4 essential skills to go independent
You will go independent in your brain before you do it in real life.
You’ll mentally and emotionally decide to exit the 9 to 5 grind well before you actually leave.
That’s why the first 6 months of independence usually begin while you’re still employed by someone else. You’ll move through four predictable phases:
Debating - this is the hardest part when you’ll likely be suffering the most. It’s when you’re weighing all the pros and cons and still swirling in confusion, frustration, and fear.
Deciding - this is a specific moment in time when you actually make the decision. This happens quickly and unexpectedly. You may not even notice it when the moment occurs. You may also find that you make the decision, then promptly un-make the decision – forcing you to re-make the decision multiple times.
Planning - this phase sometimes bleeds over into the others. You’ll do a fair share of planning before, during, and after you make the decision. This is when you’re setting up your next steps such that you’re not free-falling when the time comes to step out on your own.
Launching - this is the most exciting part. And it’s also when fear is most likely going to creep in. You’ll publicly declare to the world that you’re going independent. You’ll line up some work, and then you’ll have to figure out how to keep the lights on for more than just 6 months. This is where the true test will begin.
People quit their jobs at all four phases. Some of you hate your current situation so much that you’re willing to walk away while you’re still debating or deciding whether independence is the right path forward.
More commonly, you will leave after you’ve got a high level plan in place or have secured your first independent gig.
Either way, your success will come down to one thing: the ability to think independently:
Independent thinking is a skill. And if you’ve been working in a structured environment for a long time, there’s a good chance that it’s been beaten out of you.
Many independent professionals are surprised when their friends and family aren’t immediately supportive or helpful when they learn of the plan to go independent.
Here are the most common reactions you’ll hear from them:
❎Pleasant but unhelpful - “Oh wow! That’s so great. Let me know how I can help.” (but then neither you nor the other person actually know how they can help you).
❎Fear and skepticism - ”Well have you thought about [Insert laundry list of potential risks and concerns]?”
You will learn quickly that independence will require you to think for yourself and make tons of decisions without any assistance or confirmation that you’re on the right path.
This is extremely uncomfortable. It will require you to get good at:
✅Swift decision-making even when you don’t have all the information / data.
✅Getting into action and sustaining high levels of output for extended periods of time without anyone making you do it.
✅Spending very little time and energy being discouraged or defeated (you don’t have bandwidth for this. It will kill your momentum)
✅Seeing opportunities everywhere you go. Truly - never missing an opportunity and learning to see the world as a menu of possibility vs. a laundry list of problems.
Some people are wired to think this way. Others have to practice it more intentionally.
Either way, it’s learnable. You can do it! And you can even get GREAT at it.
The better you are at thinking independently, the more success and satisfaction you will create for yourself.
This is how you’ll learn to unleash your true purpose and have an impact in the world.
It can be a lonely journey. You’ll quickly learn that many people simply cannot relate to the path you’re on. It’s too far removed from how they’re operating. Although they may have faith in you, they won’t be able to truly relate.
That’s why you will need to find a community of independent professionals right away to help you along.
This will accelerate your growth and allow you to truly master the craft of independence alongside others who are doing the same.
This is also why I created my program, GO INDEPENDENT.
I’ve already thought of and built the community, curriculum, and coaching you’ll need to guarantee your own success.
COMMUNITY - a group of top-tier white collar professionals navigating the path together. It’s not just incredible networking and business development. It’s a group of peers that can relate to the risk you’re taking and propel you forward.
CURRICULUM - I spent 7 years studying my clients and my own journey. I documented the essential steps of going independent and captured them in a process that I call The Independence Equation. I cover everything from the practical (business structure, operations, naming, and banking) to the existential (fear, confidence, and accountability).
COACHING - I bring the community and curriculum to life every week with a weekly live coaching call. This is how we make it all real for you and your peers. It’s a built-in mechanism to keep you in action moving forward.
You get all of this for a one-time investment of $2,400.
That’s 6 months of dedicated support and accountability to get your independent business off the ground – making great money doing exactly what you want, when you want.
GO INDEPENDENT is for white collar professionals who are in their first 6 months of independence.
Whether you’re debating, deciding, planning, or launching, I walk you step by step through the process. I’ve laid out the path for you. I know it well. And you will soon know it well too.
JOIN ME today.
Chris
PS: For a deeper dive into this topic, check out my latest on Apple or Spotify titled Four Essential Skills to Go Independent
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