We’re all looking for some sense of success and happiness in the world. One way to find that is through one’s work. Income earning work takes up a large percentage of the waking hours of most people in this country. Why not make that work amazing, satisfying, and of benefit to other humans? It’s great to have work that’s so satisfying I feel like it would be just as fair for me to pay my clients as for them to pay me.
Here are some tips for how I got there and how you can too.
1. Dream.
What personally motivates and fires you up? Name five lifestyles you can imagine loving. Feel into it and find the yes in your life. We’re looking for the power behind the decision that will pull you through the rough spots. Example: I imagine working about 20 hours a week, helping people, feeling great, and earning about $50,000 a year.
2. Feel into the love of the work.
Free flow and create without worrying about if it fits the job description. Write about what you want to do, who benefits from your work, and how your work serves your creative genius. Find the flow of the writing that flows and let it flow. Don’t worry about if it doesn’t seem like the mission statement you were planning on writing. Let the writing and the flow happen anyway. Some part of you is telling you something that you need to know. Example: I’ve now written hundreds of pages for this step. The gist always comes back to trusting the power within each of us that is health, creativity, and freedom and working with that energy to help heal relationships.
3. Now you can withstand some practical advice.
Find out who’s looking for your work and if they are going to pay for it. You might do some web searches for keywords related to the type of work you want to do. Figure out how much money you need to make and what percentage of people you need to convert to clients from the people that are looking. Example: If I get about 40% of the search engine traffic coming to http://www.careerbeez.com/ and can convert 2% of them into paying clients, I can support my family.
4. Keep writing.
Turn your writing into your website. Tidy it up and publish what you want people to see. What is your target market looking for? All that writing you did is not wasted. It lets you build your idea of who you are, clarify your vision, and notice whether or not you have the energy for this business. Now it’s time to publish what you want others to see. Imagine you are your target audience. What are you looking for? What information do you want? Why would you trust this information? Example: Parents come to my site looking for free practical advice but also wanting more personal attention through coaching. It’s very easy for them to contact me with the sidebar contact form.
5. Do work.
Don’t forget in all the promotions to actually practice the work you want to do. Get creative. Whatever it means to you, practice the work. In all the efforts to build a business, don’t forget how to do the core work you are promoting. Example: I have called my friends and offered them free coaching to help me practice. I’ve offered giveaways through guest blogs. And I currently offer discounted sessions.
What is your dream job? How are you bringing it to reality? What obstacles are you encountering? Those obstacles can sabotage our dreams or help clarify and refine them. As a parent coach, I help people connect with their shadows to improve their parenting and family happiness, but the same principles apply to help you move through your resistance to starting your dream job.
