I wrote an article about a month ago that got a great response here on the site. My inbox was inundated with emails asking me how to create a kick-ass career. I decided to follow it up here and give you some more food for thought. In 1994 I graduated at the top of my class from Rutgers School of Law. A path I had chosen. Or so I thought. Let’s face it. Do we really know at 20 years old what we want to do the rest of our lives? Many people don’t know the answer to that question in their 40s! After 5 years of living in the rat race, I flat out quit. That’s right. I quit.

And I’m not afraid to say it. All of those years. All of that education. All of that money. Down the drain. Wasted. Or so my parents thought. And when they heard what I wanted to do instead, I thought they’d have a heart attack. Yoga teacher? Pilates instructor? OMG. “You’ll never make a living,” they gasped. Maybe not. But at least I’d be living my life with passion and grace.  Following my dreams.  Listening to my heart.  So off I went, and you know what? I did make a living. And it wasn’t such a bad one. I had my own little studio. I hired a small staff of instructors, My schedule was always booked. My classes were always packed. And eventually I was asked to manage a very large Mind & Body Department at a very respectable Health Club. Maybe it was the law degree. ;-) But after 15 years, I was exhausted. And although I loved helping others heal themselves from pain, inflammation, stress, and chronic tightness, (not to mention my staff of over 30 I often felt the need to micro-manage), I knew I needed another change. I was not really a business owner. I as an employee of a very large corporation, making someone else money and acting as a sole proprietor on the side. If I didn’t work, I didn’t get paid.  And so I always worked. I wasn’t sure if I needed a complete career overhaul this time around. I knew I wanted to stay in the health and wellness arena. But I did know it was time to live the life I wanted to live in a way that was not draining. I knew I needed to support my health. I knew I needed more freedom. And by this I mean freedom with time and with my finances. I stepped down from my management position. I gave up almost all of my private clients. I stopped teaching classes. It was scary.  No money was coming in.  And a TON of money was going out.   I was going into debt.  I had no idea how I’d pay my bills. But I knew that in order to launch a new avenue of my business that would give me more financial freedom in the long run, I had to let go of what was no longer serving me. I had to let go of what was holding me back from soaring full steam ahead. I went back to school and became a Board Certified Health Coach. I did an intensive 8 week online business schoool. And I spent months teaching myself everything I needed to know in order to turn myself into a social media guru. I was going to take my business online. I was going to incorporate a product line. I was going to start making residual income. Imagine this: I was going to make money whether I was working or not.  I’d have the freedom to travel.  Spend time with my kids.  Work from wherever I wanted.  No longer being tied down to anyone else’s schedule but my own. It’s not easy starting a new business. It takes time. Commitment. Perseverance. Courage. And more time. That’s why most people don’t do it. They’re scared. They won’t make the time. But what I’ve found is that when you do make the time and believe me you can, when you are dedicated, when you really want to make something work., it will.  And so six months in, I was offered an amazing opportunity to take my business national. It was an opportunity I could not pass up. It would involve a lot of travel. I’d be on the road more often than I’d be home with my family. When I approached the subject with my husband, he was not keen at being a single parent for 4 months but after numerous discussions, we ultimately decided, as a team, that the travel would be a wise investment in our future. And we’d limit it to 4 months. And so, as part of our “agreement” I committed to get on a plane once a week and meet all the associates who were already working with me and help them grown their businesses, which would ultimately help me grow mine. Traveling isn’t easy. When I wake up in the morning I often don’t know what day of the week it is. Or what time zone I’m in. My body is constantly in a state of flux. The beds I’m sleeping in are not always idea. The food I’m eating is sometimes questionable. I’m not getting the exercise I’m used to. But you know what? It’s four months. And even after the first 2 months, I saw my numbers double. It’s an investment we’re making in tomorrow. So that we can work less and live our passions. Do you feel like you need to make a change but something’s still stopping you? What are you afraid of giving up? What obstacles are in your way? What excuses are you still giving? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment in the box below. And if you feel someone you know needs to hear this message, please share the love on Facebook or retweet it or pin it on Twitter or Pinterest. XO, Hayley