As you sit at your desk in the cubicle on the left, overhearing half of the conversation between Jessica and her soon to be ex-boyfriend Jacob, you might be thinking that, although you were excited when you got this job, things have really changed. If you think your pile of paper clips is more exciting than your work life, it’s definitely time for a do-over. But how can you get re-energized and get excited about your future? Perhaps it’s time for Plan B. Why not work from home and build your own fabulous empire? But how realistic is this you ask? Your father worked on his company’s business site his entire life, your friends and relatives have all done this, as well. But in your heart of hearts, you’ve always known that your path was not to be foretold by the actions of others, and so you will go your own way. All that you have to do is dig deep, much deeper than you ever have before, and remember that the payoff will be enormous! I watched an old Oprah’s Next Chapter show that I had stored on my DVR back in July. The subject of this episode was David Copperfield, the magician. I am not sure why I kept this specific title, since I did not find him particularly interesting, however, I learned something incredibly powerful when I watched the recording. So of course, the reason that this taping remained, through many deletions of other programs, was to provide a reminder about the keys to success. They both spoke of their “P”s. Oprah mentioned “Passion” and “Preparation,” and David added “Persistence.” I immediately stopped the DVR, and wrote down these little pearls of wisdom, bestowed upon me by two of the wealthiest, most successful people on this planet. If you want to change your life, you must find your passion, take on the requisite preparation, and be persistent in the face of the guaranteed adversities that will arise. Thus, Plan B! If you want to change your life, if you want to work from home, if you want to create a business that can alter the trajectory of your life’s path, then you must find your bliss, prepare yourself to morph your bliss into a wonderful business, that you and others can rally behind and get excited about, and consistently chip away at your dream, one day at a time, piece by piece, step by step, until one day you will turn around and realize that you made that dream come true. What is the first step in implementing your Plan B? Write your plan down on paper. (Don’t be like me, I was one of the lucky ones to get a leather journal from Oprah, and now I won’t write anything in it, so your journal can’t be too cute, or too meaningful to write in!) Why should you write your plan down? Writing down the elements of your plan makes your intention real. It is step one in your multi-step plan, to go from twisting paper clips at your desk, to launching your new life. If you do not like to write in journals, try Microsoft One Note. One Note is a software notebook that allows you to keep numbered and to-do lists. Online clippings, photos and more, so that you can create a virtual journal of your plans, goals, and objectives are also available. As you proceed, you can build your work from home business plan, and more. I keep One Note on my network drives, so that I have access to it from any home computer I might use. In addition, Windows SkyDrive, offers One Note online. So if you choose the free SkyDrive version (which is less potent), you can read your notes, as long as you have an Internet connection.
Work From Home Excitement
Don’t get overwhelmed by formatting and requirements. Your business journal is exactly that, it’s YOURS. Each of my One Note pages are decorated with my favorite theme. I create them and delete them at will. If I were writing my plan B, it would look like this: Plan B: My Life Coach BusinessGoal
- Start a Life Coach Business by January 1
Short Term Goals
- Read book on building a successful business by April 5
- Choose website builder by May 15
- Read books on coaching by June 15
Long Term Goals
- Open the virtual doors to my Life Coach business within one year
