In Ditch Your Job Part 1 I began to lay the groundwork on how you can leave your job for  something better- a life and business that you create-on your terms. In order to begin this process you must:

• develop clarity about what you want
• make a commitment
• work on your mindset to grow the belief factor

The reason it is so important to work on the 3 items above is because once you start to move forward in the direction of your dreams, you get excited and hopeful and then, all of a sudden the saboteurs start to creep up.

These tricky little devils are not always obvious to us, but like termites eating away at the sill on a house, they can do a lot of damage to the foundation of our dreams.

So to elaborate, the saboteurs come in different disguises and may appear as though they are there to protect you from being hurt, looking foolish, losing everything etc.  Simply put, your saboteurs are your fears and limiting beliefs and often you believe that they are true and real and that is what makes them really tricky.

The only way to reduce the saboteur’s power is to call them out for what they are and let them know that you will not let them stop you from getting what you want.

Also, when you become more and more clear on what you want, make a commitment and work on your mindset, you are building a strong foundation so that you can handle these dream sucking creatures-because your vision is so big.

Let’s focus on 3 big saboteurs that may come up when you are thinking of leaving your job to create a business that you feel passionate about in the second half of your life.

Money, Time, Age

Money– This is a huge saboteur because often we believe that we would create something really great in our lives but we “just don’t have the money”-so we get stuck. And a few years back I would have agreed with you. But now I know that this is just really a saboteur based on fear (false evidence appearing real) and I would like you to know that it is really all about choice-your choice.

Ask yourself –How badly do I want to create my dream life and dream business?

Be honest. If you really want something there is always a way. You may have to think outside of the box and be creative. You may have  to look at scenarios you hadn’t thought of and you may have to feel a little uncomfortable- the way you feel when you are exercising to your edge so that you can create something better-a stronger, healthier body.

So decide that you are going to create your amazing, kick  ass, soul feeding business and then figure out how you will make it happen.

You could:

• tap into savings- and invest in you
• tap into home equity-and invest in you
• take out a loan- and invest in you
• put off buying a new car- and invest in you
• do a budget and figure out where you can cut- and invest in you
• eat out less and invest in you
• downsize your home- and invest in you
• tap into your retirement- and invest in you
• use your credit cards- and invest in you

The point is that there is always a way. When I decided to leave my job of 17 years, I was afraid because I knew that it was up to me to create enough money to pay for health insurance and my husband had lost a lot of hours at work a couple of years earlier so there was a shortfall that I had to make up.

The last thing that I wanted to do was tap into my Home Equity to get my business started but that is exactly what I did. Once I looked at it as an investment in my future, I used this financial obligation to fuel my commitment to creating money in my business -doing what I love-and I went “all in”.

And the universe has conspired to help me along the way and I have never once regretted this decision.

Time–Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day but some people are simply better at managing their time. In fact have you heard the expression “If you want something done ask a busy person”? This is because busy people tend to be more efficient with their time. They don’t spend countless hours a week on Social Media or watching TV when they could be using their time on more productive things.

Busy people realize that in order to get the best ROTI (return on time investment) they have to prioritize what will get them closer to their dream by asking themselves questions like these every day:

What one step can I do today that will get me closer to what I want?

If I have one hour to work on something, what would be the most productive use of my time?

There is always a way to create more time. Get up an hour earlier if you have to or go to bed an hour later. Make a phone call on your lunch break. Decide what you have to accomplish this week and actually schedule time in your day as if it were important.

And it is important! This is your life that we are talking about!

Age–Using age as an excuse to not create something wonderful in your life is just so lame. I don’t even know what to say to this except-put on your big girl panties and get going!

 Women of all ages create wonderful things.

And frankly, I believe that now is the time for you to do this.

Those of you who have put families first now have more time to put yourself first.

Those of you who are sick and tired of working in a dead end job for years (making someone else a lot of money) feel more motivated.

Those of you who use age an excuse are just plain scared. And that is perfectly normal. It means that you are onto something big!

Think about the following role models and what they have accomplished:

Mary Kay Ash started Mary Kay Cosmetics when she was 45. With an initial investment of $5000 in 1963, the company turned a profit in its first year and sold close to $1 million in products-the very first year!!!.

Susan Boyle wowed audiences in the US and Europe with her rendition of “I dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables at the ripe age of 48. This was her first professional gig. She was amazing!!!

If these women had let age stop them they never would have been able to live their dream. Don’t wait until it is really too late! Do it now!

We covered 3 big saboteurs that hold middle aged women from creating the life and business they want. And there are many more where they come from. But you can totally learn how to maneuver around them and create a kick ass life if you really want to.

The key is to make your dream bigger and bigger and the saboteurs smaller and smaller. I am rooting for you!

If you would like to book a strategy session to determine how I can help you personally achieve your dreams, email me at marianne@mariannecherico.com