Exploring my WHAT – HOW – WHY
It’s about WHAT you do, HOW you do it, and WHY you are
so passionate about it that really counts!
The decision to finally step out of my 9 – 5 high-paying corporate job, was when my doctor told me that I had Shingles and she encouraged me to ‘manage my stress levels better.
That was the beginning of my newfound freedom a few years ago and I have not looked back ever since!
I had in the past asked myself on many occasions, whilst doing what I do behind a desk in various large corporates;
‘Would you want to do what you’re doing for the rest of your working life?
The answer was always a resounding ‘NO’ but I needed to change something ……
My side hustle was picking up, guests were making regular reservations in my self-catering Airbnb accommodation, and my coaching business was steadily growing.
I WAS THERE…. READY TO STEP OFF THAT 9-5 BUS!
Here I am in 2022 after taking that first step doing what
I love every day and it doesn’t feel like work!
I’d like to share my TOP 5 reasons why I could do that;
Reason no. 1. I could afford to do it – I didn’t have unnecessary debt.
Fortunately, I have never been flashy in terms of spending on luxury items and clothing, but I did invest in my property, to make it work as a business for me, so I didn’t need to worry about an income.
When the covid pandemic and lockdown started, it came with the challenge of International travel bans, which meant no inflow of incoming International guests for me. This very quickly changed the way I operated my AirBnB business. I also could not see coaching clients physically and very quickly I had to learn new ways of working online.
But with behavioural flexibility, I quickly had to step up, and change my business model.
Things started out tight, it was not flowing as it was before the lockdown, but slowly the passive income started working and the business is going well.
Reason no. 2. I am not in competition with anyone – My standard of measure is against myself: I am giving the best of me!
We’ve grown up with the belief that we always have to be better and get better grades than other kids or our siblings. With this mindset, we were always looking for and were trained to want external validation. This limiting belief is why most adults blindly follow a life path they don’t even find purpose in, nor do they love what they do, because they’re always focused on being bigger and better and still trying to impress other people.
My biggest lesson in this is, that even in failing there is learning because in life there is ‘NO failure, only feedback and lessons. So why compare or measure yourself against others? Decide WHAT is important to you and WHY it is important, then HOW you do it, will be as easy as pie; It will not feel like work!
Reason no. 3. Work has never killed anyone – You won’t die from working hard!
My dad was a hard taskmaster. He always said ‘Hard work has never killed anyone. As kids growing up, we all had our chores and they had to be done to my dad’s high standard; or else! That’s where we’ve all learned our strong work ethic. Perhaps a bit to my detriment at times, because it has often led to me being a bit of a ‘perfectionist’, which did not serve others close to me.
With a smile I say…The good news is that with coaching, this limiting belief was unlearned and now the margins have slacked.
What does this have to do with me leaving my 9-5?
I was prepared to roll up my sleeves to do what needed to be done. Nothing is too much for me. As an entrepreneur, be prepared to ‘start at the bottom. You cannot climb a ladder by jumping from the bottom rung straight to the top in one jump. Take small steps, baby steps until you get to the top. It takes courage and consistent effort. When starting your own business, it is important to do what-if analysis to ensure that you are prepared for surprises. Start by writing down all the possible scenarios you can think of and then for each one, write down what you would do, and how you would deal with crises and challenges.
Reason no. 4. Be Grateful for what you DO have – You have enough of everything. You have ALL the resources you need within you.
Even when people have enough money,
they always think that they never have enough money.
So often as business people, we say that we want to sacrifice ourselves to build an empire so that our kids, grandkids and great-grandkids have enough, or never have to work.
But let me ask you; Will your grandkids or great-grandkids even remember your sacrifices in a million years?
One of the life lessons which I’ve always taught my children is that they should be ‘Grateful for what they DO have’ and not worry about what they don’t have.
I use this lesson in my business.
Being grateful for:
- Having the opportunity to be my own boss.
- Having the flexibility of how I spend my time.
- Being creative and not having to answer to an authoritarian boss.
- Not needing to ask for permission to make a decision that serves my higher purpose
- Taking breaks when I need it
- Grateful for the resourcefulness within me
- For the fulfilment and joy of being of service to others
- For the freedom to be creative and innovative and use my skills to design my own course material.
We only have ONE life; make the best of it!
Quality is more important than Quantity
LIVE NOW in the precious present.
Reason no. 5. Live in my truth with authenticity – Means not tied to business culture and working construct that is constraining who I am essentially and blocking my inner desires and pursuits.
As much as I’ve enjoyed my corporate job, with the realization that my years of expertise and skills added value to the business, there were just too many moments where I felt an incongruence because of how systems, processes and business constructs started corroding my inner being. My zest for life while working in the corporate world started to wane over time and affected my health and general well-being.
The decision to step up, and grow my own business has allowed me to embrace my truth, my purpose and my authenticity. I could embrace my big dream goals; align them with my core values to fulfil my deepest desires to serve others and be the best version of who I am.
Uniquely ME!
With Love
Naomi K
Kieswetter Coaching Consultancy 