If any of you have been to my website, www.thelifeuncommon.net, you know that finding and doing work that makes you feel fulfilled is a cause I strongly believe in. Over the past five months, I have been on a rocky journey realizing my own vocational passion, and honestly I never could have imagined how scary the whole experience can be, especially if what you are doing is leagues away from what you *want* to be doing. My personal example is that I work in software development and suddenly, and a bit violently, became aware of the fact that I really want to be a writer: kind of a different direction, huh?

In all honesty, the transition has not been easy, and is still continuing. The hardest part doesn't seem to be the logistics, but the mental transition. After you realize what you really want to do, how can you spend one more day doing anything else?

From feelers I have put out I have found that I am not the only one struggling with this feeling. Whether your dream is to be a writer, an artist, a juggler, a botanist, or a cowboy, you are probably being thwarted by whatever job you are doing that pays your bills, gets you food, and offers you a chance to have some of life's "finer" things. At the same time, you are probably resenting this current job yet feeling chained to it: who will pay the rent and how will you pay for your groceries are questions that probably arise when you are considering a job transition.

I must disclaim the following list by saying that I haven't made the complete transition myself yet. It is a slow, frustrating, and scary process to walk away from a steady check to go back to school or do a job that doesn't have a monetary guarantee. But here are some things that have helped me on this rocky road, and I share them with you in the hope that no one works 9-5 because they think there is no way to live their dream:

1) Phone a Friend: The first thing you need while you sort out the "hey-I-want-to-leave-work-and-become-a-circus-clown" problem is to get some support. You need someone you can trust who will be supportive but also keep you focused and in line, someone who can keep centered while you oscillate back and forth between two options or courses of action. I believe that having someone you can call up and say "Hey, remind me why I'm doing this again." is the number one most important thing you need to transition into your dream vocation. Don't attempt without it - support can make all the difference.

2) Get Real About Money: money money money. Can't live with it, can't live without it. I personally have a love-hate relationship with money. I am grateful that I have it and have enough to let me do what I need to do, but I also hate the fact that I need it and that it is the thing that keeps me at my 9-5. I would love to just quit and pursue writing full time right now, but in reality that would be the worst thing I could do because I wouldn't write full time, I would spend all my time fretting about money. It sucks, but a reality I have to face, otherwise I would find myself in a situation more uncomfortable than I am in right now.

So in reality I know there is a certain amount I have to save as a cushion fund while I transition, and I can't move onto the next phase until that is amassed. The cushion amount that I aim for is at least six months of living expenses, rent, insurance, etc. If I can save more, well, then fabulous! But that is the minimum I need: enough time to give it a go and if things (sadly) didn't work out, enough time to get some form of new employment. Based on your own situation, the method of calculation might need to be different, but you get this idea.

3) Form an Offensive Plan of Action: If you find your current work abhorrent for the way it keeps you from your "real" work than you need a plan of action. After looking at your finances, calculate out how long it will take you to get your cushion. That date will become your Liberation Day, and you have between now and then to get your ducks in a row. What do I mean by that? There is no reason why you can't use your nights, weekends, or other time off to get started on your dream. For example: when I am not at my 9-5, I write. I look for freelance work. I work on building a portfolio. I study other writers. You get the picture. In a sense, it is like working two jobs. But when one of them is your life's calling it isn't that bad.

4) Try Not To Be Scared/Anxious: I find that having LD (Liberation Day) can be both a comfort and a curse. On the one hand, on days when I am fed up at 9-5, thinking of life after LD is rewarding, satisfying, and extremely helpful. On the other, sometimes I look at LD with dread: the end of life as I know it, the end of secure income, benefits; the beginning of an uncertain future. I just have to repeat over and over that this I what I want, don't be scared. This is usually when I phone a friend.

5) Live the Dream: The final most important thing you need to do is to actually do it. Don't just talk about it, don't just think about it, make it real. It is scary. It is nerve-racking, and it is hard. People will tell you not to do it. People will tell you that you are being foolish. People will tell you it will fail. Don't listen to people. People are insecure and will project their own insecurities onto you! Remember the famous line, "I am the mast of my fate, I am the captain on my soul" - memorize this, love it, and remember that you are the one steering your life's ship, no one else. So forget the fear, forget the challenges, and forget the nay-sayers. Because just like when you find real love, you need to grab your vocational dreams with both hands and hold on tight: not everyone realizes their life's purpose, and so many people end up in jobs they hate for decades on end. Don't be that person - be yourself, and live your dream.

Good luck to all - I am in the same place you are on this crazy road and will always be delighted to meet a fellow traveler. Visit me at www.thelifeuncommon.net and we can progress a ways on this path together.