At this time of year, people across corporate America slow down, push meetings and projects into the new year and settle into a well-deserved change of pace. Nothing is easier than kicking back and enjoying the festivities. However, there is one thing you should put at the top of your to-do list this month – a personal year-end review of where you are today and the future you want for yourself and your family.
To do this, you need to look at three critical areas of your life, assess whether you are on the right path and decide what you need to do to realize your goals.
Assess Your Employment Situation
Your career is your most important asset, yet few people give its management the time and strategic attention it deserves.
Some people love their corporate jobs and are happy to take their paycheck and save toward retirement. And, while there is nothing wrong with that, a decade or two on the corporate ladder leaves many executives disillusioned. They become increasingly unhappy with the endless corporate politics, increasing job stress, inflexible hours and a long list of other issues. They yearn for a different approach and usually see business ownership, the idea of being their own boss and the ability to live off operating profits rather than a salary as the ultimate dream and measure of success.
Appraise Your Work-Life Balance
Are you living to work or working to live?
If you are lucky enough to have time and energy to enjoy your personal life and meet the demands of your role, you’ve probably achieved a good level of balance.
However, if your job isn’t fulfilling and you’re working long hours or feeling stressed all the time, you may be on the path to burnout.
As an employee, your options are limited. Getting more sleep and exercise can only take you so far when work demands are outside your control.
Finding a new, less stressful job may do the trick. However, a better option is to take command of your life by starting a business. When you are the business owner, you can choose to do what you are good at and hire people to help you with everything else. You don’t even have to start a business from scratch. There are a variety of franchise business models that make it easy to operate as a semi-absentee or absentee owner.
Are You Living Your Dream?
Having gone through the assessment and appraisal above, you need to ask yourself if you are living the life you want.
Do you have the freedom, recognition and rewards you deserve and the time and flexibility to do the things that are important to you?
If not, do you have a plan in place to take you from where you are today to where you want to be?
As a franchise consultant, I help people leave the corporate world and become entrepreneurs. If that is something you’d like to know more about, I can answer your questions and provide resources that will help you research your options and create a transition plan.
David Busker is the Founder of FranchiseVision and a senior consultant with FranChoice, the premier national network of franchise consultants. David helps candidates exploring franchise ownership to set their criteria and matches them with the perfect franchise, then supports and guides them through due diligence and franchise signing. You can learn more about David at FranchiseVision.
