According to Deloitte’s Shift Index, 4 out of 5 people are unhappy at work these days. We spend at least half our waking hours over five of the seven days of the week at work. And yet, most people are miserable most of that time.

There are a number of reasons people feel this way. Companies have laid people off. Yet the expectation is that the remaining people will be able to find a way to still get all the work done.

And they have for the most part! Sure, some things have suffered. Some things don’t get done anymore. Or at least done at the level of quality that they used to.

Day after day, week after week, month after month – so many people begrudgingly go through the daily grind.

Because they’re scared.
Because they think it would be hard to get a job that pays as well.
Because of uncertainty about the future.

They feel like they no longer have control over their own lives.

Listen to this post! Click a player to hear George & Mary-Lynn on The BIGG Success Show Podcast.


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It’s the opposite of BIGG success. BIGG success is life on your own terms – taking control to build the life that fits you perfectly. Work is one of the five elements of BIGG success.

There are two terms often associated with work – job and career.

Nobody wants a job.
Everyone wants a career.

Nobody wants to just trade time for money.
Everybody wants to earn money from a trade.

A job is meaningless.
A career is meaningful.

This is the message we hear again and again – sometimes directly, sometimes more subtly.

Let’s not be subtle. Neither a job nor a career has meaning. Work has meaning.

Work adds value.
Work creates growth.

All this can happen in a job or a career.

A meaningful dead-end job?

It’s more obvious with a career. But how about a job?

A dead-end job.
A job where you know you’re going nowhere.
Can you find meaning there?

Absolutely!

Every job has value. Every job has a potential to serve. But let’s double down.

Let’s say your boss is a jerk.

The company is mediocre.
There’s no clear vision.
Customers aren’t thrilled.
They just do business with the firm because of inertia and no clear alternatives.
Your co-workers are just putting in their time.

Can you still find meaning there?

A resounding yes!

The key lies in understanding a finer point about the definition of BIGG success, life on your own terms.

The springboard

BIGG success is a destination. It’s about getting from where you are now to where you want to be.

In other words, it’s a journey.
Down a long and winding road.
And sometimes the shortest distance between two points is under construction.

And that’s where the job comes in.
A job may buy you time – another one of the five elements of BIGG success.
Time to find yourself.
Time to do research on promising careers.
Time to find your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Time to save money.
Time to build your network.
Time to establish yourself as an expert.
Time to start a business part time.

We think it’s time to stop…you get the idea!

Even a dead-end job can help you move closer to BIGG success. By turning this knowledge into a strategy, a dead-end job becomes meaningful. It can serve as a springboard to BIGG success!

Do you need help finding life on your own terms? Maybe we can help.

Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file | podcast:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/biggsuccess/00754-111711.mp3

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BIGG success is life on your own terms. But sometimes life throws you a curve ball.

How can you deal with it?

The best way is to prepare for it in advance.

How can you prepare for the unexpected in advance?

By keeping your options open.

Then, if it occurs, you can face the challenge with confidence. So today, we’ll share four keys to keeping your options open.

Listen to this post! Click a player to hear George & Mary-Lynn on The BIGG Success Podcast.

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Keep your options open by insuring that people see you doing what you do best.

Is your job “outbound” so you’re clearly visible to customers? If so, capitalize on that relationship. Ask them for a brief note about working with you. It will come in handy at your next evaluation or if you need to look for other work.

If your job doesn’t expose you to anyone outside your company, then work on your visibility. Get involved in your industry. Look for conferences you can attend. Participate in forums and comment on blog posts about your industry. You might even consider starting your own blog to show off your expertise. Volunteer to work for your favorite non-profit.

Networking

It’s amazing how many people who land a new job found it through a referral. It’s also amazing how much business results from our networks.

So why do so many of us pay so little attention to our network until we really need it?

Spend a little time every single day building and maintaining your network.

Going beyond the activities mentioned above to be more visible, do you participate in local opportunities?

Is your company a member of your local Chamber of Commerce? If so, do you attend Chamber functions?

Have you registered on Meetup to find out about local events of interest to you?

Are you on LinkedIn?
What about Facebook?
Have you joined any social networking groups specific to your industry?

The contacts you make through these sites will be valuable now. But they may prove invaluable should you be forced to make a change.

Marketing

What makes you unique? How can you communicate that? What opportunities play to your core strengths?

Is your resume up-to-date? If not, there’s no time like the present! For sample cover letters, resumes, job search and interviewing tips, check out Resume Help.

Bridge Plan

Develop a plan of what you would do if you were forced to change jobs.

How will you pay your bills?

Where will you look for a new job?

Who will you contact for referrals?

For what services would you pay (e.g. career coach)?

As you prepare this plan, keep a couple of things in mind:

• You may spot some problems. That’s why you’re doing this now. For example, at what point would you need to find some part-time work or freelance work to pay the bills?
  

• Plan some recovery time should a change be required. You’re human. It will be emotional. But you’ll feel much more confident having thought it through in advance. And you’ll be able to keep your options open to find the right opportunity for you!
  

Thanks so much for checking in with us today. Until next time, here’s to your BIGG success!

Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file | podcast:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/biggsuccess/00743-10111.mp3

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One lonely person stands with his back against his own goal line. The ball is placed in a tee sixty yards or more away.

The opposing team’s kicker and his cohorts stand ten yards or so behind the line of scrimmage. Suddenly they rush toward the line.

The kicker approaches the ball. He swings his leg. The ball flies up in the air, turning end over end.

The receiver on the other team positions himself to catch the ball. Then he looks for openings created by his blockers.

And then it happens…

The runner cuts across the field. He’s running and running and running. But he’s not making any progress.

He’s going against the traffic. The players all try to shift quickly in the other direction.

And all of a sudden, the runner sees an opening.

The crowd rises to their feet in a collective mass. You can feel the excitement as they begin to cheer.

He’s moving away from the crowd. No one can catch him. The only people around him are his own players.

Touchdown!

The crowd roars.

Success!

BIGG success is life on your own terms. It’s all about entrepreneuring your life – taking control to design and build the life that fits you perfectly.

You may or may not be an entrepreneur in the traditional sense of the word. However, you are the entrepreneur of an incredibly important enterprise – your life.

Will you score a touchdown? You will if you understand five lessons about making the BIGG play:

1) Catch the ball

You can’t score a touchdown if you’re not in the game. And you won’t score a touchdown if you don’t have the ball.

The game is your job or business. The ball is a strategy to make the BIGG play.

But beware: once you’re in the game with the ball, people will be trying to tackle you.

2) Respond to the situation on the ground

Entrepreneurs know they can’t predict the future. So they don’t try.

They formulate a strategy and then start running. And they watch. They analyze.

They shift in this direction or that. They respond to the situation on the ground to make the BIGG play.

3) You may have to go against the traffic

To make a BIGG play, you may need to get away from the crowd.

You may have to go against conventional wisdom. You may have to try things, even though people say they won’t work.

You must be willing to risk getting tripped up or tackled by someone you didn’t even see coming.

It’s okay. There will always be another play. You’ll get your chance again.

4) You may spend some time going nowhere

There will be times when you need to make a lateral move if you want to make the BIGG play.

You will be running hard. But you may feel like you’re going nowhere.

Remind yourself that you’re setting up for a BIGG play. You’re buying time to observe the field of play.

All the time, you’re learning. This knowledge will help you find your BIGG break.

5) You must constantly look for an opening

Finding an opening among the masses is the key to finishing your BIGG play.

You have to find your space – a place where you can leave the crowd behind.

You may take your existing product or services to a new market. Or you may introduce a new product or service to your existing customers.

You may take on a project that no one else will touch. You will differentiate yourself somehow to break through the crowd.

Take these lessons to heart and reach BIGG success!

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You have to be crazy to be an entrepreneur. That’s what a lot of people say.

And many, many more think it; they just don’t say it out loud.

This opinion is expressed in many forms. We’ve grouped them into two ways of thinking: the old school approach and the new edition.

Hear this post! Click a player to listen to George & Mary-Lynn on The BIGG Success Show Podcast.


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The old school said that the only people who become entrepreneurs are people who no one else will hire.

They aren’t smart enough.

They don’t have the skills.

They can’t keep a job.

They don’t have a choice.

BULLoney!

The new version

The new version of this thought process is a little more subtle.

It says that if you can get a job instead of starting a business, do it. It’s much easier.

We agree.

But it begs the question: Is easy your goal?

The problem with this way of thinking is that it assumes it is.

What if your goal is personal and professional fulfillment?

What if your goal is to make a difference?

What if your goal is to see how far you can go?

What if your goal is to directly see the results you can create?

If that’s the case, then NOTHING beats entrepreneuring.

Risk

But being an entrepreneur is risky. Working for someone else is less risky.

Again, we call BULLoney!

Tell that to all the people who got laid off in the Great Recession who are still looking for work.

Tell that to all the people who have started a part-time business just to feel like they have some control over the lives.

Tough is not crazy

Is it tough? Of course it is.

BIGG success in any endeavor is NOT easy. BIGG goal-getters don’t care.

If you want to do something BIGG with your life, it’s going to be hard. You’re blazing a trail few people dare to go down.

And if you’re a real entrepreneur, you don’t care. It’s just part of the game.

Besides, you’re too busy saving the world – or at least your corner of it!

That’s BIGG success!

Do you have an idea for a full- or part-time business but aren’t sure where to go with it? Maybe we can help.

Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file | podcast:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/biggsuccess/00738-092211.mp3

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Are you unhappy with your job?

Do you dream of starting your own business?

Wouldn’t it be nice?

Being your own boss.

Setting your own schedule.

Getting paid what you’re worth.

We tend to romanticize what we don’t have. Looking in from the outside, all we see is the glamour.

Let’s talk about the brutal truth of these three commonly held beliefs about starting a business.

Hear George & Mary-Lynn talk about the 3 brutal truths on The BIGG Success Show! Click a player to listen.


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Be your own boss

No more working for “the man.” No longer having to put up with the bull. Not answering to anybody.

The fact is you will answer to more people than ever:

• Customers
  

To start, every single one of your customers is your boss.

Sure, it’s different. Sure, if you have enough customers, you can afford to fire one now and then.

But if you want to be a BIGG success in your small business, you better get really good at serving your customers.

• Financiers
  

  Your financiers are your boss. It’s the golden rule: He or she who has the gold makes the rules! They will likely set parameters within which you must operate.
  

Of course, if you don’t need outside funding, you won’t have to worry about these bosses.

• Government
  

  As a small business owner, you will answer to governmental entities at the local, state and federal levels. Once you hire your first employee, the requirements will escalate. Certain businesses are more regulated than others but every small business deals with government.
  

• Employees
  

  Employees as your boss? Are we nuts? Stick with us for just a minute.
  

  If you believe in servant leadership, you may think of your employees as your boss even though it obviously isn’t the case.
  

  We believe that it’s the leader’s job to make it as easy as practically and financially possible for each and every employee to do his or her job.
  

Set your own schedule

Can you picture it? Rolling into work late. Taking a long lunch. Leaving the office early. Afternoons on the golf course. Long vacations. What a life!

What a lie!

The reality is that, when you first start your business, you will probably work more than you ever have in your life.

You’ll have to, unless you have a lot of money to pay for help. But then, you’ll be flowing red and you’ll feel even more stress to reach break-even.

Of course, once your business is a BIGG success, you may be able to back down on the time you spend on it. But that will take years, if not decades.

Get paid what you’re worth

Finally, you will be compensated for your effort. Your true value will be valued. You can set your own pay.

The truth is not quite so pretty. You may not be able to afford to pay yourself as much as you make now.

Of course, in time, you better make more money. But you have to plant in order to harvest.

You will invest both time and money. You deserve to be compensated fairly for both.

But it won’t likely happen right away. Chances are, you will subsidize your business for a period of time. (Unless, of course, you raise more money. In that case, see the discussion above about financiers and the golden rule.)

If you no longer want to be an entrepreneur, great! We’ve accomplished something here today. You’ll be spared the financial and emotional costs of starting your own business.

If after reading all this, you still have that feeling in your gut – you just have to do it; you cannot accept not trying; you have to start your own business.

Great! We’ve accomplished something here today. You’re ready to start your own business with your eyes wide open. It leads to BIGG success!

If you aren’t sure how to get started, shoot us an e-mail at bigginfo@biggsuccess.com or leave a voice message at 888.455.BIGG (2444). Tell us what you’re thinking about. Maybe we can help.

Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file | podcast:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/biggsuccess/00717-071211.mp3

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