In the previous post we looked at the risk of transitioning to entrepreneurship in a recession and discussed when would be a good time to make the transition.

We also learned through the hindsight of entrepreneurs who have pioneered this transition before us, myself included, that the transition could take longer than you might ever anticipate. Consider a minimum timeframe of three years to successfully make this transition the traditional way. Yes, you read that correctly – three years.

Consider how much time you have! So the question arises: "Will you wait until you end up becoming a ‘necessity entrepreneur’ or will you position yourself now and become an ‘opportunity entrepreneur’?

How do you get started now? Conventional wisdom suggests that you have the answers before you begin.

In my humbled experience trying to have the all answers before you begin is an excuse to:

• Continue to do things the way you’ve always done them in the corporate world, which revolves around a plan and trying to control external factors. This will slow you down and put a glass ceiling on your success.
• Continue to procrastinate because it’s more difficult to leave job security than you dare to admit.

To get started now and shorten the transition timeframe:

• Don’t worry about quitting your job just yet. The only way you’ll know what is right for you is by having the experience. Get involved in things outside of work. Be willing to take the first step without knowing where you are going. Dive in and just get started. Do something, anything, that interests you, tests your skills. Even if it ends up not being the right thing, through a focused process of action and introspection you’ll be led to the right thing and discover your PAG – your Personal Audacious Goal.
• Don’t limit you opportunities by trying to lock down a business plan. Trust your reinvention process. You can take steps even before you know the destination. In taking these steps, each step will reveal the next step. There are so many possibilities that could become a source of income as well as a source of fulfillment.
• Build up a support network. This may mean people other than the ones closest to you who will think you are losing your mind. Meet other entrepreneurs, find mentors, hire coaches. Discover your personal story – from this will evolve your unique personal proposition and your unique selling proposition.
• Test the waters. Interact with prospects and get a feel for who would be your ideal client. Find ways to test market your ideas before you invest a lot in something you love but not many others are interested in.

Don’t settle for more of the same. Entrepreneurship is not a process of leaving your job. You do not want to exchange one set of external circumstances for a similar set.

Entrepreneurship is a process of reinventing yourself. It’s about changing your options, changing your priorities and changing the way you feel. It’s a transition to a different life – one that focuses on living a life of fulfillment, prosperity and peace of mind.

This is the time to become an entrepreneur. I know from personal experience and from the experience of hundreds of entrepreneurs who have shared their stories – even the most focused of us have taken much longer than we ever anticipated to make this transition – 3 to 6 years on average. Some were forced to make the leap more than once. They were fortunate that they could return to corporate as a backstop when they needed to regroup.

Times have changed. You may not have that option. How much time do you have?