Why exactly am I doing this? You ask yourself.
 
This question is almost inevitable if you make a big change in your life.
 
Everything takes longer than you anticipated.
 
Lots of things don’t turn out how you imagined they would.
 
Some things simply fail after you’ve expended a lot of TIME, MONEY and EFFORT.
 
If it’s a new job you want, the application forms take hours to complete, in many cases you don’t hear back and the interviews are gruelling.
 
If it’s a business you’re starting you discover once you complete one thing there are a million more things to do. The to do list is, by nature, endless and it’s not straightforward like a job – there is no plan or set structure, everything seems like trial and error.
 
What will you be feeling at this stage?
 
Sometimes, disappointed, very disappointed.
 
You’ll be questioning your decision to shake things up in your life.
 
No one cares what I do anyway? You’ll think.
 
If you’ve left work and started your own thing you’ll discover that your friends might not want to be your customers.
 
You thought they’d be all out ready to buy what you’re selling. You thought they’d even help you sell by telling their friends about it.
 
Nope.
 
That’s not how it usually works.
 
I made this discovery early in business and by the time I was starting my third business I didn’t even account for friends in the plan.
 
What you will discover is that there is a whole world of different people out there interested in what you’re doing.
 
You just need to go out and find them.
 
They’re on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and whatever the social media tool of the day is.
 
You’re doing this because if you died tomorrow you would definitely regret not having taken this path with your life.
 
Chalk the setbacks and outright failures down as life lessons.
 
Someone, potentially a lot of people, do care about what you are doing.
 
Don’t try to do it all on your own.
 
Seek advice. Seek coaches. Seek mentors. Think. Breathe.
 
Go! Make it happen.

Have a business or life question you want me to answer? Please email it to me with the subject “Question”. Note that all such questions will be answered as a blog post and will be sent to my full email list. 

Related blogs:

• ​1. How To Overcome "Uncertainty" and "Unfamiliarity" When Making A Big Life or Business Change
• 2. How To Combat “Discomfort” and “Pain” After Making A Big Life or Business Change

So, you felt uncertain about your next path and all your options seemed so unfamiliar to you.
 
You did some soul searching.
You did some research.
You made a decision.
 
You’ll probably now feel a little uncomfortable, a little uneasy. It’s natural.
 
It’s not just you; even presidents and army generals get that feeling.
 
Is it really the best decision for your overall wellbeing?
 
Is it best for your family?
 
Is it the easy option? I hope not.
 
What if it doesn’t work?
 
If it’s a business, most first businesses don’t work, you’ll go on to start another business having learnt a bucket load of useful lessons and hopefully made great contacts.
 
If it’s a career change, what’s the worst that could happen?
 
You could always go back to your old career.
 
Nothing has to be permanent.

Over the last six months I’ve been in super chill mode. I’ve done very little, workwise, because ultimately I just didn’t feel like it.
 
For me, that’s always a sign that something isn’t quite right. I’ve always enjoyed being active.
 
I don’t fail to recognise that most people can’t just do that and still lead the same life; it’s one of the great benefits of running a mostly automated business.
 
Anyhow, during these few months I’ve had the privilege of coaching people that approached me directly. I don’t like to say no to a direct approach.
 
I’ve learnt more about the feelings and emotions that we all go through when we want to take a different path be it starting a business or making a career change.
 
EMOTION 1: UNFAMILIARITY AND UNCERTAINTY
 
What are you doing?
 
Are you crazy?
 
The status quo pays the bills, it keeps everyone at peace, why would you want to change that?
 
Because you don’t feel completely fulfilled.
 
You know you need to be doing something else but you’re not sure what.
 
You have a few ideas of what you think you would enjoy but you’re not sure which one is the best one for you. You’re uncertain.
 
Write a list.
 
Include everything you think you want to do even the crazy stuff.
 
Look at the list.
 
Meditate on the list.
 
Tuck it away. Take a couple of days out.
 
You don’t have to think about the list at all, your subconscious will take care of that.
 
Two days later, pull the list out again.
 
Think through the pros and cons of each prospective path.
 
Remove the ones you think you won’t really enjoy.  
 
Narrow the list down to two things, if that’s possible.
 
Will your partner support your decision?
 
Pass it by them.
 
A good partner will help you list the pros and cons; they won’t discourage you.
 
Toss a coin to help you decide not so that the side the coin lands on will set the decision for you but once that coin is twisting up in the air you’ll know which side you’re hoping for (Rothstein).
 
Will your "new thing" pay the bills?
 
Don’t worry too much about that for now.
 
Why don’t you dabble at it to figure out whether it is indeed the best option for you.
 
Do some research.
 
Talk to people in the know.
 
You may still be uncertain but you’re now more familiar; make a decision – go with your gut.
 
Next you need to figure out How To Combat “Discomfort” and “Pain” After Making A Big Life or Business Change. 

Have a business or life question you want me to answer? Please email it to me with the subject “Question”. Note that all such questions will be answered as a blog post and will be sent to my full email list. I will only answer questions that I feel competent to answer and that align with the goals of this website.