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Will I Stay Locked Out?

  • Jan 18, 2022
  • 4 min read

Written by: Fran Pedron, Executive Contributor

Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.

JP Morgan declared “get vaxxed or get unpaid” and Citigroup stated “the unvaccinated will get fired”. Add to that, Google and United Airlines offer “no jab no job” opportunities for employees and prospective new hires.


Although the United States Supreme Court blocked the vaccine mandate, people are looking for security. They are finding their old familiar place of employment doesn’t offer it any longer. Now they are asking themselves, “Where do I look to get my needs met?” “What can offer me safety?” “Who will keep my livelihood safe?”

What Holds the Key


Have you asked yourself these questions too? Now is the first time many are thinking of becoming solopreneur—the adventure of being self-employed.


Are you perplexed? Are you scared? Is the big, bad wolf howling at your door, or do you have a plan?


Depending upon the Corporate America you knew once, no longer exists. That Corporate America has gone by the wayside, just as the 40-year gold watch retirement of the past.


How you choose to address your safety and the safety of your livelihood, may not be just a new adventure. It may be a web of entangled panic and fear. How do you see your next step?


If you choose to take your livelihood and personal safety into your own hands, you want to start differently than in the past. You answer questions and address emotions from a new perspective for a new purpose.


You must get organized and choose actions to ensure efficiency and your return on investment (ROI) are top priority. To do that though, other steps must be taken first.


Making The Decision


Acknowledging your panic and fear is first on the agenda. These emotions are boiling. The unknown is always gift wrapped differently for everyone. These considerations help you during the entanglement period.

  • Hire a coach. They are gifted in helping you explore the now, making a plan to work through your moments of uncertainty, keeping you accountable, …, discovering what direction you want to take.

  • If you choose to explore alone: Get pen/pencil and paper. Get still. Ask yourself, “What am I feeling?” Write this down. Journaling is one of the best ways to track “you”.


Going IT Alone


Deciding to take your next steps alone, ask yourself questions like these.

  • What do I want?

  • How do I make a plan?

  • Which emotion is hitting me in the face first?

  • How am I dealing with the myriad of endless questions circling, like buzzards at feast?

  • What are my core values?

  • How do I live them daily?

  • How am I sculpting those into my new venture?

  • Is there anywhere I can get free help?

  • What are my options?

There is an endless list.


Making Plans


Addressing you personally is first on your list. After exploring and addressing your fears and panic, investigate what you really want. Start your investigation by deciding:

  • You know what you’ve done in the past. Did that bring you joy, make you happy, etc?

  • Do you want to do the same or something totally different?

  • What skills have you amassed during your lifetime—from childhood until now?


You decide to take an entirely new direction. It’s different than anything you’ve worked previously. Start with exploring what you want by these possible perimeters: what brings you joy and is this required for your new venture? For any matching requirement, devise a method, such as a spider diagram to determine what qualities fill that definition.

  1. Draw a circle, with as many legs as needed.

  2. These legs define characteristics of “what” is in the circle.

  3. For example—JOY… write JOY in the circle. Now on each leg, write what brings you joy? A pattern will develop for that definition. Also good are happiness, fun, etc.

  4. Fill a spreadsheet with those words/phrases. What does that picture suggest?

  5. Continue with as many words needed to design your new venture.

  6. Craft your new venture from those. How does your “discovery” fill and benefit other’s wants, desires and requirements?


A good place for direction and assistance is The U.S. Small Business Administration. Here is their website: https://www.sba.gov/. They also offer free help for your start-up.


Your Decision is Made


You have made the decision. You have your business plan completed. Your branding is in place, along with your website—if needed, marketing, etc. You are ready to launch your new venture.


GO CELEBRATE! You have proven you can accomplish this. You have many accomplishments from the past. When the fear of the unknown rears its massive, overpowering head:

  • Make a list of everything you’ve accomplished.

  • Read it until you once again know you can do this – you’ve got this!

  • Add this exercise: envision where your successes are each step of the way. Write a letter to yourself—dated a year from today. Tell yourself all that you have accomplished in this past year.

  • Take your next step.


“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

For more info, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website! Read more from Fran!

Fran Pedron, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Fran Pedron combines intuition, education, and life experience to help clients understand their foundational self-definition, make changes and intention-purposed plans, which align with who they are as they create their desired outcomes. Her experience in insurance, technology, accounting, communications, along with being abruptly downsized later in life, led her to understand how change affects people and their decision-making processes, along with the need to make decisions aligned with their authenticity. Fran is the founder of Heart Driven Action, coaching and consulting. She is a certified Spiritual Coach, Mapping Strategist, certified in ThetaHealing, holding an M.A. in Journalism and B.S.B.A. in Business.

 
 

This article is published in collaboration with Brainz Magazine’s network of global experts, carefully selected to share real, valuable insights.

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