As I’ve said before, I currently still spend my days slaving away for someone else. Even though it’s not the way I want to spend my time, I try to make the best of it. Luckily for me, I am fortunate to be able to work with a lot of good people.
Sadly, this week I got to see the “not so” good side of some of my co-workers (and my bosses).
For numerous reasons, the company’s controller decided to tender his resignation this week. This individual had only been with the company for a little over a year. During that time, he was one of those employees you didn’t really hear much about.
He wasn’t blazing any trails but he also wasn’t screwing everything up. He was just an average employee; nothing wrong with that. Right?
Almost immediately upon submitting his resignation, however, he became the worst employee ever!! His supervisor instantly spread the news that it was a “good thing he quit because he was about to be fired for poor performance”.
Did his boss really think that the rest of us were going to immediately forget that there had never been a single bad word uttered about this employee before he quit?
Is his boss (who also happens to be one of the owners) ignorant enough to think that his employees are too stupid to figure out that he’s reacting out of emotion and not out of sound business judgment?
This resignation quickly became an educational and very sad display of human nature.
I must admit that I became very intrigued with the whole situation. As I said before, I try to make the best of the time that I still have to spend in the 9 to 5 jail. This was one of those times where I got a front seat observing what I don’t ever want to do!
I witnessed first-hand the nasty, ego-bruised side of human nature. What should have been a quiet parting of ways turned into a drama-filled, angry situation.
Why is it so hard to separate personal feelings from business? Why do so many people think that just because they “own” part of a company they are somehow smarter than the people that “work” for them?
Although I don’t have the answers to the above questions, I certainly know that the following issues are something I want to avoid:
First, someone making a decision to “move on” or “pursue a new opportunity” shouldn’t incite anger and spite.
Second, the simple fact that you “own” a business (or a portion thereof) does not make you better and/or smarter than the people that work for you.
Along with identifying some things that I want to avoid, I also got a glimpse of what I will eventually have to deal with when I can finally say good bye to my JOB.
I must say, I am not looking forward to the angry egos that I almost certainly will be met with!!
For now, I have to try and concentrate more on what I want to take away from this situation. I cannot let the ignorant and unprofessional behavior of others deter me from my ultimate goal.
As unpleasant as it may become for me when I, too, beat up their egos by deciding to leave their company; the alternative would be much worse.
So I will plow forward with my goal of becoming my own boss and leave my ego (and theirs) at the door!!
~ Hope
“When the world says ‘give up’, hope whispers ‘try it one more time.” ~ Anonymous
photo credit: Vagabond Shutterbug
I’ve been giving some serious thought lately to setting up an official office at home. Currently I sit on the couch with my laptop when it’s time to “get to work”.
As convenient as it is to work while sitting in the family room with everyone, it is not extremely conducive to productivity!!
The thought of setting up an office, however, frightens me.
It has been my mission for some time now to run as fast as I can from my JOB and my prison cell (aka my office). It seems rather ironic that I would now consider setting up the very thing that I am trying to escape.
My rational mind knows that my office is simply a symbol of what I want to escape but it is hard to quell the negative emotions an office evokes.
So how, then, do I productively work without feeling like I am being incarcerated?
How do I achieve my goal of having more time with my family if I separate from them while I work?
I guess I’ll just add this to my ever-growing list of new problems to solve.
~ Hope
“When the world says ‘give up’, hope whispers ‘try it one more time.” ~ Anonymous
Tags: home office
photo credit: LizMarie
I just finished completely re-organizing the second closet in my house in the past 24 hours. I supposed this sudden burst of energy could be attributed to “spring cleaning” but I think that it’s a little more complex than that.
For as long as I can remember I’ve had the urge to organize things around me when I’m having a difficult time organizing things within me. I must just need some sense of satisfaction and completion.
After all, it is a lot easier to physically organize the things around me than it is to get control of all of the things rolling around inside my head.
I knew that trying to change my life was going to be difficult but I don’t think there was any way I could possibly know how mentally challenging it would be.
Although I certainly haven’t hit any monetary milestones yet on my journey, I’ve encountered more possibilities than I ever imagined.
With these opportunities, however, come very difficult decisions. I think things are even more complicated for me because NOTHING is happening the way that I expected it to.
For example, my current JOB is in the construction industry. I planned on someday abandoning this industry completely to pursue my entrepreneurial endeavors. I had absolutely no plan of trying to include the knowledge gained in my construction career in my new life.
Call it resentment, call it stupidity; I had every intention of leaving all that knowledge behind and never looking back.
Now, certainly, that knowledge would never really leave me but I had absolutely no desire to continue working in construction once I was “out on my own”.
As I’ve been progressing on this journey, learning about myself and trying to navigate the self-bossing waters, I’ve heard over and over again how you should use what you know to propel yourself into self employment.
Although that has always made complete sense to me, I’ve fought it tooth and nail when it comes to my own life. I’ve tried to convince myself that there are other things that I know well, too, and those are the things that I should focus on to build a new life.
Recently I’ve had the good fortune of being involved in some exciting new projects at my JOB and it’s re-ignited the fire that I used to feel on a regular basis at work.
I still don’t want to slave away the rest of my life making someone else rich, but I was reminded that I do LOVE what I do.
So once again, my mind has been sent into a complete tailspin as I ponder whether or not my plan should completely change. Should I reconsider my vow to leave the industry that has given me both extreme joy and enormous amounts of stress over the years?
Will that wide-eyed passion for being part of the building process return when I can work on my own terms?
Can I train my brain not to associate my new work with the old 9 to 5 prison?
Have you left a JOB but remained in the same industry? Was it a smooth transition? What helped get you through?
It seems that I have a lot to think about and sort out in my mind. Good thing we have a lot of messy closets!!
~ Hope
“When the world says ‘give up’, hope whispers ‘try it one more time.” ~ Anonymous
Tags: entrepreneur
As I was standing in line at the post office a few weeks ago, I received a rather interesting comment from the man standing behind me.
I was holding several boxes and copies of my EBay invoices so it was very easy to deduce why I was standing there. As I waited patiently, the observant man behind me said, “Sold some stuff on EBay, huh?’. To that I replied, “Yes, a couple things” with a smile.
Next came the interesting comment, “I’ve tried that before”, he asserted, “but it was just way too much work”.
I was almost immediately called to the next available clerk so I didn’t have a chance to respond. Once I completed my transaction, I couldn’t stop thinking about my fellow patron’s comment.
What part could he have found to be so difficult? What could have caused him so much aggravation that he felt compelled to tell a perfect stranger that something was too much work for him?
Personally, I felt that standing in line at the post office was the “hardest” part of selling (and making a profit) on EBay.
Oddly enough, I’ve heard this comment in various ways a lot recently. One particular acquaintance of mine told me that trying to save money on her groceries took too much time and preparation for her.
This comment was made approximately one minute after she told me how difficult things have been since her husband lost his job 4 months ago!!
I just don’t get it. I guess things are very difficult when you have no intention to make them work. For a lot of people I just think that it’s easier to complain about how bad things are than to actually take steps to make them better.
Things are difficult in my family as well, but I am committed to help change that. Therefore, increasing my income and decreasing my spending are top priorities to me. I suppose that’s why it’s so hard for me to understand why other people have no interest in taking the necessary steps to help themselves.
I will admit that selling things on EBay, planning my shopping trips to maximize my money and updating this blog do tend to get in the way of watching television and surfing the internet for a new pair of designer shoes but I think it’s worth it.
After all, I made $135 on EBay and saved over $500 on my groceries in the month of March alone!!
I guess I should be grateful, though. Every person I hear giving lame excuses for not doing things to help themselves is one less person to compete with on EBay, at the grocery store and in the blogosphere!!
~ Hope
“When the world says ‘give up’, hope whispers ‘try it one more time.” ~ Anonymous
Tags: blogging, budget, coupons, Ebay, saving money
One of the income generators that I’ve been toying with recently is Ebay. Now, I’m not exactly a stranger to Ebay. I’ve purchased several things from Ebay auctions over the years and had even tried selling a few items that were taking up too much space in my house. I never thought of it as a way to make extra income, though.
Recently, however, my view of Ebay has changed. While having dinner with some old friends they mentioned to me that a friend of their’s makes tens of thousands of dollars a year selling things on Ebay. Of course, I was intriguied.
How is it possible to make thousands of dollars just through Ebay auctions? She must spend all of her time on it, I asserted. Imagine my surprise when I found out she is a stay at home mom with six kids that she home-schools.
I’m guessing free time to devote to Ebay is not abundant in her day!
With this story as my inspiration I decided that perhaps Ebay could be a money maker for me as well. I’m not talking about making millions, but an extra $100 here and there can really make a difference!
So I set out to search for things that other people might want to buy. I decided that at a minimum I wanted to post one item for sale per week.
First I began in my own house looking for those items that have just been sitting around collecting dust. These are easy to take pictures of and quickly post for auction.
To make sure that I did not run out of items to sell, I also made a commitment to myself to visit at least two thrift stores (and/or garage sales depending on the season) a month to look for other items to re-sell.
I’m not setting any lofty goals for myself at this point. I plan to start slow so that I do not burn out and give up quickly.
So far, it’s working pretty well. In my first month (March 2010) of Ebay selling and treasure hunting I made $135.17! I also had my first “find” at a thrift store. I can’t tell you how excited I was to find a Vera Bradley wallet for only $0.99 that I was able to re-sell for $20!!!
~ Hope
“When the world says ‘give up’, hope whispers ‘try it one more time.” ~ Anonymous
Tags: Ebay, make money online
As I search for successful ways to generate income outside of my JOB, I’ve decided that it also makes sense to search for ways to decrease my out-going expenses. (Don’t ask me why I haven’t always been concerned about this one!)
While decreasing the money you spend every month seems like a very simple concept, it wasn’t until I started searching for a way out of my JOB that I began to think about spending less.
It will be a lot easier to generate enough income to support my family if I can cut down the amount we need to live on.
I’ve mentioned in an earlier post that I’ve recently discovered the intriguing world of couponing. No, I did not just learn what a coupon is recently! I did, however, just recently learn the best ways to use those little coupons!
It’s like a whole new world opened up in front of me. A new world that has become an absolute obsession! I am completely addicted to all of the deals that are out there just waiting to be had. I compulsively scour my favorite deal blogs several times a day because I don’t want to miss any of the deals!
At the same time, I am quite disgusted when I think about all of the money that I’ve thrown away over the years just because I never took the time to learn how to spend less.
Once again this new quest for freedom from the traditional workplace has led me down a path I did not expect.
Never did I think that learning how to be my own boss would lead me to coupons!
To me, this is just one more sign that this is the path I am supposed to be on. Although things are not falling into place the way I thought they would, my life is being shaped in countless ways that I never anticipated.
I guess I always thought that some amount of self-discovery was bound to accompany me on this voyage. I just did not realize all of the life changes that were going to come my way.
Not only have I learned a lot about different methods of making a living on my own, but I’ve also learned a lot about who I am as a person and identified a lot of the signs that I’ve ignored over the years.
I’ve also come to the realization that my income is not the only thing that I need to focus on to be a successful entrepreneur. I also need to modify the way I spend my money. To be perfectly honest, this is something that I need to work on regardless of whether or not my self-bossing endeavors are successful.
If you, too, are searching for a way out of your 9 to 5, I encourage you to keep your eyes, ears and mind wide open at all times. Changes, opportunities and discoveries are going to come at you from all angles. Let them come and pay attention to them!
~ Hope
“When the world says ‘give up’, hope whispers ‘try it one more time.” ~ Anonymous
Tags: coupons, entrpreneur
Have you ever gotten completely distracted looking around for things you might be missing? Has your brain ever raced at such a speed that you feel like you’ll never be able to turn it off?
That’s how I’ve been feeling lately. Earlier this year I blogged that one of my goals was to focus on one thing at a time – but it’s just not working so well.
In my mind I know I need to focus but my fear is getting in the way!
It took me awhile to identify what was actually behind all of this ridiculous mind-wandering. At first I thought it might be my naturally inquisitive nature getting the best of me. For a short time I actually thought I was having some sort of mental difficulty.
But when I clear away all of the excuses, all I am left with is fear as a culprit. So what am I so afraid of?
Here are the top three fears that I’ve identified and how I handle each one:
- Failure – This one is fairly obvious. I’m attempting to embark on a completely new journey with a whole lot of unknowns. The world of an entrepreneur is un-charted territory for me and, therefore, the likelihood of failure is pretty high.
So, how do I quiet this fear? – I’ve found that setting small, easily defined goals work best for warding off the fear of failure. For instance, I’ve set a simple goal of making $100 outside of my JOB within the next month. Now, instead of just having some general goal of needing to “start generating my own income” I have a simple, easily measured goal to work toward. Without setting smaller goals that you can easily track, it’s easy feel like you are failing.
- Success – Yes, you read that correctly!! The fear of success is a tough one. Along with success comes pressure and expectations. When you are new at something no one expects anything from you. Not so when you become a success!
So, how do I quiet this fear? – I’ve actually dealt with this quite a bit in my JOB. I’ve worked for the same company since I graduated from college and, needless to say, I’ve climbed the ladder from starry-eyed newbie to jaded manager. Along the way I’ve grappled many times with the fear of success. Each time I received a promotion I found myself dwelling on all the things that I thought people were going to expect me to do and how I could not possibly live up to their expectations.
That is, until, one of my bosses reminded me that I EARNED all of my promotions, they weren’t handed to me randomly. Simple as it may seem, it’s actually helped me out a lot. Success is earned and if you’re experiencing it it’s because you’ve done something right. All that’s expected of you is that you keep performing as you have been. That’s it. No one expects you to work miracles!
- Rejection – Everyone wants to feel accepted. It is really hard to deal with rejection. It’s difficult not to take it personally when someone does not like what you have to say.
So how do I quiet this fear? – This is probably the most difficult one for me to deal with. To help calm this fear, though, I remind myself that while it’s true that not everyone will like what I have to say, it’s also true that not everyone will hate it. You will never make everyone happy. The important thing is to be true to yourself. There is a market out there for everyone
Even though our fears might be different, one thing remains consistent with all of them. They all have the ability to stop us in our tracks and make us lose sight of our goals. The best thing any of us can do is take the time to identify what we are afraid of so that we can find a way to calm the fear.
So, what are your fears? Have your fears gotten in the way of your dreams? How have you dealt with them?
~ Hope
“When the world says ‘give up’, hope whispers ‘try it one more time.” ~ Anonymous
Tags: entrepreneur, fear of failure, goals
I must first admit that Big Love is one of my television addictions. For those who have never watched the show, Big Love is an HBO series centered around a polygamist and his family in Utah. It’s a fantastic show with great stories and an extremely talented cast
On the February 28, 2010 episode, Barb (one of the wives) made a statement during her husband’s senate campaign that landed her in some hot water. Having herself felt the pressures of trying to be everything to everyone, Barb snapped while addressing a group of local women. She stated that the undue pressures of “serving our faith, our husbands, our children and our communities” causes many Utah women to guzzle Benadryl and Prozac.
It’s rather understandable why this statement caused quite a stir with women!
However, while I completely understand why this statement would be considered offensive (whether on a television show or in real life), I also see how this might be one of those nasty truths that needs to be spoken!
In real life, as on television, women tend to have an awful lot of pressure to be perfect at everything. I don’t think all of this pressure is placed on us from the outside, though. I think that we have a lot of unrealistic expectations for ourselves.
For some reason we think that if we take care of everything for everyone in our lives it will somehow prove how much we care. It doesn’t!!
All it does is scramble our brains, cause ridiculous amounts of stress, insight sleepless nights and fester large amounts of resentment for those around us.
I think that as women, we need to start being honest about the fact that we are human and sometimes we need a little help.
It’s ok to be Barb and speak the unpleasant truth.
You cannot hope to repair a problem until you first admit that you have a problem.
Now I’m not saying that we should just give up the fight, lay our head in our hands and admit defeat. I’m just suggesting that we all try to get a little more comfortable with admitting that we can’t do it all.
I have been struggling with this myself lately. That’s probably why Barb’s comment stuck with me. I, too, have a hard time not trying to do everything.
Most days I play the role of wife, mom, employee, co-worker, leader, friend, daughter, sister, aunt, writer, entrepreneur, book keeper, cook, deal seeker and occasionally chauffer.
These responsibilities are not easy to juggle. But, because women are “supposed” to be good multi-taskers and caregivers I drive myself crazy trying to manage all of them day in and day out.
But as my many recent trips to the doctor will attest, my body does not respond favorably to the stress that my brain thinks it’s ok to endure. And without my health I’m no good to anyone!
This (along with Barb’s insensitive yet gut-wrenchingly honest comment) has prompted me to re-evaluate the way I do things. I’ve realized that asking for help is not only ok but it’s better for me and my family.
I‘m blessed to be married to my best friend who is also a stay at home dad. I am going to try to relinquish some of my responsibilities to him. Although it might not be easy at first, I am committed to letting go of my nagging need to be in control of everything and let him help.
As I struggle to conquer yet another obstacle this year, I encourage everyone to do the same. Take stock of your mounting responsibilities and see if there are areas where you can ask for and accept help. Your family and your body will thank you for it.
Decide to be a “Barb” and speak that ugly truth and then fix it!!
~ Hope
“When the world says ‘give up’, hope whispers ‘try it one more time.” ~ Anonymous
Tags: entrepreneur
A few months ago my best friend told me about a woman named Jill Cataldo who teaches a system known as “Super Couponing”. I’ve never been a coupon user. I try to remember to clip them out but they always end up in shreds at the bottom of my purse.
Nonetheless, I was intrigued by what I heard so I purchased the Super Couponing DVD to check it out. That was in December. In my usual fashion, all my good intentions to save big money were thwarted by my life. Until recently, that is.
After the trauma imposed by my recent budget exercise, I finally took the time to watch the DVD.
Once again, I feel completely stupid for not having done this sooner! I swear that procrastination will be the death of me. I don’t know when I’ll learn to stop putting things off!
Self-deprecating thoughts aside, this video was amazing! I had no idea how much I did not know or understand about coupons. I also had no concept of how powerful they could be in my quest to find ways to save money.
I fully intend to put the techniques outlined in this video to work in my own life. As soon as I make a trip to the grocery store with these lessons in hand, I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Not only was this video an education in money-saving methods it was also a source of inspiration. Jill didn’t just figure out how to master the coupon system and save her family a ton of money but she also figured out a way to make money by teaching that system to others.
She is a great example of someone who makes a living by following her passion. Who would have ever thought that someone could make a living as a result of their passion for coupon clipping? She’s a complete inspiration!
Inspiration and motivation all in one simple couponing DVD!!
~ Hope
“When the world says ‘give up’, hope whispers ‘try it one more time.” ~ Anonymous
Tags: budget, entrepreneur, super couponing
