Last week, I wrote about planning for Plan A.
A few days later, Safiya Ah posted this powerful comment:
I woke up in the middle of the night with my laptop right beside me and this website was still up. Before reading this I thought I didn’t even have a clear plan B and absolutely no Plan A. I recently lost my job and have been in such a rut that I have forgotten all of my plans and for that matter how to dream. As I sat here it started slowly coming back to me. I remember a few months ago when I knew that I might lose my job. I told myself I would work on my body and start dancing again. I mean really dedicating myself. I also wanted to learn and compete in Latin ballroom. I even sought out a coach before I lost my job and lost my way. I miss dancing. But,I’ve never thought of my dancing as something to take seriously. Just more like a hobby. Earlier today I was offered an opportunity to dance again and basically turned it down. Making up excuses about being out of shape and yadda, yadda, bullcrap (crazy right). Today I intend to take this offer more seriously, give it closer look and real consideration.
Thank you, Safiya.Â
Her comment made me realize that it’s really tough to plan for Plan A when you’re not sure what it is, exactly. So, I’d like to hear from you.
What’s your Plan A?
You can be as brief or as detailed in the comments as you like. Just be sure you share it here, so that we can begin having some deeper conversations about how to turn your ideal life from a faraway dream to a more immediate reality.
happyblackwoman
happyblackwoman
happyblackwoman
happyblackwoman
My Plan is to put God first and slowly phase out of my unhealthy practices (facebook daily, alcohol, disorganization, putting others down, eating habits) Plan A for me worked when I committed to it. Blessings came more easily and were much more frequent/plentiful. I am striving to do better. I need to remnd myself daily of my worth and my goals through writing, prayer, meditation, art, and positive affirmations. That type of good energy is contagious, so hopefully it helps others do the same.
Jah Love.
Not sure I have one. I have a lot of hobbies, but none of them have proven to be monetizable to the point of being a full time gig.
Read my latest blog post…My Life in the Sunshine • Bird Bath
…yet! It can take years to monetize your work, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. What is your main business goal for 2012?
Great question, and honestly, I can’t say I have one. My issue has always been pinning down what to do and focusing. Now that said, I am focusing on my blog and YouTube channel more than I have in the past but that’s not gonna pay the bills. Ultimately it’s hard for me to trully figure out what to focus on that is also a viable thing to base a business off of.
Read my latest blog post…Lifestyle Experiment • Living With Less Clothes
My plan A was to be an environmental lawyer. I went to school and passed the bar. I worked at a law firm for a year and got laid off after a year. It wasn’t the right fit but still devastating. I was unemployed for almost 2 years and decided to create my own non-profit. The minute I got it off the ground I found a paying job. I struggled and balanced the two for about a year. I quit the job because it was a nightmare. The non-profit stressed me beyond belief and the high school students I was working with didn’t commit to the program. I am now working on Plan C I guess.
I am going back to school to become an environmental consultant. I am coming back to the fork in the road I encountered my junior year of college. I was a biology major and I decided to switch to law. I am now going back to my science roots. I think the work will be more rewarding and the economy has not affected that field as much as law.
My plan A is to launch my cake business, even though some have deemed this a hobby that does not have the potential to make money. One thing I have learned about taking the steps to becoming an entrepreneur is that everyone has their own definition of ‘success.’ To me, success means that my family’s needs are met-no stressing about how to pay the bills or provide. Success also means that I enjoy what I do, everyday. Success means that I can treat myself the way I deserves to be treated and the way I expect others to treat me. Working for other folks has taught me a few things: (1) We are all replaceable; (2) No one will value you as much as you value yourself, especially if you don’t demand it; (3) As long as you go with the program, no one will bother you/reward you/challenge you (to do better). I don’t want to live that way. I don’t want a job that is not rewarding and I certainly do not want to harbor animosity for those with and for whom I work.
I have a passion for counseling young teens or just young teenage girls that struggle with low self esteem. I would like to focus on educating young teens about the OPTION of not having sex at such an early age. I would like to help them build self-esteem. This is something that has been on my mind for so long. I have had mothers of teenage girls come to me and ask if I can give their daughters some direction. They felt I could have a very positive impact on their child. I don’t know how I could possibly turn this into a paying job though. I have a feeling I may have to just volunteer my time for a while at first.
Wow. Your welcome Rosetta. I can’t believe the impact HBW has had on my life, my mind, my spirit in just one week. Here’s an update. I called my contact and a two hours later I was out the door and on my way to rehearsal. I was dancing, sweating, aching and IT FELT GREAT!!! So, I took the offer(YAY!) and this is my first paying gig ever. I even got a lead on how make my dream to compete in Latin Ballroom more attainable. It would have NEVER happened if I didn’t wake up at 5am, read the “Plan A” post and have an “ah ha” moment.
Thank you for sharing your update! So happy to hear about your progress. Hoping that your words will inspire others to leap
Sometimes life can truly throw you a curve ball. And after a few devastating life changing events, I found myself without a Plan B. And for a person who always had a Plan B, C and D it was debilating and — well — humbling. I had to learn to nurture my inner self and give myself permisson ‘not to know’ just for a minute. For once, it was okay to not have a Plan A.
It gave me an opportunity to listen more to my intervoice and determine what I truly valued and to think about realigning my life. It’s been hard. And although I am not what I was, I am getting much better! So now, starting over with a Plan A doesn’t seem quite as daunting as it did, say, one year ago. And this RESET has helped me get back on the right path.
I am so very glad I found this blog. It’s right on time!
My Plan A is to work as an independent writer/communications specialist so that I can be there for my children before and after school, manage my time as I see fit and work towards self determination and financial freedom. Plan A does not involve having to answer to anyone but myself. Sink or swim, plan A is me determining the course that my life will take.
I love that your Plan A is so centered around your values. It sounds like freedom. Have you taken the first step? What’s next for getting closer to this ideal life?
I first want to say that I am so happy I stumbled upon your blog! I am on day 13 of the reset and I have become even more enlightened, and motivated to pursue my passions and ideal lifestyle. The struggle for me is the wait. The time that it takes to get from the draining, 9-5 that I am almost married to as a means to an end which does nothing to feed my passions or advance my ‘plan’ to my ideal lifestyle. I know that I have the gift to uplift, to encourage, and inspire…and I know that my gift needs to be shared with the single mothers that are broken, scarred and often times feel hopeless through coaching, speaching engaments and creating an environment where they know their lives are worth so much more than the situations they may find themselves in. I have it all on the inside, but I have to get it out. It has taken me a long time to learn that if I want to work for myself, I have to WORK for myself. So that is where I am…actually planning for PLAN A so that I can get rid of plan B for good!
I don’t have a Plan A either. I know that I wanna be self-employed one day, but I don’t know what it is that I wanna do being self-employed. I don’t know if it’s being self-employed in what I do now (my career – what I studied for) or if it’s something else. But I definitely wanna be self-employed – THAT much I know.
That’s a great start
But sometimes you just have to experiment with your business before you really know what it will look like. Perhaps you might start offering services now + tweak them later?
That’s the thing – I don’t know what (I want) to offer. I’ve been a SW for a while now, and I’m not sure if it’s my calling. I don’t know what my passion is and I’m trying to figure it out. Whatever it is, I just know that I wanna be self-employed one day (I’ve given myself 10 years to do this). It’s good to know that it’s a great starting point.
Read my latest blog post…Just another day on the IRT.