Hello Kristin! My husband and I are sick and tired of working for someone else.  We go to work each day and the boring 9 to 5 job seems to suck the livin’ life out of us. We do have some good ideas about starting our own home business but after working all day for “them” we feel tired and unmotivated. We are both educated, mid-40’s and at this point in our lives our financial future is looking rather bleak. I’m afraid we will have no retirement savings and I will be working as a Walmart greeter when I am 70!

I guess my question is how do you get motivated/energized/excited about starting your own business when your “required” corporate job seems to suck up what little time/energy/motivation you have left at the end of the day? Thanks for your reply! Signed, Sherri

Dear Sherri,

Let’s say you’re dog tired after a long day working for “The Man.” You summon up enough energy to slip on your pj’s and crawl into bed for a bit of slumber. With one eye closed and the other on the TV, you see a commercial.  Here’s what it says:  “Come on down to the TV station right now if you want a free meal.”  Would you go?  Hmmm.  Probably not, even if you were hungry.  Too much work, right? 

Now, let’s say another commercial appears….“Come on down to the TV station right now if you want to leave tonight for a dream trip to Fiji.  The trip is all inclusive and it’s first class for two, but you must come to the station now to claim your prize.  Anyone arriving in the next 30 minutes will win.  There’s enough to go around!”  Okay, would you drag your tired self out of bed and dash to the TV station, even if you had to ride your bike to get there?  Yes.  You would.

So, here’s the deal.  You need a bigger, more exciting goal than you have right now. Actually, what you really need is a specific business idea or vision.  An exciting vision for your life will motivate you like nothing else.  So, what’s the exciting “business” you’d like to start with your husband?  Start researching ideas first.  Once you land on a truly exciting idea and you can clearly see it in your mind, you’ll be able to find the energy and motivation to make it happen.

Next, what’s on the other side of your new “business”?  What’s the point of it all?  How will your life change for the better?  Are you interested in traveling more, creating free time, feeling excited each day?  What’s in it for you?  Ponder that for a bit and see it in your mind.  This is how you’ll create an energizing and exciting vision for your life that will pull you forward no matter how tired you are.

Then, while you take the steps to build your new business (at night), your day job will be so much more energizing.  Be grateful for your 9 to 5 job since it has the potential to financially fuel your dream.  A change in perspective and a clear vision for your business is all you need!

Hey, once you land on a tantalizing business idea, let me know and I’ll give you more tips to help you move forward.  I’m always here.

Your coach,