Lee Evans

Lee Evans is author of the home job search series, including Killer Work from Home Jobs: SBI! Site Build It! Website and Business Builder and owner of the employment site Free-Job-Search-Websites.com.

Let Brad Pitt Inspire You To Work At Home Today

What exactly is a Plan B? The term represents an alternate road to travel, if the path you are taking is leading nowhere – a backup plan. It’s always good to have a Plan B if you find that your work choices are just not working out. You should always have a Plan B, and as long as you do, you’ll always be at the ready. If working at home is your dream, starting to implement your Plan B now, will pay big dividends, and you'll be ready to work at home today.

Work From Home: Oprah & David Copperfield’s Keys To Success

As you sit at your desk in the cubicle on the left, overhearing half of the conversation between Jessica and her soon to be ex-boyfriend Jacob, you might be thinking that, although you were excited when you got this job, things have really changed. If you think your pile of paper clips is more exciting than your work life, it’s definitely time for a do-over. But how can you get re-energized and get excited about your future? Perhaps it’s time for Plan B. Why not work from home and build your own fabulous empire? But how realistic is this you ask? Your father worked on his company’s business site his entire life, your friends and relatives have all done this, as well. But in your heart of hearts, you’ve always known that your path was not to be foretold by the actions of others, and so you will go your own way. All that you have to do is dig deep, much deeper than you ever have before, and remember that the payoff will be enormous! I watched an old Oprah’s Next Chapter show that I had stored on my DVR back in July. The subject of this episode was David Copperfield, the magician. I am not sure why I kept this specific title, since I did not find him particularly interesting, however, I learned something incredibly powerful when I watched the recording. So of course, the reason that this taping remained, through many deletions of other programs, was to provide a reminder about the keys to success. They both spoke of their “P”s. Oprah mentioned “Passion” and “Preparation,” and David added “Persistence.” I immediately stopped the DVR, and wrote down these little pearls of wisdom, bestowed upon me by two of the wealthiest, most successful people on this planet. If you want to change your life, you must find your passion, take on the requisite preparation, and be persistent in the face of the guaranteed adversities that will arise. Thus, Plan B! If you want to change your life, if you want to work from home, if you want to create a business that can alter the trajectory of your life’s path, then you must find your bliss, prepare yourself to morph your bliss into a wonderful business, that you and others can rally behind and get excited about, and consistently chip away at your dream, one day at a time, piece by piece, step by step, until one day you will turn around and realize that you made that dream come true. What is the first step in implementing your Plan B? Write your plan down on paper. (Don’t be like me, I was one of the lucky ones to get a leather journal from Oprah, and now I won’t write anything in it, so your journal can’t be too cute, or too meaningful to write in!) Why should you write your plan down? Writing down the elements of your plan makes your intention real. It is step one in your multi-step plan, to go from twisting paper clips at your desk, to launching your new life. If you do not like to write in journals, try Microsoft One Note. One Note is a software notebook that allows you to keep numbered and to-do lists. Online clippings, photos and more, so that you can create a virtual journal of your plans, goals, and objectives are also available. As you proceed, you can build your work from home business plan, and more. I keep One Note on my network drives, so that I have access to it from any home computer I might use. In addition, Windows SkyDrive, offers One Note online. So if you choose the free SkyDrive version (which is less potent), you can read your notes, as long as you have an Internet connection.

Work From Home: Follow Your Passion With A Plan B

There comes a point in your life when you start to think, “Is this all there is? Wouldn’t it be great if I could work from home?” You get up, day after day, get dressed, comb your hair, pack your lunch, warm up the car, drive into traffic, and park in front of the same building. As you carry your leather attaché, filled with who knows what, you nod hello to Mary, who is gossiping with Ethel, just like yesterday, and the day before. You nod and smile at your boss, who is wondering if you finally completed the Simpson project he delegated because he didn’t want to do it himself, knowing that you always do a better job. When you finally complete the project, your boss will take credit for it, as usual. “Oh well,” you think, as you finally settle in at your desk. You respond to all of your business e-mails, and begin to work on your project, but Cindy Lou stops by to talk about her shoes, and how they really hurt her bunions, that she soaked in the miracle cure being offered for half price at the Manicure Spot, downstairs near the sub shop. You have no idea how it could happen so fast, but it is now time to take your morning break. You walk about half a mile to the break room, get a stone-hard bagel and some stale coffee from the bottom of the pot, because Harry “the belcher” refused to add water to the Bunn coffee maker, after he took a double double macchiato, in his triple-sized mug. Does this sound familiar to you?

Yes! You Really Can Find Work From Home Jobs!

This article is part of an exclusive month-long program on CAREEREALISM to help readers break free of The Golden Handcuff Effect. Click HERE to learn more about the Professional Emancipation Project, a.k.a. The P.E.P. Talk. Did you know that you can actually find work from home jobs from Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, or businesses with a national footprint? There once was a time when going to work meant that you had to get up early in the morning, get dressed, make breakfast, rush out the door, drive in hours of traffic, and arrive at a remote location to perform your job. You assume that this is the only lifestyle – isn’t this what everyone does? Your employment circumstances look exactly like your parents’ way of life. The working world is changing – old business conventions are being replaced with new technologies. New business models are replacing their venerable older models. Both businesses and government are realizing that making it easy for their employees to telecommute can be cost effective, have major impact on work life balance, and help them retain a happy, dedicated, workforce.

Hundreds Of Work From Home Jobs

Contrary to public opinion, there are hundreds of legitimate home-based opportunities, provided by companies, and U.S. Federal and State agencies you know. The Internet revolution has created a new means of communication; as a result, many jobs that needed to be performed on the business site, are now perfectly performed in the home. In addition, the fear that work performance levels would sink, due to lack of direct management, is no longer an issue, because of the cutting edge advancements in the fields of communication and data technology.

So, What Are My Options?

You can telecommute from home as an employee, or as an independent contractor, otherwise known as a freelancer. Some telecommuting positions allow the worker to be home all the time. Other telecommuting programs require the worker to spend some time in the office during the week but allow them to complete the majority of their work at home. You can find work from home jobs with Fortune 500 companies, like AT&T, Dell, Google and Amazon.com. Several large companies, and even the United States government have embraced telecommuting options for employees. At Dell, managers work with their teams of employees and make individual arrangements that can include working from home. Dell is just one of the many companies that have started to offer telecommuting for employees. You can also find work from home jobs within the U.S. Federal government. On December 9, 2010, The Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 (Act), was signed into law. The Act has had tremendous impact in aiding Federal agencies to broaden the telework experience for federal workers. You can find available government job listings offering telecommuter opportunities, by visiting USAJobs.gov, and entering the keyword telecommute in the search bar under “What.”

Micro-Entrepreneurship

Micro-entrepreneurship is a viable option if you want to begin to work from home, either to supplement your income, or build a home business. Micro-entrepreneurship is performing small jobs that can be done in your spare time. Some freelance websites allow you to list jobs that you are willing to do for a fee. Then, companies and individuals can hire you to complete the job. You can sell services that are in demand, and can be completed quickly, to build a substantial income on these freelancing websites. Most freelancers who use these websites, only receive part of their freelance income from the sites. As a micro-entrepreneur, you get to earn a great living, and sustain work from home jobs that you love. Fiverr.com, ODesk.com, Elance.com and Amazon’s Mturk.com are a few micro-sites that come to mind. If you are skilled in the creative arts, you can find fulfillment when sharing your talents as your business. Writers may find a way to write that first novel. Often, artists and writers need to keep working a regular job until they achieve some level of success with their art. Telecommuting or owning a home-based business may provide additional time at home, and flexibility, that the artists and writers can use to perfect their skills and use their talents.

How Can I Find Work From Home Jobs?

Numerous options are available if you want to find work from home jobs. If you are happy working in your current field, you may want to discuss telecommuting with your employer. You can also look at employment websites for work from home opportunities. Finally, if you are a budding entrepreneur, you can find success at home, by building a business focusing on helping others. With some creativity and hard work, you can work from home, in a way that will be most fulfilling to you.

The P.E.P. Talk

This article is part of our P.E.P. Talk Series. Over the next month, some of the brightest and best authors, business professionals, and coaches are coming together to share their valuable advice for breaking free of "The Golden Handcuff Effect" so you can take full ownership of your careers and experience Professional Emancipation.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

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