What’s your plan? “To leave my job” is not good enough. Matter of fact, if that’s what you plan on doing without having some kind of life outline in place,

that’s the recipe for disaster (especially financially). See, the problem is some people read an article like this and they think “Cool! I’m putting in my two weeks tomorrow!” when

what we’re really saying is the moment you're ready to leave your job is the moment you should put a strategy into place. What do you want to? What will

it take to make that happen? How much money will you need? As you start to answer these questions, a plan will start to unfold and you’ll feel more confident about

making your exit. It probably won’t be immediate, but it won’t take another year to get out of there.

Sometimes we get stressed out about the big goals that we have because they seem really overwhelming. The way to remedy that is to break them down into smaller ones.

Say that you want to start a T-shirt company. That’s ambitious. Start with smaller goals. Trademark a name. Build a website. Research other tee lines to check out your competition.

Learn about guerilla marketing. Go on YouTube to see what info is out there (and there’s a ton!). Suddenly, it doesn’t seem quite so stressful, does it? Just

remember not to procrastinate. Try to check 2-3 small goals off of your to-do list each week (10 days, max).

When you’re trying to leave one job in preparation to do something else, time is of the essence. Thanks to technology, there are apps that can hold you accountable so

that you’re making the most of every hour and you’re keeping your ideas organized. Click here and here for a list of some of the best

ones that are currently on the market.

Whatever your dream is, it’s going to need funding. One way to look at your job right now is it’s the income that you need to source your dreams (perspective

is everything). If you’re serious about making them come true, you won’t be kickin’ it with your girlfriends every weekend or buying even more clothes. You’ll stash that money away

so that you’ll have some resources once you do leave your job and if money ends up being a little tight for a while once you do it. The more

finances you have, the less stressed out you’ll be and the more you’ll be able to get accomplished.

A mentor is someone who's basically “seen the movie” before you did. They know the pitfalls to avoid. They know the tricks of the trade. They can offer you advice

that’s been proven to work because they’ve already been there and done that. It’s a real lifesaver to get someone who is willing to walk you through the transition from

one season to another. Don’t underestimate this. A mentor is a must-have. Seek one out before leaving your gig.

If you can afford an international trip, do it! But even if you can’t, use the weekend to take some road trips to expand your horizons. The driving time alone

makes it possible for you to “get off of the grid” and think. Seeing new things, meeting new people and having new experiences will build up your courage to take

the next steps.

Someone once said, “It’s no longer a secret once more than one person knows.” Preach! If you must talk to some people about what you’re planning to do, make sure

you 100 percent trust them. And take it from us, that doesn’t need to be anyone at your place of employment. Your boss needs to know when you’re leaving when

you’re ready to tell them. Not a moment sooner. You can control this by keeping your BIG PLANS on the low. Just for now. Invite them to your celebratory event once

your new plans get off of the ground. Then they can see what leaving was all about. #noshade