So we are in the middle of a lockdown. The very term itself invokes a feeling of despair and restriction, preventing us from doing things we want to. We may even find ourselves without a job or prospect of a future, which of course is not a great situation.
However, we will all come out of this sometime, hopefully soon, and thinking about the future and your future opportunities are a great use of your time now. Here are 10 ways to stop and think about your career, where it's heading and why you might do better setting up a business on your own.
1) Daydream - something somewhere is urging you to consider setting up on your own. Stop reading right now, sit back, close your eyes and flirt with the thought of working for yourself. Does it feel good?
2) Ask your family - parents and spouses have a knack of knowing us better than we think. What's more, if your parents have or have had their own business, statistically your own venture is more likely to succeed.
3) Check your diary - given that we aren't socialising, going out for sport or down the pub right now, we could be using the time effectively to plan for the future. Can you make the current sacrifices voluntarily as giving up social time to run your own business is key, as and when the business demands?
4) Lockdown – normally breaking a leg sounds a bit drastic, often though it does take an enforced spell at home to really think things through. Use the current time to think on paper and start developing a plan.
5) Digital Detox - It seems we are busier than ever, having accepted and invited digital to be permanently on at home. Take the time to switch off all devices and spend some time in your in space and thoughts. Boredom is an incredible way to unleash creativity.
6) Indulge yourself – Fill up the bath, grab a glass of something and relax. Spend the time thinking about the future, your life’s ambitions and what a successful business could look like.
7) Walk the dog - Those early morning forays will test your fortitude, commitment and willingness to get out of bed on Sunday mornings. Fresh air is good for creative thinking so use your 1 hour of exercise and make sure you keep your social distance too.
8) Ask the boss - in today's enlightened workplace leaving to start on your own is not always unpopular, and a great choice if you have been made redundant. If your ex-boss rates you, your old firm will probably be your first client.
9) Fix the fence – DIY or decorating will give you more time confined to one room free of cerebral distraction, it might also mark, in a physical way, the start of a new way of life.
10) Chill - instead of the hurried approach, relax and take your time. Walk instead of driving. By no means are all businesses started by white middle-aged males, far from it. Whatever your age, background, disability, education or sexual orientation, there's a business opportunity somewhere inside your head waiting to escape. And Covid presents a great opportunity for you to do so.
We will be providing regular checklists, so watch out for the next one - 10 Strengths that will make you successful.
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