And somewhat terrifying!
My goal in broad terms is to:
Transition from my fulltime job (where my employer is paying my health insurance, pension etc) to full-time self-sufficient private teaching, while, simultaneously, publishing two books. For someone like me, who has found it easy to fit into a pre-scheduled environment (working in a threatre where everything is planned out for ya), the change to a self-motivated and self-initiated/accountable life has been a challenge. And while I have a fair amount of students, it's a whole other matter teaching privately full-time. Kinda like circus performing without a net.
I know that I have the skill to actualize my goal of teaching full-time, but it's all the other 'stuff' like organizing my finances, finding a publisher and creating a website etc that have made me realize one huge thing:
I need help!
We can't do anything of importance alone.
We have to have help. We have to reach out. And we have to let others help us. And for someone like me who thinks he doesn't need any help...well....that's been a big deal!
So- I've been in the process of finding my 'support system'. That means a writing coach (I took a series of classes in writing to get started) as well as a counselor. Another friend is helping me with money matters.
The truth is- this is all stuff that can be learned. But if you grew up, like I did, in a family where the real stuff of life and living (we won't even mention the whole gay factor) wasn't dealt with, it can be mighty stress inducing.
The answer? A plan (and I mean an actual written down plan) and taking things one step at a time.