I am going to begin this article by sharing a shocking fact... Did you know that if you opened the door on every single budgie cage around the world (and we are talking a lot of cages here...) fewer than 5% of our imprisoned feathered friends would actually embrace the window of opportunity provided and fly away! Hard to believe I know. Most would choose to do exactly what they've always done. Spend a bit of time moping around on the swing, maybe the odd moment glancing into the mirror and the rest of the time keeping a close eye on the rise and fall of the bird seed. I bet you could just imagine the dialogue being squawked around the enclosure as well. Chances are you'd hear priceless banter such as 'There is no such thing as being as free as bird.squawk' or 'Those sparrows have all the lucksquawk, squawk' or from the really disgruntled budgies. 'it's all my parents fault that I was born inside a cage.squawk, squawk, squawk!' So what has this got to do with leaving your job and starting up your own business I hear you ask? Your Cage Door is Always Open! Well the most important thing for you to realise is that the door of your employee cage is always open. Whether you stay or whether you fly away is completely your own choice. It has nothing to do with your boss, nothing to do with your irritating co-workers, customers or suppliers and everything to do with you. You have to accept responsibility! This will not only make you feel a lot happier and more empowered, it will also provide you with the seeds of your great escape. Start Taking Day Trips Outside of Your Cage! If you have made the decision that you would like to leave the confines of paid employment, experiment with leaving your cage on day trips. Don't worry, you don't have to fly off for good just yet! Take a day off here and there (a sick day if you have to!) to experience what it would be like to be your own boss for a day or two! Spend time planning your new business venture and start taking the small steps necessary to make it a reality. Experiment with the piece of mind that you can always return to the safety of your cage, bird seed and water at the end of the day. Make the Decision to Leave Your Cage for Good! Return to bird seed I hear you cry! But I've just spent the entire day eating these delicious, wriggling worms that I pulled out of the ground all by myself! Chances are when you start to experience how good it feels on the outside you are not going to want to go back to your old way of life as an employee! If this is true for you, start making bigger plans that will help you leave your employment cage for good. Freedom is a mindset! It is important to understand that Freedom is a mindset. As soon as you make the decision to be free you will be. Similarly, it is important to understand that being an entrepreneur is also a mindset. If you make intelligent use of your free time, find a hungry market for your good or service and develop the confidence necessary to go out on your own, soon you'll flying, singing and eating worms to your hearts content. Copyright Damien Senn 2005. All rights reserved. |
