I just quit my job. Choosing to be independent on Independence Day.
I’m sitting at my desk writing a story outline for The Huffington Post, and it hits me. Conviction. It’s time to do what I’ve needed to do for the past two years.
Quit my job.
I’ve been holding onto construction for a lot of reasons, but a sense of security is the main one. It’s what I know, and I’ve worked hard to be good at it. But the time to jump is now, so I did.
Sliding my chair back, I stand up from my desk and walk into our kitchen. Grabbing my phone from the island I scroll through my contacts, and without pause tap the dial button.
The voice on the other end answers, hello. It was do or die time.
30-seconds later, I had done the thing I had been hesitating to do for the last 2 years.
To be clear, I’m grateful for the job. It came at the right time. 6–1/2 years ago my wife Megan was diagnosed with cancer, and I needed a job. A place to show up, provide value, and then go home to focus on my family. Being self-employed can be all-consuming, and the last thing I needed during that period was to have any distractions from helping Megan with anything she needed.
Start with the end and work backward.
Two weeks ago I revisited the goals and desires I have for my life.
Starting from where I want to end up, I mapped out the activities I need to execute every day in order to get there. I decided to focus my time, energy and creativity only on things that will get me closer to my dreams. And my job didn’t make the cut.
Outside of the specific and measurable activities I need to accomplish daily to reach my personal goals, I also committed to increasing the amount of time I spend every day meditating and visualizing.
Dropping a pin
Think Google maps. Want to get somewhere? Just drop a pin and navigate to it. It works every time. The key, you have to start the process, pick your destination and begin.
I started by downloading a seven-minute meditation music track on iTunes. Every day I commit 10-minutes to stop, close my eyes, play the track and visualize my perfect day.
It’s so vivid I can see the leaves blowing on the trees, I can feel the leather of my steering wheel, I can smell the food cooking in my dream kitchen and I can feel the deep satisfaction of accomplishing what I set out to accomplish.
How to drop your pin
This is how I started, give it a try. Write out a script of your perfect day. Be extremely detailed and specific about what matters to you.
- What are you driving?
- What does it feel like inside the vehicle as you drive up to your dream house? The seats, the music playing, the feel of the steering wheel.
- What is your driveway like? Do you have a gate, is it long, does it have trees?
- What does your house look like? Is it big, is it small? What about your kitchen? Does it open up to a pool or maybe have a view?
- How do you look and feel, are you in shape?
- Who are you with?
- Are you traveling? Where are you going?
- Visualize checking your bank balance on your phone and smiling, thinking of all the ways you can give away the extra money.
The point, write it down, get it on paper.
Now, spend a few minutes every day simply closing your eyes and playing out this movie in your mind. Be consistent and you will be surprised how opportunities will present themselves. Opportunities that will allow you to roll up your sleeves and get to work making your movie real.
If we don’t intentionally and consistently work to make things better, life will automatically decay. We all have unique goals and dreams. I encourage you to write yours down and make a plan to get there, sooner rather than later.
July 4th, I can’t think of a better day to get my independence back.
