We are nearing the end of the 3rd quarter, and usually around this time, people begin to twiddle their thumbs in realization that they haven't quite met their goals. If their goal was to find a new job, they may be at their wits end and decide to drastically quit their jobs in hopes to prove to themselves that they WILL meet that new year's resolution.

If this happens to be you, before you jump off into the deep end, let's shed light on the five important things you need in order to establish before you quit your 9-5. There's absolutely nothing wrong with quitting but everything deserve foundation. Especially if you want to become a full-time blogger like myself. 

It took me 5 years within my 11 years of blogging to really understand the fundamentals of making blogging my career. Within those years one of the most crucial concepts i've adhered to is ensuring that I treat my blog like a business to ensure progress. Here are some lessons i've learned a long the way.

Track Expenses

Like many others, I sang the same "I hate my job" song when I first quit my job without realizing the implications. I was more than ready to live a life I enjoyed but what I realized was the life I enjoyed was going to cost me some coins to get there.

Whether you are taking a break from the working world or deciding to start your own business, money is a the key essential to quitting. As your consistent income will stop for a while.

So what does this mean?

It simply means that you need to have a strategy on how you will survive in the interim. Before you quit open a new bank account and put at least 5% or more of pay into this account every pay period. This account should NOT BE TOUCHED until you quit your job. When you have saved up at least 6 months worth of living accommodations, you should feel more comfortable to chuck up the deuces!

People don't usually think about the repercussions of quitting without a plan. This is something I wish I knew before I quit my first 9-5 job. Though I knew I wanted to build my business, I didn't think about how I would sustain if I needed an impromptu health care appointment, or if the business I was building needed to be scaled.

A good starting point to tracking how much you need to save for your BIG day off is keeping a lengthy account of your expenses. I like using my phone apps like spend tracker and  personalized finance spread sheets.

Prepare Your Mind

In addition to tracking your expenses, you have to become mentally aware of what life is going to look like once you've decided enough is enough. I have to mentally prepare myself for both . the challenges I was going to face and how I was going to defeat them. Your mind is the strongest tool you have in life, so strengthening your mindset will be an asset as you prepare to let go of a chapter in your life.

You may be the primary breadwinner in your family and as you shift gears into your new reality your mind will automatically begin to analyze the hardships you may endure as our brains are wired to do that.

How do you re-wire your brain?

Each day you take time time to visualize the person you want to be once you've quit your job. You don't visualize the challenges but the successes. This was truly a hard concept for me to grasp at first, but The Secret really helped. This book, which now is a movie on Netflix, explained that quitting my 9-5 was OKAY! It helped me realize the potential and possibilities I have inside of me and how I can really manifest my dreams.

I won't lie, sometimes I do find myself re-trapped into my self defeating thoughts and re-thinking my old 9-5 but, just a quick glimpse of the film or the chapters in The Secret, helps me to realign my values and reminds me of my reasons I quit in the first place.

After I realigned I got to work. If you'd like to learn how I turned my blogging passion into a blogging profit  (https://events.genndi.com/register/818182175026320037/c16c97ca0e) you can check out my webinar. Here I will share the 4 ultimate steps to creating profit and turning your blog into a business! 

Utilize 9-5 Strategies

Most people quit their 9-5 jobs because they want to live a life without restrictions. But, truth be told in your 9-5 you had to be disciplined, so the same discipline applies to your life outside of a 9-5. If you are choosing to own your business, still set a schedule for yourself that you will abide by in order to still continue with success and accomplishments.

My first week fresh out of my 9-5 , I did absolutely nothing.

My second week out of my 9-5 I binged watched TV and did nothing!

Can you guess what my third week looked like?

Yes, the absolute exact same!

It wasn't until a month after my official quit is where I realized that I needed to actually do something with my life. This is when my push kicked in and I decided to blog more frequently and plan my income strategies. I honestly and truly could not have done this without a planner.

The first planner I ever purchased which I will continue to adore is my Erin Corden planner. It not only organized my day to day life, but my monthly goals, and my travel trips!

After I realized the luxuries of a planner, I decided to create my own blogging planner, where I could plan exactly what I would blog about for 30 days, which in turn made me 4 months worth of content (depending on blog frequency).

Just because I was not longer in a  9-5 didn't mean I didn't have to follow a schedule. The only difference is that just like me, you will be utilizing your time management strategies from your 9-5 in your newly found life after being an employee. 

If you need a quick digital weekly planner, don't forget to grab your free copy

It's Okay to Start Over

Time and time again we are given a number of opportunities in life because the universe/God is just waiting to see what we will do with them. If you're currently in your 9-5 job and you're fretting because you're not sure what life will be once you quit. Stop worrying because it's always ok to start over. Your job is only one component of your life, and even if life after work doesn't seem to fit the exact mold you wanted, it's okay to start over and try again.

Everything in life is temporary. We have to stop thinking that every decision we make is permanent. Maybe you're fearful of what will come of your life if you don't succeed without a 9-5, which is not something you should acknowledge. But if you are stuck in the "analytical/practical" mindset, then buckle up your pants and ask for your job back. Don't be too prideful but instead acknowledge the fact that you took a chance and followed your heart to accomplish a facet of your dreams instead of dreaming of what life could have been.

Take a chance, fulfill your desire and watch your life become fruitful. Every second is a new chance to manifest a new reality.