When I was sleeping in a homeless shelter, my first goal was to find a job.

Even though deep down, I didn’t like that idea.

I even did volunteer work for NGOs so I could network and have some sense of normalcy in my life.

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Still, the idea of working for someone else for the rest of my life never seemed particularly appealing to me.

But I’m also a realist.

Changing your life and no longer depending on a job takes planning and preparation.

If you’re unemployed right now, don’t even think about trying to live off anything other than a job.

Get a job.

If you’re already working, you should know that it will take years and require sacrifices to achieve it.

Don’t listen to the bs from life coaches and people trying to sell “easy solutions.”

There are no easy solutions.

Everything requires the corresponding investment.

– You can invest money.

– You can invest time.

– If you invest less money, you’ll invest more time.

The first step

First, you need to figure out what genuinely interests you and make sure there’s actually an audience for it.

If people don’t want it and you can’t sell it, then find something else that interests you.

Then invest in it

You may need:

– A website

–Tools (if we’re talking about crafts or physical products)

– Social media accounts

– Brand building

– Marketing

– Time and consistency

After that, whatever you create will need time to build an audience.

Don’t quit too early

Once you see that you’ve stabilized in the market and you’re consistently making:

– Your salary

– Plus your brands expenses

for a reasonable period of time, then you can start thinking about leaving your job.

Anything faster than that is irrational and irresponsible.