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Issue 200 |
January 15, 2009 | |
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When you love
what you do you'll never have to work a day in your life.
~ Harvey McKay
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Opportunity Knocks:
Creative Ways to Make a Living Without A Job
Want to Live Your Dream?
5 Keys to Changing Course
By Valerie Young
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Valerie and her rescue dog,
"Cokie Roberts" |
I hear from a lot of people at various junctures along the road to
right livelihood. Some are at the very beginning, still trying to
figure out which path is right for them. Others have happily reached
their destination. Others are midway on their journey.
Regardless of where you are in the process, there are five keys to
changing course:
1. Set Big… and
Small
Goals
I know it sounds cliché, and especially at the start of the New
Year, but if you’re really serious about taking control of your
life, you need to set some goals for yourself. Knowing that you want
to change your life or work for yourself is a great start. But
expressing a desire is different from stating a goal.
In her Broadway show Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, Lily
Tomlin’s bag lady character remarks, “I always wanted to be
somebody.
I realize now I should have been more specific.” Deciding you want
to earn money by making and selling gift baskets is much more
specific than saying you want to make money doing something
creative. But even here you need to get more precise.
One of the best ways to move a goal along is to quantify it. Using
our gift basket example, the key questions are how much money do you
want to make and by when. You can always shoot higher, but for now
let’s think in terms of generating $5,000 in gift basket sales.
From here you’d want to make your goal both real and reachable by
breaking it down into smaller more manageable goals, like, for
example, making and selling six gift baskets in 60 days.
Actually writing the date on your calendar will make it even more
real.
2. Figure
Out What It
Will Take to Reach Your Goal and Start Doing It
A long-time subscriber
named Joe understands the importance of looking to others for
inspiration. He also understands how important it is to hear not
just about people that have followed their dream and made it happen,
but also about, he says, “those currently traveling the
pathway to a new career, setting goals for themselves, managing to
keep their dream alive and staying focused on the goal of a new
career.”
And setting and working toward a goal is exactly what this 33 year
old software engineer from Maryland is doing. But I’ll let Joe tell
you about his plans – and progress – in his own words:
“A year and a half ago I started reading a lot of real estate
investing books. I wanted to get into the medical field as a
Physical Therapist and needed a way to supplement my income. I took
classes and soaked up all of the real estate knowledge I could get."
“I worked with advisors until I landed my first deal. It was a
rehab house, and after I repaired it I made $28,000 profit for an
endeavor I spent five months on part-time. I was thrilled. I took
this money and used it to help purchase a rental property and
another rehab which I am now selling.”
“I set goals for myself. My big goal is a career change at five
years. Presently I have four years left. I plan on generating enough
income to cover all of my expenses. I also have smaller goals. At
the two year mark I plan to make $1,000 net cash flow per month. At
three years I plan to make $2,000 net cash flow per month. This will
allow me to pursue Physical Therapy without worrying about money! I
have volunteered in two hospitals and determined that this is where
I belong.”
“This is my journey. It’s hard to wake up every morning and go to my
current job. However I now see an end in sight. I know that in a few
years I will be enjoying helping people every day. And when that day
comes, it will be a dream come true.”
Some of you are probably saying, “Five years! I can’t wait that
long.” You don’t have to. Joe’s goal is very specific – to generate
enough money from real estate to be able to fully support him during
his schooling. Depending on your goals, your financial situation,
your level of commitment, and the amount of time you’re willing to
invest, you can certainly change course in far less time.
Whether you want to be living your new life in five years or in five
months, the point is to set a goal, quantify it, and then, one
day at a time, take the small action steps required to make your
goal happen.
3. Live Life
Now
Shooting for a future goal is great. But I received a deeply moving
email that reminded me of the importance of also
remembering to live life fully in the moment. A
woman named Pam wrote to thank me for inspiring her partner
Bruce, a man I never met but who I apparently
encouraged to live his dream. Pam has generously allowed me to share
her and Bruce’s story with you.
Before he was killed instantly in a traffic accident, Bruce
was living his dream. Bruce had been a computer consultant who,
explained Pam, tired of the cubicle life. “Although he made a
boatload of money doing it, he realized that there was more out
there to do. He always wanted to do something purposeful with his
life, and didn’t see that the programs he wrote made much of an
impact.”
Pam went on to say that she and Bruce lived together for two very
wonderful years, “living our dream. We both left the corporate
grind, had opened our own business as massage therapists. Bruce was
a wonderful man. He had healed so much in his life and many times
said, ‘If I'm to be the kind of spiritual man I wish to be, then I
need to work on this.’ He was making a difference in people’s lives
on a daily basis. I'm so very grateful for every moment that we
shared. We were blessed to have many friends. And I plan to continue
our dream.”
Although I never had the privilege of meeting Bruce, he sounds like
a truly remarkable human being and one who will be missed by many.
How wonderful that while he was among us Bruce was living his dream.
Pam’s strength, her gratitude in the face of unspeakable grief and
her resolve to continue to live their dream is inspiring indeed.
When we think about goals, we tend to think about achieving some
future result. And yet as John Lennon once observed, “Life is what’s
happening when you’re making other plans.” Bruce’s story serves as
an important reminder that even while you strive to reach your
future goals, you must live life now and with as few regrets as
possible.
4. Break a
Rule
Sometimes changing course can begin with the simple act of shaking
up your normal routine. Take Barbara, a former coworker of mine from
my corporate days. Most people spend their Saturday mornings in a
frenzy of house cleaning and errands. Barbara does this stuff too
but not until after she’s indulged herself by crawling back into bed
with a cup of coffee and popping in a suspense movie.
Spending your Saturday morning watching a movie may not be your cup
of tea, but surely there is some small fun thing you can do to shake
things up. If you tend to read self-help books try a romance novel.
Walk your dog in a totally new place or drive a different way to
work. Visit your local historic society or museum. On the first day
of each month have ice cream for breakfast. Go to the movies on a
weeknight. Experiencing small changes can make the bigger ones seem
more doable.
5. Use the One Step a
Day Approach
When I was desperately trying to get myself out of corporate
America, I promised myself that I would not go to bed at night until
I had taken at least one small step toward my goal. It doesn’t have
to be a big step.
For example, I knew that at least in the short term, leaving my
job-job would mean I’d be earning less money. So one day I
brainstormed a list of ways to supplement my income. I have a
finished basement with a bath so one idea was rent it out to a
commuting grad student who needed a place to stay during the week.
The next day I stopped by the hardware store to see what I could
find out about sound proof ceiling tiles. The following day I looked
up the Web site for the housing office at the local college, and so
on.
Not only do small steps add up, but just as important is the sense of
momentum you’ll gain. And once you get started on a dream, it’s hard
to stop!
“The big break for me,” said Jon Stewart of the Daily Show, “was
deciding that this is my life.” Another year is upon us. Since this
is indeed your life, let this be the year you start making your dreams
happen.
Add Your Two Cents
Want to comment on this
article?
Click here to hop over to the Changing Course Blog!
About the
Author
"Turning Interests Into Income" expert, Valerie Young,
abandoned her corporate cubicle to become the Dreamer in Residence at
ChangingCourse.com
offering resources to help you discover your life mission and live it. Her
career change tips have been cited in Kiplinger's, The Wall Street Journal,
USA Today Weekend, Woman's Day, and elsewhere and on-line at MSN,
CareerBuilder, and iVillage.com. An expert on the Impostor Syndrome, Valerie
has spoken on the topic of
How to Feel as Bright and Capable as Everyone Seems to Think You Are
to
such diverse organizations as Daimler Chrysler, Bristol-Meyers Squibb,
Harvard, and American Women in Radio and Television.
To read more
articles about how to work at what you love without a job go to
ChangingCourse.com/articles.htm
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Life isn't
about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
~ George Bernard
Shaw |
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Featured
Resource
Find Your Calling By
Helping Others Find Theirs
What would it be like to sit at home (or anywhere in the
world really) and brainstorm with people over the telephone about creative
ways they could make a living without a job − and actually get paid to
do it!
Or to run workshops on how to turn interests into income…
Or to make money 24-hours a day by selling your own eBooks,
CDs, or other information products that help people do work that feeds their
soul…
Now You
Can!
I am now offering a Self-Study version of the Outside the Job Box Career
Expert and Small Business Idea Consultant Course. Dozens of people in
the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Singapore, and the UK are well on their
way to finding their calling by helping other people find theirs… and now
you can too.
Time Is Running Out
Even though
it’s a self-study program, we’ve built in a series of four monthly Q&A calls
beginning Thursday, January 29. To make sure that your host, Outside the Job Box
Career Consultant Lisa Tarrant can adequately meet everyone’s needs, we are
limiting the number of participants to 50. Most of those 50 copies are
already gone, but we still have a few left.
If you are interested in doing this kind of
work at this tremendous Economy Buster savings, I highly recommend you read
through the complete course description and answers to your FAQ at
http://ChangingCourse.com/outsidethejobbox.htm...
before it's too late!
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This program was great. It gave
me all the tools I need. It’s almost like handing you a business
that you can start yourself. Valerie over-delivered everything.
She gave me everything I needed to know to start this business
on my own. ~ Barb van
Wickland
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Destiny is not a
matter of chance. It is a matter of choice: it is not to be waited for, it is a
thing to be achieved. ~ William Jennings Bryan |
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Trust that
still, small voice that says, "This might work and I'll try it.
~ Diane Mariechild |
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Special
Announcement
200th Issue Celebration
Gifts
This is a momentous occasion to celebrate - 200 issues of the
Changing Course online newsletter (as some of you know, the newsletter ran
from 1996 to 2000 as a hardcopy, subscriber newsletter).
I can think of no
better way to mark this milestone than by finding some small ways to thank
the over 22,000 of you who have supported Changing Course over the years and
to honor our many new subscribers!
My Gift to You: A Free Trial of
the Changing Course Club
I created the Changing Course Club as a haven for
dreamers. And, I've taken years of research and interviews and put them
together in one place.
As
a member of the Changing Course Club, you'll receive instant access to
all of the password-protected tools and resources including:
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Guest pass to the monthly Tele-Brainstorming
Session “Turning Interests Into Income Opportunity Hour"
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Members-Only Q & A Discussion Forum
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The Quick Launch Business Start Up Guide
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How to Use All of Your Interests, Passions, and
Hobbies to Create the Life and Career of Your Dreams with
Best-Selling Author Barbara Sher
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My comprehensive audio library including
presentations on how to market your business idea and recordings of
her previous Opportunity Hour Tele-Brainstorming sessions
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Barbara Winter's Joyfully Jobless
Presentation Series
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Guest expert presentations
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Advice from Successful, Savvy Entrepreneurs
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My continually updated Personal Rolodex of Top
Marketing Resources
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Monthly Money Matters Tips
You can read about all the benefits included in membership at
ChangingCourse.com/changingcourseclub.htm
To receive your free month,
just enter in Coupon Code ISSUE200 on the checkout screen.
You must place your order by midnight,
Monday, January 19
to receive this discount.
**Some Additional Bonus Gifts**
Over the years, I've had the opportunity to meet
and work with some amazing people, a few of whom have volunteered to
help me celebrate this momentous occasion by sharing some of their work
with you, including:
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The Greatest Marketing Secrets of the Ages by
Yanik Silver
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Get Media Attention for Your Business:
18 Techniques to Attract Journalists to Write About You by Fern
Reiss
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Yes You Can Conversation with Barbara Winter
and Liz deNesnera
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How Much Joy Can You Stand? by Suzanne
Falter-Barnes
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14-Point Web Copy Analysis of a Winning Site by
Yanik Silver
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5 Tips for Making Dreams Happen by
Michèle Meagher
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10 Inspired
Actions Guaranteed to Get You Moving Toward Your Dream by
Kate Navarro
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A Winning Energy Strategy For Success
in Life and Business by
Barb van Wickland
I am honored and blessed to have such wonderful
friends and colleagues. I hope you enjoy your gifts, and I look forward
to celebrating many more issues with you.
Click Here to
Download Your Subscriber Gifts
*P.S. These items will only be accessible until
January 31st.
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Not knowing when
the dawn will come I open every door. ~ Emily Dickinson |
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Upcoming Workshops and Teleclasses
Here are a few featured workshops and Teleclasses; you'll find a complete
listing at
ChangingCourse.com/courses.htm
Managing Fear and Finding Courage
The Opportunity Hour Teleclass With
"Opportunity Analyst" Valerie Young
There
really is no shortage of creative ways to get paid to do work you truly love.
The problem is most people don't know how to profit from their passions.
Viable and
fascinating business ideas are literally all around you. You just need to
know where to look!
Listen in
as serial "Opportunity Detective" Valerie Young delves into her vast
Opportunity Files to reveal some fascinating ways that regular people – just
like you – have turned their interests into income!
You don't
even need a lot of money. All it takes is a little creative thinking, which
is a good thing because Real Success Without a Real Job
author Ernie Zelinski calls creative thinking "the poor man's
wealth." Ernie was spot on when he said, "There is nothing quite as
exhilarating as coming up with a brilliant idea, putting it to good use, and eventually being rewarded
handsomely for my efforts by the marketplace."
This month, I'm going to be talking more about how
to manage your fear and find the courage you need to pursue your dreams. And,
I'll be joined by a few of my Outside the Job Box Career Experts as they share
their top tips!
So join a
community of dreamers and dream doers for an exhilarating hour of creative
thinking, opportunity angling, and possibility-provoking fun! The rewards
could be enormous!
Do you have ideas or interests but you're just not sure if and how you can turn them into
income? Post your ideas at
the Changing
Course Club on the Q & A Discussion Forum or email
Lisa@ChangingCourse.com and they could be
selected for the Hot Seat at the next Opportunity Hour Teleclass!
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Thursday, January 22
12:30-1:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Free
for Changing Course
Club Members*
$19.00 for Non Members**
Click Here to Register |
*This
series is free to current members of the
Changing Course
Club.
**100 percent of Non-Members registration fees go to the non-profit
micro-grant organization
TrickleUp.org
Underground Online Marketing
Seminar
Internet
Marketing Master Yanik Silver is hosting his Underground Online Seminar # 5 this
February in Washington, DC.
Yanik’s events sell out
weeks early every year. And I don't want you to miss out on your Early-Bird cut
off for a $1000 discount and special bonuses that expires January 20. After that
date, the price will drastically increase.
You'll learn from
an elusive group
of real-world "doers" to present what they're doing online.
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You'll hear from
world-class keynote speaker Bob Parsons from GoDaddy.com.
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There are numerous
networking opportunities not to be missed - guests, attendees, speakers and
Internet "celebrity" experts will all be there to do business together.”
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The speakers will all be
giving up their juiciest secrets and best info because they are competing
for the title of "Top Underground Marketer" and a $10,000
prize for their favorite charity.
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You'll learn new information straight from the trenches on social media,
membership sites, content sites, niche marketing, information marketing,
search engine optimization, 'domaining', blogging, joint ventures, email
marketing, selling real products & services, list building, PR and much
more...
I hope to see you there!
February 20-22, 2009
Washington, DC
Click Here to
Learn More
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The most
rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they
cannot be done. ~ Arnold Palmer |
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The View From
the
Other Side
"I guess we’re all
just wired different. I just got to the point where I got tired of people
telling me what I can and can’t do in my life.”
~ Todd McFarlane, founder of
Image Comics
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Resources for
a Change
3 Weeks to Start Up This
motivating article from Entrepreneur magazine provides step-by-step,
daily instructions for starting your business in three weeks. It's a
great read for those who are looking to start a business as well as
for those who already have!
http://tinyurl.com/3weeks
40+ Instant Article Writing Templates
If you plan on writing articles to help promote your business,
you'll want to check out this new product from PR Leads, it's
designed to help you write articles in less than 30 minutes!
http://tinyurl.com/fastarticles
Finding
Freelance Assignments
ELance is a freelance job finding service where you can market your
services and bid on a wide range of freelance assignments. The service is
especially useful for those seeking to start or build a home-based business in
the areas of: Web design & development, software & technology, graphic design,
business strategy (marketing, business plans, PR, etc.), writing & translation,
personal assistants, legal (research, patents, etc.), accounting & finance or a
whole host of other areas to fit your skills and interests.
http://tinyurl.com/84348d
Note: Changing Course does not accept
paid advertisements from any of the resources listed here. This list is
provided to expand your thinking about just how many interesting ways there
are to make a living without a job!
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live life on purpose