4 Lies You Tell Yourself That Keep You From Making The LEAP

There are a lot of bumps on the road to freedom. Some will be out of your control, and others you can work to overcome. Today I want to share with you some of the lies I told myself before making the LEAP that you might be telling yourself as well, in the hopes that you can move past them and get closer to the freedom you’re seeking.

YOU HAVE TO GO ALL IN

Many people think taking the LEAP has to be this big all or nothing jump into full-time freelancing. That doesn’t have to be the case. Depending on your situation and personality, having a bridge job might make the transition easier on you.

This could be reducing your hours at your current job (if your boss would be up for it, you’ll never know unless you ask!). Or finding a different job that you can work part time hours.

I find the latter to be a great option especially if your current full-time job is sucking the life out of you. If you hate it already, might as well get another easier job that doesn’t drain you as much so the extra time you do have can be used most effectively.

Another common fear is that if you do go all in, and it doesn’t work, you’ll be screwed because your old boss will never let you come back or you won’t be able to find the same job in a similar company.

First of all, get it out of your head that it won’t work out. Second, if it doesn’t right away, you don’t have to go back to doing what you did before. You can totally get an unrelated part-time job while re-evaluating how to grow your freelance business further. Who cares what your friends or family think. You’re building your dreams here and those people are just building someone else’s. That’s a +1 for you in my opinion.

YOU NEED ENOUGH CLIENTS LINED UP TO EQUAL YOUR JOB INCOME

Let’s be real. If you’re working full-time in a J.O.B. it’s unlikely you’ll have time to work for enough clients on the side to equal your current salary. You’ll also not have as much time to focus on marketing and getting the word out about your services to get those clients in the first place.

But once you do make the LEAP, the increase in time, focus and simple brainspace will result in quick growth if you use it wisely.

I had 3 one-project-only clients lined up for after I made the leap. Meaning I could only count on about 3k in income, definitely not enough to sustain me the rest of the year let alone entire future.

So don’t put the pressure on yourself to meet your current salary before leaving. It’s just unrealistic and frankly, not necessary.

It’s time to start being okay with uncertainty.

YOU HAVE TO SAVE A TON BEFORE QUITTING TO PREPARE FOR THE LEAN MONTHS TO COME

Preparing for the LEAP financially is the #1 thing people stress about. There is a delicate balance you need to find between saving a ton (and then never actually making the leap because there. is. always. more. to. save.) and saving just enough that you don’t have a major meltdown if ever you do have a slow month right off the bat.

I saved, yes. But I also set my quit date. So when that date rolled around, I made the leap, regardless of feeling like I didn’t have enough set aside. You know what, feeling like I didn’t have enough gave me the drive and motivation to make quick growth my top priority. To this day I haven’t touched my buffer fund.

There is some self-reflection necessary in deciding how much to save based on your situation. Assuming you need A TON, without doing this self-reflection is just another thing holding you back from making the LEAP.

YOU HAVE TO BE A TOTAL EXPERT IN YOUR CRAFT

You’ll never know everything. No matter what your “craft” is, it’s changing, growing, evolving all the time. All that matters right now is that you know more than your potential client. You do, and they will pay you for that knowledge. 

Entrepreneurship is like signing up to school for life. You’ll want and need to continue to grow your skills. But don’t think you need to be as good as everyone else, before you make the LEAP.

Plus, the true growth will come in working with real clients, full-time. You won’t have that until you make the leap.

Stop letting these lies hold you back.

These aren’t the only lies you tell yourself to keep playing “safe”. There are many, many more. Not only do I want to help you move past these fears by showing you they can be overcome, but I want to give you all the tools and strategies you need to make a successful leap into freelancing.

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