Last week, I gave a Pecha Kucha* talk about the lessons I have learned in my journey from working on a campus to working for myself. I share them here (and tomorrow) in the hopes that some may be applicable to you as well:
- Lesson 1: Don’t discount the value of life beyond a paycheck. If you work 50+ hours/week, nights and weekends, you give up more than your realize. There is a definite trade off between time and money. Before I had much more money, much less time. Now the reverse is true, but I feel richer.
- Lesson 2: Write. I filled a notebook about my journey – and can look back at my progress and emotions. Like Marie Forleo said: “If you fall off a bike and get back up, you are no longer the person who fell – you are the person who is still riding.” Writing lets you see that.
- Lesson 3: If work makes you feel small – get out before you are miserable. Think of the frog story: if you put a frog in boiling water, it will jump out; but if you put it in water and slowly heat it to a boil, it will stay there and die. Watch your water temperature so you’re not like the frog. Now I know that you don’t find your passion; you know it already. You just have to commit to make it a priority.
- Lesson 4: You will do yourself a favor if you develop the discipline now to hold yourself accountable. Be your own boss, even if you aren’t. Don’t cheat on deadlines. Create a system that allows you to accomplish things that are important, but not urgent. Whether working for yourself or others, this will be a differentiator.
Hopefully these gave you a few things to think about. Stay tuned for more lessons tomorrow.
(*Pecha Kucha is a presentation format with 20 slides shared with 20 seconds of narrative on each.)