2020 was a year that left no prisoners. Between job losses, political turmoil, and an unprecedented global pandemic, many of us ended the year longing for a fresh start. Well, 2021 is here, and a career change may be just what you need to prepare yourself to live your best life moving forward.
Mental Preparations
If you’ve been in your career for some time, making the decision to switch now is daunting. But you cannot live in fear forever, and sometimes you have to choose you first.
Professional life coach Terry Sidford can help you take control of your mind so that you can clear your head in preparation of changes, face challenges, and reach your full potential.
Business Considerations
The pandemic took a significant toll on many industries. Because of this, it can be difficult to choose a new career path or entrepreneurial endeavor. If you’ve chosen the latter, you’ll want to do some serious soul-searching and preparation before you open for business.
One thing you can do to help protect your home, vehicles, and other personal property from the get-go is to form an LLC. You can use a formation service like Zenbusiness to help you file the paperwork. Because each state has different rules and regulations, using a service is quick, easy, and can help you hash out important details, such as how to pay taxes and what, if any, of your personal assets may be at risk if your business goes south.
Another step you can take to make better business decisions is to learn what you can before you launch. According to SurveyMonkey, doing market research ahead of time takes out the guesswork. You can find out what consumers want, how much they’re willing to pay, and which customers are most likely to have a positive reaction to your products and services — among other things.
Personal Reflections
Having your mind ready for a change and knowing your way around the business world are not your only jobs prior to a career change. You must also make sure that you are financially prepared for the process. Discover recommends having a six-month emergency fund in place so that you have a cushion to fall back on if you need it. Beneficially, if you do not have to rely on your 401(k), you can roll this money into your new company’s retirement plan or open up an IRA.
If you are not yet 100% certain what you want to do — just that you want something different — consult with a professional coach. Or, just for fun, you can even take an online quiz to help you see where your interests lie so that you don’t end up pursuing a job that you’ll hate.
Changing careers is a big step in anyone’s life, and the leap of faith may even be wider now in the uncertain world in which we live. But when you are ready to follow your passion — or at the very least, exit a professional dead-end — there are few better ways than by getting paid to do something you love. Remember: Without the journey, you’ll never reach a new destination, and if you never experience uncertainty, you’ll never know when you have found solid ground.