So What's Your Plan B?..Changing Course

These days if you haven't lost your job or you're worried about losing it... actively working on a Plan B makes a lot of sense.

"Most of us can't quit our jobs to run out and start a new business," said Valerie Young, a career counselor who founded changingcourse.com.
"You can't just run out and start a new business," said Young. "You need capital for that. You need to pay a mortage or the rent; pay the bills."
So what do you do? Young says you change course. "First of all," she said, "figure out what you want your life to look like. Then come up with ideas for ways to generate income or make a living that's going to allow you to have that life. People get hung up thinking they have to come up with one big thing. In reality, it can be a lot easier to have multiple income streams."
So start by dabbling. Start by exploring to see what "else" is out there.
Some ways to do that. Apprentice. Apprentice yourself to someone in a field you've always been interested in. Get the experience to decide if you like it.
Another way? Volunteer. Take a workshop. Experiment. Get ideas from magazines you've never looked at before. Take a vocation vacation. Think about ways you could make money from your hobbies.
The important thing to do is to get the ball rolling.
"You don't need to know where it's going to take you," said Young. "Everyone wants to figure everything out ahead of time, it doesn't work that way. Dwell in the world of possiblities, see where it takes you.

For more information go to Valerie Young's website at changingcourses.com.