Based on the answers you gave, your current career is working well for you overall. Rather than throwing it all away, you want to find a way to fine-tune your situation so it suits you better. There are two main ways to do that—and the good news is that you can prepare for either without quitting your current job: 

• Make a lateral move.
  Depending on what you wish were different, you might simply move to a different team within your company or look for new work doing the same role. Or perhaps you want to switch to a job that’s related or similar to what you do now.
• Advance to a more senior level.
  Maybe it’s time to move up. In many cases, this involves gaining new skills in management or business administration. You might also need to demonstrate your suitability through experience or a professional certification.

Any career change should involve some careful analysis:

1. What exactly do you wish were different?
2. In what ways are you already prepared for the change you want?
3. What skills, credentials, or experience are you missing?
4. What do you need to do to fill those gaps?

Once you know the answers to those questions, you’ll be ready to start putting your plan in motion. You can do this!

ONE MORE THING
Before you move forward, take a moment to make sure that there isn’t anything holding you back. Here are some questions to consider:

• If a bigger career change were possible for you, would you want it? What would that look like?
• If you answered yes, what’s missing that’s preventing you from going for it?
• Are there creative ways you might try to gain what’s missing and make this bigger goal possible for yourself? 

You know your situation best, so grab a pencil and paper and start thinking through the details. Before you know it, you’ll have a rough plan to get you started.

From what you’ve told us, it sounds like you could be up to the challenge of building your own business. 

Unlike freelancers and employees, who sell their time in exchange for services, an entrepreneur works at creating a business that’s bigger than themselves. While such an operation is more complex and requires an initial investment, it has the potential to be scalable—and that means a chance for higher profits in the future.

Entrepreneurship takes vision. A promising entrepreneur is one who sees a gap in the market and works to fill it: opening a pet spa resort and hotel in a neighborhood where none exist, creating a new-and-improved last-mile delivery service, developing an online therapist finder…. The possibilities are truly endless, if you’ve got the right perspective.

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
We’ve seen too many entrepreneurs jump into building their business full of hope and confidence and faith—but short on planning and analysis. Think about this: only one out of ten new businesses survives beyond 2 years. The other nine go under. 

Taking the time to carefully prepare before you make the leap can make the difference between survival and going broke. For example: 

• Researching the market you want to enter, to know where the best gaps and opportunities are
• Knowing the profile and needs of your ideal customer
• Writing a plan for your business to help you think through the details
• Thinking through possible scenarios, risks, and problems before they arise, so you aren’t taken by surprise
• Creating a plan for funding the business that allows you a realistic amount of time to become profitable
• Setting goals, so you’ll know whether you’re on track or getting into trouble
• Figuring out where you’ll go for expert advice when you need it
• Rounding out your own soft skills as a leader and professional

YOU CAN DO THIS
If you’ve got the entrepreneurial spirit and a vision for a business of your own, then you’ve got what you need to start the planning process. Everything else can be learned along the way.

We’re not gonna lie: to do this right takes determination … and a lot of work. But if you’re disciplined, careful, and ready to learn, building your own business could be one of the most amazing things you’ll do in your life. 

It doesn’t matter how old you are, who you are, or where you’re from. With the right mindset, the right tools, some patience, and plenty of determination, you can achieve any career goal you dream of.   

We hope these recommendations spark your imagination and give you a sense of direction. Over the next few days, we’re going to email you some more ideas and resources, so that you can explore your options from a solid foundation. 

No matter which path you decide to take in your career, we want you to know that you can do this! You absolutely have it within you to learn, to gain new skills, to kick ass in a new job, and to bring something unique and innovative to what you do. We’re so excited for your career journey! And we hope to be with you every step of the way.