For years, we have been taught to go to school, get good grades, graduate, and get a good job. If we do these things, so we've been told, life will be grand. A good job with good benefits leads to a nice home for our families and a handsome life after retirement. I believe this was once referred to as living the American Dream. This dream is rooted in creating a sense of security in our lives. But just how secure is it? With more businesses and corporations closing each year, is there any way to guarantee that we will get our piece of the pie?
The only person you can really count on when times get hard, is yourself. This is why we must learn to mind our business. Oh, I don't mean in terms of who's zooming who. I'm talking about owning our own businesses and taking full advantage of all that comes with being an entrepreneur. I can already hear the excuses: I don't have any money to start a business, I need to keep my benefits, I don't have time to start a business, or I don't know anything about running a business. Trust me friends, you know more than you think you know and you have more resources than you think you have. Not all businesses require start-up costs. There has to be something that you love doing, that you're good at, and if money were no object, you'd do for free. That is where your business begins! We have to learn to create our own opportunities and not be afraid to act on them.
It don't matter who ya is miss (or mister), you can get the business! That's right, everyone is capable of being a business owner in some capacity. Even if you aren't turning a profit immediately, the benefits are undeniable. A portion of your household expenses become tax deductible, a large portion of your meals become tax deductible, and you can even deduct a lot of your leisure activities as well! Its a no brainer--you just need to start minding your business!
I must admit that I have for a long time I bought into the dream. I went straight to college from high school, straight to grad school from college, and back to graduate school again. Before this year ends, I will have a terminal degree. What an accomplishment! The downside though, is that in my chosen career field, there is also a terminal salary range. In spite of holding a degree that only 2% of the population will ever achieve, the amount of money that I will be able to earn from today until retirement has already been predetermined. That doesn't sound like a dream to me! I've been tricked, hoodwinked, bamboozled! I fell for the okie-doke, better known as the American Dream.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not asking you to quit your job and relinquish your benefits. We're talking about making smart moves here. What I am telling you is that you should not give all your talents to your boss in exchange for a salary that is being heavily taxed. Your boss/corporation/government agency is growing financially while you are being sucked dry. And working two jobs is not the answer...that's just double the tax liability! If you've got time to work a second job, you've got time to start a business. Oh, I may not get many "amens" but I know I'm telling the truth. You need to mind your business!
There are several opportunities out there for you to mind your business. Become more open-minded when you are approached with opportunities. Stop thinking that everyone is out to get something from you and begin to look at how you can leverage information for your own benefit.
I hope you've enjoyed our conversation and that you will begin to mind your business.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Exit Strategy
Some time has passed since our last conversation. So much has happened, I hardly know where to begin. Within the past five to seven years in education, backwards planning has become one of the many buzz words that schools and school systems have latched onto. Backwards planning is the notion that teachers should plan what they will teach, with the end result in mind. This method requires teachers to know where they expect students to end up and use that ending point as the place to begin planning what students will do to meet and exceed those standards. Rather than creating assessments after lessons have been taught, teachers create the assessment first, and then work backwards to ensure that all content will be covered in a meaningful way. Although I am not sure where to begin, I do know where I will end.
The concept of backwards planning makes me think about a lot of past situations that I entered into without thinking about how I would get out of them if they proved to be unsuccessful or unproductive. Many times, I have made decisions based on the now and not the year from now or five years from now. When it comes to our futures and the well-being of our families, we have to plan backwards and think about what we want the end to be. I know that we have been taught to "run on and see what the end will be", but I am not sure that this is what's best in all cases. A lot of confusion and backtracking could be avoided if we spent more time thinking ahead; being proactive and not reactive.
You can't plan everything, but it is wise to take the time to plan an exit strategy. I think Kanye said it best, "And I heard em say, nothing's ever promised tomorrow today"; so I do know that even the best laid plans can fail. That being said, there is still no good reason not to prepare ourselves for how we will move on once an opportunity, relationship, or assignment comes to an end.
Too many people are doing too many things that they have not taken the time to think through rationally: spending money that they have not budgeted to spend, entering into relationships with people they have not taken the time to get to know, speaking about things that they have not thoroughly researched. In short, folks are running around making choices all willy-nilly and are not planning an exit strategy.
Know your next move. Set some goals and do something everyday to get you closer to meeting your goal. Even when things do not go the way you want, plan an exit strategy. Think of a way to move yourself forward and don't waste time getting started. Circumstances don't matter. If we all think long enough and hard enough, we could find reasons why we should not take the time to plan for our futures. After all, its not up to use anyway. God's Will will be done, regardless of our efforts, this much is true. It is also true though, that when God sees us working hard in spite of what is going on around us, He makes sure that we can get to the place where we need to be.
I challenge you all to think about where it is that you want to be and how you can work to get there. Plan your exit strategy out of whatever is not productive for your life: unhealthy lifestyles, poor spending habits, irresponsible dating choices, or complacency in general. Plan your life with the end in mind then make it a reality.
...until the next Candid Conversation.
The concept of backwards planning makes me think about a lot of past situations that I entered into without thinking about how I would get out of them if they proved to be unsuccessful or unproductive. Many times, I have made decisions based on the now and not the year from now or five years from now. When it comes to our futures and the well-being of our families, we have to plan backwards and think about what we want the end to be. I know that we have been taught to "run on and see what the end will be", but I am not sure that this is what's best in all cases. A lot of confusion and backtracking could be avoided if we spent more time thinking ahead; being proactive and not reactive.
You can't plan everything, but it is wise to take the time to plan an exit strategy. I think Kanye said it best, "And I heard em say, nothing's ever promised tomorrow today"; so I do know that even the best laid plans can fail. That being said, there is still no good reason not to prepare ourselves for how we will move on once an opportunity, relationship, or assignment comes to an end.
Too many people are doing too many things that they have not taken the time to think through rationally: spending money that they have not budgeted to spend, entering into relationships with people they have not taken the time to get to know, speaking about things that they have not thoroughly researched. In short, folks are running around making choices all willy-nilly and are not planning an exit strategy.
Know your next move. Set some goals and do something everyday to get you closer to meeting your goal. Even when things do not go the way you want, plan an exit strategy. Think of a way to move yourself forward and don't waste time getting started. Circumstances don't matter. If we all think long enough and hard enough, we could find reasons why we should not take the time to plan for our futures. After all, its not up to use anyway. God's Will will be done, regardless of our efforts, this much is true. It is also true though, that when God sees us working hard in spite of what is going on around us, He makes sure that we can get to the place where we need to be.
I challenge you all to think about where it is that you want to be and how you can work to get there. Plan your exit strategy out of whatever is not productive for your life: unhealthy lifestyles, poor spending habits, irresponsible dating choices, or complacency in general. Plan your life with the end in mind then make it a reality.
...until the next Candid Conversation.
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