This article is an excerpt from a past monthly letter. If you enjoy this kind of grounding support, sign up to receive the monthly coaching package: it includes an article like this one, journaling prompts, creative practices, spiritual rituals and supportive tools to help you navigate your rebellious path as an artist or creative entrepreneur.

Does taking the first step towards building a creative business seem overwhelming, scary, and oftentimes just plain impossible? Trust me, I get it. Taking the leap and quitting your day job is not an easy thing to do. Even if you absolutely dread coming in every morning, it can feel terrifying to actually quit your 9-to-5.

The question I’d love for you to ask yourself is this: why? Why is it so terrifying?

It’s not that obvious, but the fact is: you’re not really scared of leaving your job. Your real fear is about the outcome and it’s different for everyone. What is your true fear about?

Are you scared of losing money? Are you terrified by the idea of not having any stability? Are you afraid of what people will think about you? Are you anxious about making the wrong decision? Are you worried about the idea of failing?

The truth is, having these fears gives the power to something you actually have no control over:

Just because you have a full-time job, it doesn’t that you’re sheltered from getting laid off because of your department making cuts.
People are already judging you and will always judge you in some way, whatever lifestyle you choose to adopt.
The wrong decision might actually be to stay in this job you hate.
You might actually be failing right now by choosing a lifestyle that doesn’t really make you happy.

The fear here is actually more about the fact that it’s unknown. Much like walking down a street when you travel to a foreign country feels scarier than walking in a street back home, you most likely still have the same probability of getting your purse stolen. This lifestyle feels scarier, riskier, and less stable because you’re not familiar with it yet.

3 steps to overcome the fear of the unknown situation that comes with leaving your day job:

Get familiar with the lifestyle and get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Meet people that are living this lifestyle and ask them questions.
Read blogs and watch videos from artists and people making a living online.
Start a little side-hustle and see how to feels to create your own business, even if it doesn’t make any money at first.
Get a bit more comfortable with the idea of being uncomfortable. Try little things at first:
- Try a new restaurant you haven’t been to before
- Do an activity that puts you out of your comfort zone
- Travel to a place that makes you feel disoriented

2. Evaluate the risk of not quitting your job.

Where will you be in 5 years if you stay in this current situation?
Is there anything you might actually miss out on?
What would you regret the most: quitting the job and trying the digital nomad lifestyle, or never even trying it?
What’s the cost of not taking action?

3. Set a deadline.

You can get to know more about the lifestyle, get out of your comfort zone, and realize what you’ll miss out on by not taking action, but still feel paralyzed. Set a deadline. It doesn’t have to be “quit my job” at first - it could be to choose a side-hustle, build a small website, create a social media account for your business, or pitch to a number of clients - by date X.

You got this.