Shawn Butler, a high-performance coach, shares how he left a dead-end job in 2012, moved to California, and landed a role at Apple. He argues you have more control over your life than you think, and walks through concrete steps like saving money and planning fallbacks to make a bold move without reckless risk.
Hold on, guys. This is not working. I gotta love live technology, am I right? There we go. Cool. Morning, everyone. Welcome to start your day with a coach. The live show where I, Shawn Butler, certified high performance coach, help you figure out personal development and how to get past your struggle so you can live the life that you want. I'm really excited to be here today and we're going to be talking about how you are a change maker. Because if you've ever felt stuck in a situation you didn't want to, that you had a terrible boss that was mean to you at a job that didn't pay well, barely paid the bills, and you just felt stuck, or maybe you had, I don't know, a global pandemic impact your business because of things out of your control and not because of mismanagement or bad decisions or, you know, it's just bad luck. And it can feel really frustrating and overwhelming and infuriating and you can feel helpless and especially when you have a strong vision for the life that you want to lead. You know, a job that is fulfilling and takes care of the family and finances, A great family life with deep relationships with family and friends and other people in your community. You know, when you feel that joyful, you know, sense of control of your life and you feel like you're free to do what you like. Right. So I was in the situation back in 2012. 12. Yeah. You know, I knew that I wanted to feel better about my life. I wanted to work on things that I felt mattered personally to me. And don't get me wrong, you know, the place where I was working, I loved my co workers, I had a great manager. It just kind of felt stuck, you know, up to that point, I felt like I was doing what I was supposed to do in society, you know, go to college, get a job, pay off your student debt, all that kind of stuff. And it felt really empty, you know, to be honest. And I didn't know what I really needed to do or what the next steps were or what my path was for because it felt like it would be very, really extremely miserable to continue on the path that I was on. So while trying to figure it out, you started to study high performance and unlock this idea that, you know, I have more control over my life than I let on or sometimes feel, you know, I'm a change maker. I could make the change in my life that I really want. So if you started to think, like, if I left this stable, great job, that didn't really fill my heart full of passion. Or, you know, I didn't really fulfill me. Like, what would happen? Like, what would be the worst case scenario? I'd find something else that was equally not fulfilling, not something that I really wanted to do, and I'd be in the same spot. But if I made that change, I had the chance to live the life that I really wanted, to feel connected, to, feel like I was guiding my life, that I was excited to wake up and do what I was going to do. And so here's the takeaway, right? We have way more control and an agency in our lives than we sometimes let on. And, you know, for me, ultimately, you know, making that jump from that job got me to California, which eventually got me a job at Apple, which was a dream job and a really awesome experience as I was trying to figure out this. So it wasn't. I figured it out and everything was happily ever after. It was a messy middle, and I actually had always wanted to work at Apple. So that there's a lot of good things that came from making that shift, making that change, you know, deciding that I was going to be proactive in my life and guiding it. So the question I have for you is, where in your life do you feel like you don't have control or agency over, you know, is it your health? Is it a career thing? Is it a relationship thing? Is it just how you feel every day? And you know, what would be the biggest great move, big, bold move to feel more control in this area of your life? And I love this type of reflection. This is what I do as a coach all the time with my clients. Because here, like, sometimes we know what we need to do and we just hold back. We're not taking that big, bold step. And if you're feeling that hesitation, you're like, oh, I know I need to start that business. Oh, I know I need to get rid of that person in my life that's, you know, treating me poorly or I know I really need to do this, but, you know, you have, you know, what would you actually need to have happen to be able to take action there, right? So when I was deciding to leave that job, it was needed to figure out where I was going to land, you know, housewives. And my good buddy Dave, who I think is on Instagram right now, was very, very kind to allow me to, you know, move in with him for a little bit in California, completely changed my life. Introductory. But, you know, having that figured out, having a certain amount of money saved, having a plan going forward on I was going to start a business. And if that didn't work out, I'd be in a spot where I could find another tech job similar to what I was working on before. And, you know, so there were contingency plans that allowed me to say, like, okay, worst thing that happens is this fails and then I have to start over again. But there's so much opportunity. You know, that belief that there's opportunity on the world really served me in this situation too. So what would need to happen for you in that area? So if all of this seems kind of, you know, out there and you're like, I'm kind of struggling with this, that's why you can go to SeanButner.com coaching to fill out an application to do a one on one strategy session with me where we can talk over your particular situation, help you get some clarity on what might need to happen or what you actually want or what actually makes you happy so that you can build that plan and start working toward it so you feel more in control of your life. Because sometimes, especially after everything's kind of been crunched down here this past year, that feeling that we're free, that we're able to make change, that you are a change maker, can or could be limited. So how do we get you to believe that? You should believe that you can make the change in your life that you want. So with that said, guys, I'll see you guys tomorrow. Live with more joy, more personal growth, and more impact in your communities. See you tomorrow at 10. Take care.
