Recession Proof Your Life Part 5

This is the 5th and final installment of my series on Recession Proofing Your Life.  In this blog, I talk about where you really want to be going in the long(er) run and that is owning your own business, the statistically best chance for you to become a millionaire.

Part 5 – The Real Opportunity

In my wealth coaching practice (a hybrid of business and life coaching), I have talked to any number of people – peers and clients – who have said “losing my job was one of the best things that ever happened to me.” ‘Why is that?’ you might ask. Because it forces us to re-evaluate our job situation and, hopefully, the rest of our lives. We all too often get weighed down by “what is.” What we’re used to, the status quo, not rocking the boat, etc. Often, we attach far too much importance to a J.O.B. and rely on them not only for our self esteem, but as the focal point around which our lives are defined.  Some people are lucky and really love their jobs. The last I checked, the percentages who claimed this mythical status was in the low 20% of those employed for someone else (the number goes up significantly for the self-employed). In general, being an employee turns out to be better than nothing (quite often a true statement) and the path of least resistance.   In the current economic climate, the best job in the world could indeed be the one you have (last Friday’s unemployment numbers were the worst in years) so let me say this again: THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH HAVING A JOB.  However, in my experience, the employee route is typically - there are always exceptions - antithetical to growth and keeps us from our full potential as human beings. Read more

Recession Proof Your Life Part 3

Part 3 of my 5 part series on Recession Proof Your Life contains some guidance on keeping the best job in the world … the one you have!

I will argue against that being true in the long run (see Part 4 of this series), but if you are currently gainfully employed, good for you. Let’s assume for the moment that you want to keep your job.  This is generally a good choice, particularly in troubled economic waters.

There are 6 things you can do to have increase your chances of keeping that job.  The first 5 are listed below.  Item 6 is pretty long and will be included in Part 4 of this series.

1. Add Value. This is a business.Your boss, and his boss and however far up it goes to the top are there because in theory, they are a part of a much bigger system that actually produces a profit for the owners/shareholders.If you can figure out how to pull it off, become indispensable.  Know how to do things (expertise with a particular piece of software, machinery or relationship with a customer).  Show that you can multi-task.  Take on additional responsibilities, especially where there is the opportunity to learn (and become the expert: see previous point made above). Read more
   Filed Under: Markets and Money, Small Business
   Tagged: economy, how not to get fired, Mark T. Rafter, recession proof your life, what to do in a recession