A year ago today, my life changed in unexpected ways and for the better.

It was mid-morning when I received a call from my boss directing me to come to the office for a last-minute meeting. There was dead silence between us, and I slowly replied, "ok...," confirming the inevitable.

I quickly gathered all my work belongings, transferred important contacts to my personal iPhone. Within 1 hour, 3 years of building relationships, a cushy salary and benefits had come to an abrupt end.

I've always prided myself on being a top performer, but since sales were down and there had been multiple rounds of layoffs, I knew it was inevitable, and I would be next to get the boot. So, here I was, unemployed without severance or a company car, living alone with higher expenses, and attending to my bruised ego.

I was at a crossroads. Was I going to shy away from purposeful living and get another sales job? Or was I going to dust myself off and design the extraordinary life I had dreamt of? I chose the latter, and I'm so grateful that I did.

These past 12-months have been extremely challenging but worth every second. And every time I think I know my fullest potential, I underestimate myself and reevaluate my goals because they aren't big enough for the life I am building and working towards.

I've had to redo my offering, increase my pricing multiple times to have a sustainable business, onboard new clients, develop a marketing strategy, and film my 12-week Career & Life Jumpstart Program with Weld Media Productions (online course available September 2021, more details to follow in the coming weeks.)

It took me the remainder of the summer and fall of 2020 to devise a strategy to make 2021 the year my coaching business would exceed 6 figures, become a digital nomad, emancipate myself from the system, and lay the groundwork to scale beyond my wildest dreams in 2022.

Here are the 3 things that have helped me succeed:

1. Think beyond yourself - What inspires you to do good in the world? An altruistic purpose helps us stay inspired and motivated to stay the course when the going gets hard. Share your 'why' with others to keep you accountable and gain some new like-minded friendships along your alchemist journey!

2. Show up for yourself - How badly do you want a life on your own terms? When the going gets hard, we take a break and double up our efforts. But, no matter how hard the task at hand can be, always do your best to complete it. Do you want a life of travel, be your own boss, do purposeful work, have a positive impact, and be financially independent? Well, get to work. Be disciplined, stop making excuses for yourself, hire help, and push aside your perfectionism.

3. Ability over motivation - Do you rely on motivation to get things done? Well, don't! Always create a strategic plan and remove all potential obstacles that will hinder your progress. The best life and business strategies are reversed engineered. Make sure to break down all tasks into smaller tangible steps; this will increase your ability to succeed while building your momentum.

Remember, it's never too late to start drafting the extraordinary life and career you are worthy of. Getting started is always the hardest part, but everything worth it requires effort; you know you have what it takes. I know I do!

PS. Travel Update: I'm currently living in Chicago for the next few months, hoping to soak up the remainder of summer rays here, make new friends, go on a few dates, and make sure that 2021 is the year that I exceeded my goals.

For more useful coaching tools and tips, sign up for our biweekly newsletter.

Spirit Panda Coaching has been helping young adults who struggle with finding their way after college to integrate into work and life with confidence and direction while leveraging the best of their sensitivity temperaments. As an HSP Business Coach, I am trained in guiding clients to a state of self-empowerment and success. All coaching sessions are remote, and you can schedule a 15 min complimentary consultation here.