Is 2024 Your Year of New Beginnings?

Happy New Year!

If you’re into numerology, then think upon the number seven. Seven is referenced several times throughout biblical scripture to mark a sort of completion. For example, there are seven days in a week. Outstanding debts were forgiven after seven years (and this holds true in many cases today). In our modern world, there are seven continents, seven colors in a rainbow, even seven wonders of the world.

If the number seven is synonymous with “completion” or “perfection,” then eight is considered by many as the number of “new beginnings.” 

When you add the individual numbers of 2024 together (2+0+2+4), the sum is eight.

Is it a stretch to consider 2024 as a year of new beginnings? Maybe, maybe not. After all, each day you wake up is a fresh start, an opportunity to move towards a new direction to build upon your life.

From a career perspective, perhaps you feel an impending shift in your spirit. You’ve been seeing the writing on the wall for some time at work. Internally, you’re gnawed by thoughts of transitioning into a new career prompted by a call, a unique talent, or simply doing what you love. Perhaps you feel momentum building in a certain area of your life and unsure of where it’s going, and that momentum is fueling hope and optimism—perhaps a measure of trepidation, too—that you cannot explain. 

Lean into these thoughts and feelings. Be open to the shifts. Life is ever evolving and providing us with opportunities to get us to a place we were divinely destined to be. 

Many people have asked me over the years about HOW I made my pivot from corporate America to doing what I love. I share many insights about that, but below are four that guided me:

#1:  Believe in yourself and in your value.
This is the hardest step. You must overcome your own self-doubt and be determined and convicted enough to take the risk of leaving the known for the unknown. You have what it takes, and yes, you are enough—but you still must constantly work on developing yourself and your abilities. This is how you overcome your self-doubt and increase your value; it’s in the daily doing of working on yourself.

#2:  Do NOT make an emotional decision.
Are you easily offended? If so, then work on your mental and emotional fortitude before making a career shift. If you cannot control your attitude in an office that provides a level of structure and financial predictability, then it will be difficult to navigate into a space—especially an entrepreneurial endeavor—that is full of uncertainty and irregularity.  Be firm in your thinking and back it up with a plan complete with goals, actionable steps, and a timeline BEFORE you take the leap.

#3:  Don’t leave alone.
Before you make the pivot, have a team or support system in place to help you—for example, one who understands accounting, another who knows legal concepts, perhaps a content creator to help you build your online presence, or a wise and encouraging mentor. These can be your friends, family, partners, or paid professionals. They should believe in you and your vision, skilled at what they do, and provide a measure of accountability towards your goals.

#4: Leverage your income wisely.
Make your situation as comfortable as you can. Before making your career pivot, meet with a financial advisor to help you become financially free. Pay off as much debt as you can while you have regular income. Have some seed money set aside to assist in developing your business idea, as needed. Put yourself in a financial position you can live with before you make your pivot.

If you believe 2024 could be your year of new beginnings in your career, then consider these tips. Leave a comment below. CLICK HERE to join the tribe and follow me on social media for daily inspirations. For more tips and best practices on personal development to help you in your career, then subscribe to my blog or consider reading my award-winning book, Own Your Opportunities.