew that working at a record label wouldn’t be a part of my story much longer.
When I started focusing on my “5 to 9” life, I soon began developing the confidence and ambition to pursue my purpose full-time. Instead of being miserable at my job, I knew that slowly but surely I was reaching towards my destiny.
If you’re not in a position to pursue your passion full-time during this time in your life, then think about what can you start doing part-time? Perhaps you have a goal of becoming a corporate attorney; well maybe you can go back to school and take classes towards your law degree after work hours. Maybe your dream is to become a celebrity make-artist with your own make-up line. Have you ever thought about booking clients for weekend events or taking the time everyday to watch YouTube tutorial videos to enhance your skill set?
Your “5 to 9” life can include a variety of actions steps that you’re taking to accomplish your goals which can include anything from researching and reading on ways to further your knowledge on the latest fashion trends or practicing your skills to make you a better singer/songwriter or meeting with potential clients for your catering business.
Whatever it is, you must make a commitment to yourself because chances are that you’re going to get tired and you’ll want to quit especially if you don’t see immediate results at the beginning. If you allow the disappointment to frustrate you, you’ll be tempted to stay in the comfort of your “9 to 5” even if it’s not fulfilling you. So keep your eyes on the prize!
During this time, you must practice the pain of discipline. Remember that pain of discipline weighs ounces but the pain of regret weighs tons. Some seasons are going to require you to stretch into a new capacity. The beauty about these seasons is that although you may be uncomfortable, you are definitely growing because being uncomfortable is always a sign of growth.
Start thinking of creative ways to use the time that you do have to work part-time on your dream until it’s your full-time reality!
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy