Holy cow! It's been a year!

So last March, I quit my day job. My safe, paycheck guaranteed, Monday through Friday job. Almost 12 years in and I walked away. Said goodbye to something that was completely unfulfilling and haven't looked back since. 

Now, that's not to say that I haven't had my share of "oh $hit" moments, but I don't miss working for someone else, having them dictate what I do and when, or going into an office that I just felt was slowly sucking away my soul. There's something so incredibly freeing about saying "Bye Felecia" to something that is 100% making you unhappy. 

Over this past year, my journey has changed a time or two. I certainly am not where I envisioned I would be, but I can tell you that I am exactly where I belong. I wouldn't change this past year, but I do have some lessons learned to share with others who may be in the same boat. I can't change how Scott and I went about things, but if anything I've learned helps you or someone out there, then I'm happy to share! 

So number 1, revamp any bills allocation and spending immediately; don't wait several months before changing this! Scott and I split all our bills, including the mortgage, which was mainly coming from my savings account. I realized, a tad too late, that this was draining my savings account very rapidly! It wasn't until we sat down and figured out how we were going to allocate the bills that things started going a little smoother. I.e., we started relying more on Scott's salary while I was building my business and income sources! 

I also recommend to STOP spending the way you were when you had that guaranteed paycheck. I seemed to think I had an unlimited supply of money and kept buying things from Amazon, for the business, for the house, for others, whatever. I mean, I wasn't spending ad nauseam, but I definitely should have changed HOW I was spending. Once again, I realized too late that my "unlimited" supply of money was coming from my savings. And it was very quickly dwindling down. Funny how that happens when you aren't putting money into it. Duh. 

Number 2, pay off debt, or as much as you can, BEFORE quitting! Scott and I each had some debt at the time, but it wasn't until AFTER I quit my job and we realized I wasn't bringing in the income I anticipated that we had somehow managed to get ourselves into more debt. We can also thank a wedding and honeymoon and other house projects for that. It's funny how that also sneaks up on you. Again, we sat down and wrote out a debt-dash plan and are getting things under control. I am happy to report we have paid off several things since we actually got on the same page. However, it would have made life a little easier had we started this debt-dash plan BEFORE I quit my job. Again. Duh. 

Number 3, wait a little longer for more success/money before quitting. I'm not saying that you have to be 100% successful or even 75%, but have some sort of income coming in before you walk away from that guaranteed income. I mean, I could have been waiting for months for that to happen with what I was doing at that time. It obviously never really took off since I am now doing something different. And let's be real, there never really is the "perfect" time to make this leap. But I trusted in God and took the huge leap of faith to do my own thing and it is paying off in dividends! 

And number 4, have a very clear, set plan in place. All we knew is that we were going to take 3 months to get things up and running and to start making some money. That was about all we had going for our plans. Can you see how clear-cut that is? Ha! 

I am so much more clear now with how each of my days, weeks, and months look as compared to when I quit. I start with the broad picture of what my month holds, then I break it down weekly, and then I break it down daily so I am not overwhelmed. With such clear goals and plans, I am so much more successful and less stressed. It's amazing how that happens! 

Know what you want to happen when you leave your job, have a clear plan set in place to make it happen, and I can guarantee you'll be in a better place than I was. 

I just figured it would all work out, somehow. And it did. But not without some trials and tribulations and stress along the way. Believe me, have the plan! You'll thank yourself! 

My journey has been an amazing one. It's had ups and downs, learning experiences out the wazoo, growth opportunities, and a complete 180 from what I thought I would be doing. Everything I've experienced has brought me to working my passions. To loving my jobs and what I do every day. 

Like I said at the beginning, it's not where I thought I'd be, but I wouldn't change it for the world. 

Believe in yourself. Believe in your journey. Trust in God and take that leap of faith. Just do it with a little more planning and forethought. You'll do amazing things! 

PS - we definitely survived because of Scott's salary, my savings, and our budgeting skills AFTER we realized savings doesn't last. Again...amazing how that works! 

I hope you have a beautiful week! And if you have any other questions or would like some more insight, please don't hesitate to reach out. I'd love to chat more with you about my journey and how to start yours sooner than you imagined! 
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With love and wellness, 
Whitney