Read Time: 6 mins (or listen to this issue)
A friend and client of mine is about to turn 40. She’s spent her entire career earning a living as a full-time, salaried employee.
Every dollar she’s made has come from employer paychecks. But as she enters her 40s, she’s ready for a change. Actually, no. That’s too conservative. She’s ready to blow shit up and start living the life she’s always wanted for her and her family.
Today’s deep dive is her story. Her biggest limiting belief holding her back, and what she’s going to do about it so that she can start earning from her expertise on her own terms.
Waiting to live her dreams
Anyone that’s held a “9 to 5” job can relate to my friend’s story.
She’s spent much of her career doing jobs she doesn’t love. She climbs the corporate ladder in hopes of landing more fulfilling work. But with more pay, comes more responsibilities. The golden handcuffs clinch tighter at each rung.
Over time, she’s watched friends and colleagues lose their jobs — especially the past few years. She wonders how up-ended her’s and her family’s lives would be if that happened to her.
She also has two young kids. In a few years, they’ll head off to college. For most of their lives, she’s been busy working. Not only long hours — with some nights and weekends — but enough traveling to be a nuisance.
She banked plenty of vacation days over the years, but she rarely uses them. She doesn’t want to fall behind with work. And so she feels trapped in her job, missing time with her loved ones.
And then there’s the money. She’s done pretty well for herself. Her salary has grown over the years. She’s built up a retirement savings. It’s good. It’s fine. And when she’s 67, she’ll be able to stop working… and… start… living.
Then she said what I was thinking:
“Who the hell wants to START living… I mean really living… in their 60s?”
So she’s ready for a change.
In her 40s, she’s got big goals:
To do less of what she has to and more of what she wants to
To stop playing politics and climbing corporate ladders
To work where, when, and how she wants to
To start earning multiple income streams
To spend more time with her family
To earn the right to work less
To build her own thing
Then I asked her, “If you had to summarize those goals into your ultimate dream, what would it be?”
She thought for a bit and shared, “To be financially free… so I can buy back my time and enjoy life again.”
Then I asked her, “What’s stopping you?”
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