I am always interested in finding fast fitness moves that can be done anywhere, and especially in my office. Sitting at a computer for many hours a day can wreak havoc with your lower back so taking time to do some quick and easy moves can be very beneficial and taking a break from your monitor will also help you focus when you get back to work.

Seated Leg Lift

1. Grab a stationary chair in your office, dining room, or living room. (I tried these in my office chair and while it was entertaining, it was not stable!) You can also use an exercise ball. I do both, but don’t advise you try the ball until you have done the chair exercises and worked your way through the inevitable muscle soreness.
2. Sit tall in your chair with your feet planted firmly on the floor.
3. Place your hands underneath your thighs.
4. Slowly pull your knees up toward your chest. Contract or squeeze your abdominals as your hold this position for a count of 4. Slowly return to the starting position. Do 5 – 10 repetitions. As you progress and your abdominals get stronger, work up to 10 – 20 repetitions.

Be sure to be aware of the position of your spine when doing these seated leg lifts. Just because you are sitting, you shouldn’t be slouching. Elongate your spine as if somebody were holding you up straight by the ponytail on the top of your head, but don’t arch your back. You want to be straight.

Exhale when you lift your knees up toward your chest and inhale when you return to the starting position.

Add this quick and easy exercise to your personal “to-do” list every day and I promise your back will begin to feel better very quickly.

Seated Straight Leg Raise

The video below will show you how to do this super easy leg raise which will work the muscles in the front part of your upper leg and some of the lower abdominal muscles in the trunk area.

In December 2009, the FTC released “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”. The guidelines require that any affiliate who uses reviews, rankings or testimonials to promote products must clearly disclose the fact that they receive compensation for doing so. If you have affiliate links on your website or blogs, you need to be on the right side of the law.

Tips For Making Your Site Compliant

1. Frequent: Your disclosure must appear on any page that has a review, recommendation, comment or article that promotes a product or service for which you receive compensation.
2. Clear: It must be immediately clear that you may receive compensation for your review or rating.
   • Example of a clear disclosure:
     • Disclosure: We are a professional review site that receives compensation from the companies whose products we review. We test each product thoroughly and give high marks to only the very best. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.
   • Example of an unclear disclosure:
     • Disclosure: We are a website that needs compensation to operate like any other website on the internet. We may receive consideration for our reviews but we are totally unbiased and do not accept paid reviews or fake reviews claiming to be something they are not.
   • You cannot claim that you do not receive compensation if you receive payment through an affiliate program!
3. Conspicuous: The disclosure must be clear and easy to see. It should begin with the word “disclosure”
   • For the disclosure to be considered clear, the font should be:
     • At least as large as the main text on the page
     • In a color other than black or gray
     • In contrast with both with its background and the main text
     • Darker than its background or the main text
   • Example of a conspicuous disclosure:
     • Welcome to Our Review Site!
       Disclosure: We are a professional review site that receives compensation from the companies whose products we review. We tested and reviewed the web hosting sites ranked here. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.
4. Require No Action: Your disclosure must be immediately evident to a typical visitor to your site who views a review, ranking or endorsement on a PC or Mac monitor. A visitor should not need to scroll, click or hover to learn that you receive compensation.
   • If you do include a clickable link or additional information when a visitor hovers over text, the language of the link itself should reveal the fact that you receive compensation.
   • Example of a link that requires no action:
     • Disclosure: We are compensated for our reviews. Click here for details.
   • Keep this in mind: Simply telling the visitor that they can “Click/hover here to read our FTC disclosure” is not adequate. You need to use the word “disclosure” and present the nature of the disclosure.

The FTC also offers a variety of resources to help make it easier for you to comply with the guidelines, including:

• Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising:
  • http://ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005endorsementguidesfnnotice.pdf
• The FTC’s Revised Endorsement Guides: What People are Asking:
  • http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus71-ftcs-revised-endorsement-guideswhat-people-are-asking
• Dot Com Disclosures: Information About Online Advertising:
  • http://business.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/bus41-dot-com-disclosures-information-about-online-advertising.pdf

I am often asked what some of my favorite reading material is. With a personal library of 3,000 plus or minus books, this is a difficult question for me to answer. So, I am happy to share some of my current reading and would love to hear your recommendations. I read just about anything with the single exception being romance novels. Bodice rippers tend to have me rolling my eyeballs and throwing the book across the room. Give me a terrific business book, a beautifully crafted murder mystery or anything about history and I am in love. So please send me your recommendations and I thank you in advance!

Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk

Who would have thought that a wise-cracking, smart-mouthed 30-something could turn into an internet sensation – with a daily video show on wine? Well, Gary Vaynerchuk has endeared himself to millions through his Wine Library TV, his keynote speeches, and his best-selling business book, “Crush It!” In it, he shares the secrets of his success, including:

1. Find your passion. Find the one thing you adore above all else and go for it with all your heart. If you look for the “money” niche, you’ll burn out and give up before you succeed. Or you’ll succeed and hate what you’re doing.
2. Be willing to hustle. Vaynerchuk credits his willingness to do whatever it took to get ahead – including hosting his show five days a week, without fail, for over a year. Don’t just do something once – do it over and over and over again until people start to notice.
3. Be who you are. Not everyone warms to Vaynerchuk’s in-your-face style, but those who do adore him. He recommends not even trying to please everyone, and instead doing what you do best.
4. Build the audience and the money will find you. Vaynerchuk swears that he didn’t try to monetize his rabid and ever-growing audience. Instead, the offers came to him. He thinks anyone can do the same.

“Crush It!” recommends finding a niche you love, working your rear off, introducing folks to the real you, and working hard until your audience grows to the point where they just can’t get enough of you. This book is a perfect read if you’re looking for inspiration to begin – or continue – your journey.

Unmarketing by Scott Stratten

Do you hate selling and marketing in the “Tell-ya-what-I’m-gonna-do” way? Then Scott Stratten is your man. In his book, “Unmarketing,” Stratten shows you through his personal experience that you can build a successful business – and an audience of enthusiastic customers – without doing the Glengarry/Glen Ross shuffle.

Written in a series of blog-post-length sections, the book is chock-full of Stratten’s personal observations, advice, success stories, and words to the wise. A big proponent of social media, Stratten advises readers on how to maximize these tools to build your audience naturally and comfortably.

In fact, that’s the basis of his belief: That building relationships should be the backbone of your business, and the only way to do that is naturally, and over time. Sure, there are tips and “secrets” for how to make the most of the tools that are at your disposal, but what it comes down to is relating to the people you want to serve.

This book is perfect for new entrepreneurs, or business owners who have been around the block a time or two but don’t know a tweet from a hole in the ground. Stratten presents his lessons in a non-threatening, conversational tone that is easy to read and easy to follow. You’ll want this book in your business library to refer to again and again. Even though many of the stories deal with “Web 2.0” tools (my passion!), Stratten’s advice to be yourself and focus on the relationship will be equally applicable into the future as new technology emerges.

Tribes by Seth Godin

If you are an online businessperson and you have not yet been introduced to Seth Godin, run, do not walk, to your nearest bookstore and get a copy of “Tribes” (then download a free copy of the companion ebook from Seth’s blog here). This book has served as part manifesto, part bible, to a generation of internet-based entrepreneurs.

Godin’s thesis in “Tribes,” like most of his work, is extremely simple: There are people out there looking for leaders. If you can become a leader with vision and passion, you can find a tribe of people to lead.

While this may seem commonsensical, Godin goes beyond the obvious. Not only does he explain how to find and lead your tribe, he also tells readers they have an almost moral obligation to lead if they are called to do so. If you have an idea and a passion, you need to find the tribe that’s looking for you because they’re lost without you.

Godin’s words would have seemed absurd only a decade or two ago. How would someone, for example, with a passion for making clothes for potbellied pigs ever find enough of an audience to make a go of a business? But with the reach of the internet, the lack of barriers to entry for online businesses, and the wealth of free and low-cost tools at your disposal, you don’t need millions, or even hundreds of thousands, of people to create a successful online business. Instead, a loyal tribe of just a few thousand can keep you in sequins and tulle until the end of your days – if you can find them and inspire them.

He uses the example of the Grateful Dead, Starbucks, and CrossFit as strong tribes. And he presents tons of ideas for finding and leading your tribe, from being an example, sharing stories, creating a common goal, and more.

If you just want to sell “me too” products to a faceless crowd, skip “Tribes.” But if you have dreams of changing the world, “Tribes” is for you.

Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh

If you’ve ever ordered shoes (or anything else) from Zappos.com, chances are you’ve ordered again. And again. Because Zappos, an online phenomenon taken to industry leadership by CEO Tony Hsieh, enjoys a staggering 75 percent repeat business. And, because everyone knows it’s much less expensive to sell to a repeat customer than it is to bring in a new customer, that means Zappos must be doing something right.

In his book, “Delivering Happiness,” Hsieh shares his sometimes radical, always interesting, views on business, life, happiness, and customer service. It’s worth a read even if you aren’t in the retail business – because every business has customers, and every business can benefit from treating them better.

Some of Hsieh’s iconoclastic ideas shared in “Delivering Happiness” include:

1. “Wow” your customers through service.
2. Embrace and drive change.
3. Weirdness is good. (You have to read the book to fully understand this one!)
4. Constant learning is a prerequisite for growth.
5. Your company should feel like a family.

Hsieh focuses not only on making his customers happy, but on making his employees happy, too. In a world where employee loyalty is about as common as a Dell laptop in Steve Jobs’ office, Hsieh has made it his mission to make his employees feel committed and attached to Zappos. Some of his ideas may seem better-suited to a business with dozens or hundreds of employees, but solopreneurs and small business owners will find many tips and a lot of inspiration.

We have all heard about the dreaded “writer’s block”. Every writer experiences writer’s block from time to time. However, writers aren’t the only creative professionals that encounter mental blocks. Graphic designers, web developers, and virtual assistants also suffer from creative mental blocks occasionally.

The good news is that you don’t have to lose an entire day’s work due to a pesky creativity block and/or energy drain. By implementing the tips below, you’ll be able to tear down the dam and allow your creative juices to flow freely.

• Go for a walk. Play outdoors with your children or pets. Or mow your lawn. As a creative professional, you more than likely spend too much of your time cooped up in your office or studio. Break that habit by seeking inspiration in the beautiful gifts of nature. One of the secrets to abolishing your creative block is to get out into the great outdoors and get your adrenaline pumping. Take a moment to recall what inspires you and get outside and be inspired! For me, it is digging holes. I move shrubs and plants around and then admire my handiwork. My garden is my canvas and it is where I can create my own living art.  I also LOVE to water the yard. I have no idea why. There is just something about listening to the water splashing out of the hose that is very soothing.
• Freestyle. If you obstruct your creative process by being too rigid or expecting too much too soon, you’ll send your creative juices into hideout indefinitely. Release the pressure and allow your mind to freely express itself. I often do this by simply breathing. Just stop what you are doing, go outside or into another room and just breathe. Empty your mind and your lungs at the same time. You will feel much better for it!
• Do whatever it is that you normally do, differently! Are you up against a deadline for a writing project? Try simply writing from a stream of consciousness. It doesn’t have to make sense at the time. It will later. Just write down the words and partial sentences that come to you and let them sit for a while. Don’t try to edit or force the creative process. Are you trying to come up with an idea for a logo or website image? Just doodle. Then put it aside and come back to it later.
• Turn it over to your subconscious for review. This is what has always worked best for me. If I find myself faced with what seems to be an insurmountable problem or a question that either has no readily apparent answer, or worse yet, too many answers, I simply turn it over to my subconscious for review just before drifting off to sleep at night. I keep a notepad and a large Sharpie on the bedside table because the answer ALWAYS comes to me around 3 AM.
• Seek inspiration. Every creative professional has an industry hero or two, or ten. Take a stroll through the Internet and seek out people in your industry who inspire you. Browse their portfolios or body of work. Connect with them on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. I think you will find that many of these people will respond warmly to you in a social media environment such as Facebook.
• Take some time off and get out of the office! Your office may be the cause of your creative block. After sitting in the same chair day after day, it can certainly take its toll on your ability to produce. Your body gets tired. Your mind gets tired. And I don’t know about you, but my legs and feet get tired if I sit too long! Head to a coffee shop, park, or bookstore for a rush of energy that will inspire you to create! By just taking a few hours off, and away from the source of your angst, you will find that you are energized and happier.
• Examine your fear of failure and then dismiss it. As creatives, we are our harshest critics and too many times, a project may not even get off of the drawing board because of the negative self chatter that we impose on our creative selves. Many times, the fear of failure or creating something that isn’t top notch is the only barrier between you and success. Let your insecurities fall by the wayside and create a masterpiece that is divine in your eyes.
• Deadlines. If it is really, really necessary, ask your client or your boss for a deadline extension. No client likes to receive material beyond the agreed upon deadline, however, many clients will understand an occasional delay, particularly if they know and like your work and can be assured that the little bit of extra time will net them some high quality work. However, I STRONGLY recommend against doing this more than once with any given client. You will give them the impression that you are not reliable and that is death to your business.

Creative blocks are like pesky little summer gnats. You can put screens in your windows to keep them out, but a few always find a way to break through the netting. In much the same way, you have little say in when or where your mental blocks appear. All you can do is try to work through them, and strengthen your skills during the process.

By Yanik Silver

1. It’s got to be a BIG idea that you, your team and your customers can “get” in seconds.
2. Strive to create 10x – 100x in value for any price you charge. Your rewards are always proportionate to the value you provide.
3. You must charge a premium price so you have a large margin to provide an extraordinary value & experience.
4. Provide a ‘Reason Why’ customers should do business with you and pay you a premium.
5. Get paid before you deliver your product or service. And when possible figure out how to create recurring revenue from transactions.
6. You get to make the rules for your business. Don’t let industry norms dictate how you’ll work or who you’ll work with.
7. Create your business around your life instead of settling for your life around your business.
8. Consistently and constantly force yourself to focus on the ‘critically few’ proactive activities that produce exponential results. Don’t get caught up in minutia & bullshit.
9. Seek to minimize start-up risk but have maximum upside potential.
10. Get your idea out there as fast as possible even if it’s not quite ready by setting must-hit deadlines. Let the market tell you if you have a winner or not. If not – move on and fail forward fast! If it’s got potential – then you can make it better.
11. Find partners and team members who are strong where you are weak and appreciate being paid on results.
12. Your reputation always counts. Honor your obligations and agreements.
13. Never, ever get paid based on hours worked.
14. Leverage your marketing activities exponentially by using direct response methods and texting.
15. Measure and track your marketing so you know what’s working and what’s not.
16. Bootstrap. Having too much capital leads to incredible waste and doing things using conventional means.
17. Your partners and employees actions are their true core – not what they tell you.
18. Keep asking the right questions to come up with innovative solutions. “How?”, “What?”, “Where?”, “Who Else?” & “Why?” open up possibilities.
19. You’ll never have a perfect business and you’ll never be totally “done”. Deal with it.
20. Focus most of your time on you core strengths and less time working in areas you suck at.
21. Make it easier for customers to buy by taking away the risk of the transaction by guaranteeing what you do in a meaningful way.
22. Always have something else to sell (via upsell, cross-sell, follow-up offer, etc) whenever a transaction takes place. The hottest buyer in the world is one who just gave you money.
23. Always go back to your existing customers with exceptional offers and reasons they should give you more money. It’s 5x less expensive to sell to happy customers than go find new ones.
24. However the flip side is – fire your most annoying customers. They’ll be replaced with the right ones.
25. The marketplace and competitors are always trying to beat you down to a commodity. Don’t let that happen.
26. Develop and build your business’s personality that stands out. People want to buy from people.
27. Create your own category so you can be first in the consumer’s mind.
28. Go the opposite direction competitors are headed – you’ll stand out.
29. Mastermind and collaborate with other smart entrepreneurs if they have futures that are even bigger than their present.
30. Celebrate your victories. It’s too easy to simply move on to your next goal without acknowledging and appreciating the ‘win’.
31. Make your business AND doing business with you FUN!
32. Do the unexpected before and after anything goes wrong so customers are compelled to ‘share your story’.
33. Get a life! Business and making money are important but your life is the sum total of your experiences. Go out and create experiences & adventures so you can come back renewed and inspired for your next big thing.
34. Give back! Commit to taking a % of your company’s sales and make a difference. If this becomes a habit like brushing your teeth, pretty soon the big checks with lots of zeros won’t be scary to write. If you think you can’t donate a percentage of your sales simply raise your price.

As entrepreneurs we focus morning, noon and night on how to build and grow our business. But, when you begin a business you should also have a pretty good idea on how you plan on exiting that business. Unless you plan on spending each day working in it until the day you leave the bustle and turmoil of this mortal life, you should give some real thought to how you plan on disposing of the business.

Should you hand it to your partner, spouse or children? Should you sell it, gradually move out of it, or simply close the doors? What is your tax strategy?

So my question to you is, do you have an exit strategy for your business? Please post your thoughts here. I would love to hear them.

Can you work from home?  Can you create an online business? My answer to that question is a resounding, “Yes!”

The Internet offers many business opportunities for the enterprising soul. You can become a part of someone else’s enterprise or create a business of your own. There are many advantages to starting an Internet business. Every day people search the Internet for all sorts of opportunities. With this economy, the number one search is for ways to make money with low start-up costs. Many of the basic equipment needed to begin Internet businesses are in your home right now. If you have a computer with a high-speed Internet connection, a telephone, a desk, and a printer, you can get going right away.

 Here are some Internet business ideas to help you find that appropriate niche you are looking for. But keep in mind, you need to understand your niche and be passionate about it. You must be engaged, creative, excited, and let me repeat again, passionate!

1. Blogging.This is the way to create an online presence without the technical issues of owning your own website (that comes later). Most blogs are offered with free hosting and come with already installed features so set up is easy. Blog about anything that you find interesting and will be interesting to other readers. A blog with a niche will perform better a personal one. Blogs can also make money with programs like Google Adwords and AdSense. Pay per Click advertising also works for generating revenue.
2. Internet research. Anyone who can navigate the Internet and find out almost anything, can market themselves as an Internet researcher. Large and small companies will pay you to find out information for them, create reports from the research.
3. Selling products. If you have a hobby like making and selling crafts you can expand your business online with a website. Set up a website that caters to your product offerings. Market these products online to drive traffic to your website.
4. Selling on eBay. With this idea, you set up shop on the Internet. You can sell products you created or items you own that you want to sell. Many now make a living selling on eBay. As your business grows, you can expand to involve other product markets.
5. Freelancing. Many online and offline businesses are looking for help. Freelancers lower the overhead of the company thus becoming more profitable for many jobs than hiring someone to work in the office. Depending on your talent, hire yourself out at a freelance writer, graphic artist, website designer or programmer. Follow this link to an article that discusses the top 10 best freelance websites.
6. Virtual assistant. Virtual assistants are the going trend for many businesses. In the beginning, virtual assistants performed the administrative duties of a company from their home. Now, VA’s can be found in all career specialties like medical, real estate, marketing and publishing. They perform tasks above administrative such as website administrator, report creation and Internet research, or in my case, web development, product development, social media marketing and much more. 
7. Membership sites. You see more of these around these days. With a membership site, you choose a niche, such as online marketing. Customers pay to join at a certain level (gold, silver, bronze) and are rewarded with certain perks for their membership that include newsletters, videos or articles on marketing and services to help expand their own business. You create the website and supply the materials yourself or through outsourcing each month to your members.

Do you have an idea of what your Internet business idea might be? This list should get you started.

2010 is coming to an end and 2011 is right around the proverbial corner. I don’t know about you, but I am feeling the need to “get it ALL done” before year’s end. Whether this means accomplishing the last remaining task on our goals list or finally completing one major task from the aforementioned list, this is the time of year many of us tend to reflect…. and then panic!

Given all that is happening in our world right now, politicians driving us around the bend, the economy, job losses, home foreclosures (add your source of angst here) there is little doubt that many of us are suffering from daily overwhelm. So the question becomes, how can we be effective in our daily lives and our entrepreneurial pursuits when we are running on a low-level sense of dread fueled by panic and caffeine? 

When overwhelm hits you and you realize that your eyes are starting from your head from being over-stimulated, your best bet is to physically take a break. Grab a quick (healthy) snack, take a quick walk around the block or go outside and play with your children, your dog or the squirrels in the backyard. Stand up and take a good long stretch and do some deep breathing. One of my favorite stress busters is my rebounder, or mini-trampoline. I stop everything that I am doing/worrying about/considering panicking about and go jump on my rebounder much as a small, carefree child does.

Overwhelm comes from doing too much, too fast with little regard for how well you are actually performing the task at hand. I know we consider ourselves multi-tasking wonders, but the truth of the matter is that this is not always the best way to do and enjoy whatever it is that you are doing. When you feel overwhelm rising, and you do feel it physically, stop. Just stop what you are doing. Be present in the moment, allow the anxiety to diffuse, take a break as mentioned above and then reboot to move forward with a clear head.

Sit down at some point and have a chat with yourself about what is that is really causing your productivity to suffer, thereby causing overwhelm. Are your boundaries shifting, meaning that you allow external distractions without holding firm to your office hours or set tasks? Can you consider reducing your productivity expectations and determine to do one or two major projects superbly and outsource some of the less technical and smaller income producing tasks to an assistant or a virtual service provider such as a Virtual Assistant? Determine where you can say no and let go of tasks that others really can and should take over. By creating balance in your life you can be highly productive and have a life that is well worth living and celebrating.

So when you hit a wall:

• Take a break
• Get some exercise
• Consider the source of the overwhelm and determine if this task is something that you are really the only person in world can do. (You already know the answer to that one!)
• Delegate and outsource
• Let go. Sometimes that is the only answer

The current trend is towards more home-based businesses. They require lower overhead and startup money making them easier for entrepreneurs with limited funds. If you are thinking about starting a home-based service business, here are a few tips for getting started on the right foot.

What is a service business?

Service businesses are those that provide help to others. This can be anything from mowing the lawn to managing business accounts. The basis of a successful service business is one that supplies a need. In your area, it may take some research to discover the top service needs and then figure out which one you can provide.

Benefits of a home-based service business

There are several benefits to running a home-based service business. First of all, you can run the business from your home. Since you already pay a mortgage, utilities and car payments, the only thing you need spend money on now is the equipment for your business. And, running a service that began as a hobby means you already own most of the needed equipment.

Secondly, a home-based service business requires low overhead and startup costs. I alluded to the startup costs above and the low overhead means no employees but you. The key to keeping the overhead low is taking on only as many projects as you can safely and efficiently handle by yourself and then growing your team as your business becomes more established.

Home-based service business options

As I mentioned, you can usually run these service businesses out of your home. Establishing a website for selling your services lowers the overhead even more and maximizes your profit. With the Internet as your potential customer base, the opportunities are endless for marketing and finding clients. Here are some home-based service options:

Virtual assistance has taken off in a big way in the last ten years. Using a computer, fax machine, telephone, and Internet access, you can perform various administrative duties for large and small companies. You are paid for the work that you do so there is no extra charge for the company. Virtual assisting skills run from transcription to accounting to managing email and company websites.

Transcription by itself can be a profitable venture. Medical offices and businesspeople are always in need of someone to transcribe their audio or video files. It is far easier and less time consuming to record an interview or dictate a medical procedure. Your job will be to turn that file into a document for patient charts and online use by various businesses.

Ghostwriting is the process of writing articles, novels, eBooks and more for an individual or a company. Using your writing talent, you can make a lot of money creating literary works (print and electronic) for others who need them.

Getting started tips

There are considerations before beginning any type of business even a home-based one.

1. Check out the local laws for registering and zoning a home business. Most home businesses require no zoning issues unless you will be meeting clients in your home and posting signs in the yard.
2. Small business tax laws. Now that you are a business, you are subject to different tax exemptions, deductions and payments. Sites like www.irs.gov can give you the information you need.
3. Set up a separate work space at home. This could be as simple as using a spare bedroom or den with a door to keep your work separate. If you rely on the telephone a separate phone line can be added. When a workshop is needed, consider using a garage or purchasing a large outbuilding.
4. Use on and offline marketing methods to find clients. This includes: viral marketing, newspaper and Yellow Pages ads, flyers and direct mailings, email marketing, article marketing, setting up a website and etcetera.
5. Create a schedule to divide time between work and family. Balancing both is hard. Scheduling time and sticking to it means more gets done and no one is slighted.

A home-based service business is an alternative for people who want to know entrepreneurship without spending a lot in upfront costs. If you have a talent and can meet a need, consider a home-based business.

The career path you choose is one of the most important decisions you make in life. After all, most of your waking hours each year are spent at work!

If you struggle to find happiness in your current line of work, you may be experiencing a temporary lack of motivation that will quickly disappear. Or it may be a signal that it’s time for a change.

A career choice is more than just paying the bills and putting food on the table. You deserve to spend your days doing work you enjoy and your career should align with your values and goals. You owe it to yourself to find within you the courage to change your career direction!

Take Your Time

A career change is an opportunity to think carefully about your values and determine what matters most to you. This takes time. Be patient and give yourself permission to take the time you need to determine what’s most important to you in your career.

Ask Yourself Questions

Ask yourself some questions to explore your values and find out what’s important to you. Why did you choose your career in the first place? What did you like about this line of work? Have those elements of your job disappeared through changes that have taken place, or have you simply forgotten what drew you to this line of work in the first place?

What do you wish you were doing instead? Is there a job within your current company that can better utilize your talents in a more interesting position? Seek advice from your employer on opportunities that exist within your company to learn new skills or transfer to a more interesting position.

If you are considering leaving the workplace, voluntarily or otherwise due to the economy, is this a good time to strike out on your own as an entrepreneur? Do you have sufficient cash reserves to see you through a startup? Is your spouse or family on board and willing to help out wherever they can while you build the business that you have always dreamed of? Are you ready to leave your current career and take the life and job lessons that you have learned along the way and utilize your passion and skill sets for your own business?

Take Small Steps

Take baby steps towards the life you crave. While it may seem right to run away from your current career as fast as you can, a hurried approach may backfire. If you take the time to think through your decisions and make the best decision possible, you’ll experience greater joy and fulfillment in the long run.

Chase your big dreams by breaking them down into small, manageable action steps. Seek the advice of others who are already successful in the line of work you’re seeking to enter into. Structure your goals in a way that allows you to attain regular feedback on your progress, so you know when you’re on track and when you’re off course.

Respect Your Current Employer

When it’s time to leave, do so gracefully. As you move closer and closer to the career change you seek, continue to perform your current job to the best of your ability. You may need your current employer as a reference, and an attitude of service will increase your self-confidence as you prepare for a dramatic change in your life.

Believe in Yourself

Trust your instincts and your ability to succeed. You can achieve any goal that you set out to accomplish. With proper planning and a hunger to succeed, you’ll experience the career success you crave. Keep your dreams in front of you, believe you can achieve them, and begin today to take the first steps toward the career you are destined to enjoy.