Taking a leap of faith is probably one of the most exciting, yet daunting, decisions anyone can make. You're choosing to leave behind the land of certainty to jump into a sea of unknown. You're stepping out of your comfort zone and choosing to walk by faith, with no real guarantee that your sacrifice will pay off. The reality of it all can hit you hard, and you can suddenly feel lost and as if you are about to make (or have just made) a big mistake!
This moment might hit you before you leap, causing you to reconsider leaping all together, or after you've leapt, making you feel somewhat lost, confused and down in the dumps.
Just before taking my leap, I remember having a conversation with a friend of mine where I doubted everything I was about to do. I wasn't sure if I was good enough, smart enough, or ready enough. I even made myself think I was taking the easy way out - by not fully jumping into unemployment, and taking a part time job while focusing on my own goals.
Deep down I knew I was more than capable to do what was required of me, and that this was actually just what I needed so I could focus on my own projects. I was just scared of stepping into something new and, in some ways, starting over.
Truth is, you're never going to be fully ready and if you wait until you are ready, you will be waiting forever. All great things lie on the other side of fear.
So I just did it. I jumped!
What helped me, though, was planning to take that leap. Some people might take the unexpected leap, which is great and admirable, but I definitely think having a plan helped me a lot.
If you're one of those people that doesn't like the unknown, this may just help you. Here are 4 things I did that might help you before leaping to ease that moment of panic once you've leapt into your new life!
1. Establish your timeframe.
Establish how long you have, or are giving yourself, before you take the leap. It can be any length of time; a week, a month, a year. Some people will have this set for them - like I did with my redundancy - others will be able to choose. It doesn't matter how you figure it out, just figure out what your time frame is and stick to it!
2. Research and plan.
Once you have your timeframe, get to work! Taking a leap of faith doesn't have to be as sudden as it might seem. When I opted to take redundancy, I was fortunate enough to have a few months before I stopped working where I was able to get my head together and really figure things out. I started the work before the leap. Research what it is you're going to be doing and start planning how you're going to execute things. Set your goals, and put some targets in place so you are working towards something and can make moves with purpose.
3. Network.
In a world where it's more about who you know than what you know, I highly suggest networking! Who you network with will depend on what field you're in, but how you network is pretty much universal. Go to networking events, start using co-working spaces in your free time, use social media - following and engaging with people's social media posts is a good way of meeting like-minded people. You want to develop a network of people you can draw inspiration from, or potentially collaborate with, once you're living your new life. Creating a good network will also help you to avoid feeling isolated on your hustle, as you'll have other people hustling independently just like you!
Two groups I'd recommend you join are my Leap of Faith group on Facebook, and #IdRatherBePaid, a private blogger + influencer group.
4. Save and budget.
Make sure you save some money to support you once you've leapt. It doesn't need to be a huge amount, just put something aside. Not only will you need money to live off of, you'll likely also need money to invest into your hustle, too. I don't necessarily mean big investments like renting office space or buying stock, but you may have to pay for a business subscription, a social media advert or even a course to attend. You want to try and avoid hitting a financial roadblock early on. And, of course, being able to buy lunch would be nice!
So these are my 4 suggestions. Do you have any others? Let me know!
