Planning Your Exit Strategy: Part2 (practical tips)

Here are some practical tips for planning your exit strategy:

Be Radically Intentional

Once again, when we aren’t intentional we will resolve to a default mode of living. My default mode is continuing to gain information about what I want to do instead of just doing it and executing on it. What is your default mode? Awareness is the first phase of transformation.

When being radically intentional, first, focus on discovering what you want to do with your life as you make plans to move forward. Then, begin designing how you’re going to pursue those dreams. After that, make sure you are radically intentional about executing on your desires.

Just think, if you’re not radically intentional now, you will be in the same exact place a year from now. But if you focus on your dreams and start designing your life now, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish in just one year.

When designing your future:

• Spend alone time with yourself connecting to the passions of your heart
• Don’t be afraid to dream big
• Be honest with yourself
• Allow the people closest to you to speak into your life
• Change your limiting beliefs with enabling beliefs.

Practice the Art of Unconventional Thinking

In order to plan your exit strategy you’re going to have to practice the art of thinking unconventionally. Conventional thinking will only allow you to live a conventional life, and I assume if your reading this post you really don’t want to live a conventional life. Unconventional thinking will allow you to create an unconventional life, and in order to really follow your dreams you’re going to have to practice the art of unconventional living.

Conventional Thinking:

• Says, “I have a great job I would be crazy to give it up.”
• Says, “If I put in a little more time I can get great benefits.”
• Causes you to play it safe.
• Has you go with the flow, and follow suite.
• Says, “I should listen to the people around me; they are probably right.”
• Shuts you down from dreaming big.
• Is just plain boring

Unconventional Thinking:

• Gives you the permission to pursue your dreams.
• Challenges and encourages you to take the appropriate risk.
• Says, “go for it, you can do it!”
• Says, “don’t conform, not matter what.”
• Gives you the ability to live by faith.
• Pushes you to create your unique future.
• Is fun and exciting.

What are the conventional thoughts that are holding you back?

What unconventional ways of thinking do you need to start adopting?

Work Hard: Don’t Burn Bridges

Do your best; don’t slack off just because you don’t like what you’re doing. Be a person of integrity- you will always reap what you sow in life. Don’t burn your bridges, you never know when you will need to cross back over, even if it’s just for a short period.

Seize the Moment

Learn everything you possibly can from what you’re currently doing. Nothing is wasted in life. There is a reason for every season we go through.

In one of my past positions I was the assistant director of a not for profit. One of my responsibilities was to handle the design and promotions for the different events we would do. I learned a lot about design work and how to market and promote. Five years later I leveraged those skills and experience, and started a media business that helps supplement part of my income.

Ask yourself how you can leverage the skills and experience you’re currently learning towards what you want to do when you finally break away.

Time Management, and The Art of Being Effective

This topic could have gone under being radically intentional, but I thought it would be better as its own separate topic.

If you’re like most people, by the time you get home from work you’re shot and don’t have the energy to do anything but maybe watch TV. So how in the world are you going to be able to plan your exit strategy?

Here are a few practical tips.

Passion

If what you’re focusing on is something you’re passionate about you will have the energy to do it. So make sure you’re absolutely passionate about what you’re venturing out to do.

Focus

Once you connect to your purpose, and what you want to do, it’s a lot easier to focus.

Pick one thing each week that you want to have done and focus on it.

Focus on the things that are going to bring you the most return.

Output

Think in terms of output. When focusing on the few things (you should try and just choose one or two high priority things) you want to do for the week think about what you want to complete/push out. Think about the projects you want to complete that will get you closer to your goal. Instead of getting caught up with all the little things, set goals for yourself to push stuff out and be effective.

For example I’m developing a workshop right now that I feel is going to bring me a great return. So the way I structure my day is around pushing out that project. I focus the majority of my attention on that project.

Start Early

Wake up a little earlier if you can to start working on your projects. Even a focused hour a day would make a huge difference.

Prioritize

What are the things you need to do right now in order to move closer to your goal? Ask yourself this question: “If this was the only thing I accomplished this month, would I be satisfied with how I spent my month?”

Don’t underestimate the power of incremental progress.

Manage Your Energy Not Your Time

I made reference to this above, but I want to focus a little more on it. It’s all about how much energy you have to do what you feel you were created to do. If you’re feeling tired when you wake up in the morning and when you get home from work, how will you be able to accomplish your dreams? You won’t - simple as that. You will actually get tired of trying, and continue on with your current job, or worse, start planning your exit and fizzle out halfway through the process.

Have Fun

This is the most important part. The whole point of being able to live out your passion is to be able to have fun in life. If you’re not having fun designing the future of your dreams, then something is seriously wrong. I would suggest you go inward and navigate through the reasons you’re not having fun. If you’re serious about living the life of your dreams I guarantee there will be many inner blocks that will come up and try to derail you.

So, if you’re passionate and focused on you’re output, prioritizing the important things, making incremental progress, and having fun doing it, you should be on track to doing what you love.

If you have any questions feel free to email me here.

Question: Where are you in the process of planning your exit strategy?