By Patricia Young.
For so many people, having a job feels like a drag, they go to work every day because it provides an income, benefits and a sense of security. But, I know that some of them are heart-centered people, and they dream of being able to be their own boss and have the freedom to set their own schedule, do meaningful work that makes them happy and creates a positive impact in other people’s lives.
The truth is that, even if you’re still working at a job, feeling miserable and dreaming of building a heart-centered and purpose-driven business to leave corporate, there are many valuable lessons that you can take with you, and apply them in your life and business, if you’re open to see them.
I can attest to this because, having worked for corporate for over 20 years, there was a moment in which I made peace with the whole “working for corporate feels like torture” mindset. My work as a Coach is to support women go from Working for a Paycheck to Working for a Mission, and one of the main things I always talk about with them is that they need to be open to see what are some of the lessons they learned during of all the years they spent at their jobs.
Here are some of the lessons I learned in Corporate, that have served me in my business, because like with anything else, every challenge we face in life and business, is an opportunity to learn and grow:
- Having a good work ethic – in order to keep your job, you need a good work ethic and act professionally. In the entrepreneurial world you need this skill too, the difference is that you’ll have the freedom to do the work that makes you feel passionate and that makes a difference.
- Being productive – In corporate you get paid to be productive and do your job, not to be walking around, taking breaks to smoke and chit-chat every opportunity you have. Being an entrepreneur is no different, you need to be productive or you won’t make money. Learn about your peak energy times, set routines that will help you stay focused, and what productivity tools could work for you, so you create your own plan for success.
- Staying committed and being disciplined – When you’re an employee, you have deadlines, and probably goals were broken down into smaller projects, timelines, milestones, etc. When you’re your own boss, you need to do the same so you don’t get scattered and lose focus. When you are disciplined, take daily actions towards your goals and keep track of your achievements, you will move closer to seeing the results you want.
- Being positive and having a good attitude – When you work for someone else, you are expected to have a positive attitude and respect your peers. The same things happens when you own your business. You need to keep a positive attitude and treat colleagues, potential clients, current clients, referral partners and your team with respect, despite of what’s going on in your personal life or the challenges that you might be facing in your business.
- Being able to manage your money – Do you know where your money goes each month? Do you live off less than you earn? the same way you need to know where your money is coming from and where it goes when you work at a job, you need to keep track of what comes in and what goes out when you’re in business.
- Being able to adapt – when you have a job unexpected things can happen, people can get fired, your functions might change for whatever reason, and you need to adapt or you will lose your job. The biggest skill any professional and business owner can have is the ability to adapt quickly and be flexible in any situation.
- Trusting your intuition – You don’t need to be in business to trust your gut, this is something that any person can use in daily life. But in business, you need to learn to strengthen your inner voice. You can see some tips here: 5 Tips to Strengthen Your Inner Voice and Take Inspired Action in Life and Biz
Having your own business is so rewarding, but it can also be very challenging! Using some of the skills you learned while working for corporate can really help you during the transition, and while you build your heart-centered business, but these are not the only skills that you will need. There’s so much more involved in running your Biz, and I’ll cover that in another post!
In the meantime, I suggest you check this post out - 7 Most Common Mistakes People Make When Transitioning From Employee to Purpose-Driven Entrepreneur.
One of the most gratifying things about having your own business, in addition to serving others and making a difference, is the transformational process that you go through. A transition from working for a paycheck to working as a purpose-driven entrepreneur is more than just changing jobs, it entails a true spiritual and personal transformation, because there is a lot you have to unlearn and you need to rewire your brain. Working on your mindset is key. Remember, with freedom comes responsibility!
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Lore Raymond says
Appreciating your wisdom, Patricia of “…#7 Trusting your intuition – You don’t need to be in business to trust your gut, this is something that any person can use in daily life. But in business, you need to learn to strengthen your inner voice. ” I feel working women are so overwhelmed because of juggling life, kids, family AND the job that they’re TOO TIRED to hear the inner whisper. I know I was when I worked full time and commuted an hour each way to work. This was all while tackling a stressful, high profile job that was created for me-the president of the college merged two full time jobs and hired me. Can you spell workaholic? That was my mantle for 4 fours.
Martha says
Great blog Patricia! Loved your insights!
Barb Parcells says
Good advice for everyone, business or just life!
Sue Kearney (@MagnoliasWest) says
Patricia, I have found over and over that many of my clients who transition from working for an organization to working for themselves suffer from what I call “bureaucratization”, and they find it so difficult to be in charge of their own deliverables and timelines. I think some of us are wired to be self-empowered; all those decades when I worked for someone else, I always knew I could manage projects and timelines without management doing it for me. Which made me a bad employee: I hated being told when to eat lunch and for how long. I love supporting women to shed those layers of attachment to old patriarchal ways and to move into their own badass power as manifestors of the divine feminine in biz.
Great article. Sharing it now.