A mind-set of scarcity and over consumption has too many people running in the so called “rat race” that has no finish line. When in the rat race, you are in work environments you do not like, buy stuff you do not need, to impress people you do not know. People tell you that, “You better get yours before someone else takes it. There is only so much to go around with just a little time to get it.
Hurry, hurry; get what you can” Often when in the rat race, you are on autopilot in isolated, destructive, and short-term thoughts. These thoughts become your emotions and beliefs that drive your decisions as you competitively and repeatedly struggle for wealth and power. More than likely, relationships were lost both physically and emotionally. Are you running on autopilot within the rat race oblivious as to how you got in the race and how to get out? It is exhausting and leaves you endlessly unfulfilled and stuck.
I was in corporate sales and remember the pressure to keep up with the Joneses by comparing houses, cars, vacations, children, and schools they attend. Their philosophy was the more you had the more you wanted and would work hard to keep it and keep up.
LendingClub Corporation’s research found that 54% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck with 21% having difficulty with paying their bills. “Do No Harm” an Amazon documentary mentioned that over 50% of individuals in medicine feel stuck and are miserable in their careers. They work 80-100 hours a week with considerable amounts of debt. Most white-collar professionals earn a six-figure income but have nothing to show for it by the end of the year. That is the real rat race.
You put your goals and ambitions on the back burner to stay in the race. But you should care less about the appearance of having money and more about having money. What is the point of making money or imagining having as much wealth as possible when your relationship with money means losing it all or having to work nonstop to fund that lifestyle?
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Stop living in survival mode stuck within your mindset of scarcity. It results in an obsession with the lack of time and money and does not allow any other focus leading you into the rat race. Be intentional and focus on having a mind-set of abundance to thrive not just survive. Look at the universe and the incredible abundance that is provided by our creator. Once in this mindset, you will no longer think strictly about selfish and short-term solutions to immediate problems. You will shift your mind-set and be intentional about taking action to get yourself out of the rat race. One way you can decide to end being in the rat race is by understanding your relationship with money. How much money you produce means nothing when you have a problem with consumption – spending more than you earn.
The things you own end up OWNING you. – Tyler Durden
Exit the rat race by:
· Figuring out your spending compared to what you earn and what you must earn to take care of your responsibilities.
· Establishing a lifestyle that leaves money to save and invest for the future.
· Acknowledging your dissatisfaction with your current situation, understanding the truth about it and how you feel about it.
· Knowing your purpose when out of the race and to then act.
· Taking ownership and accountability of your life.
· Planning your exit with optimism and being practical.
When I exited the rat race, I took the time to figure me out – What did I want? Why did it matter? What was I willing to sacrifice and not sacrifice to make it real? What would be the experiences I wanted when making the shift. I wanted to manage my time, be the boss of me, ensure work/life balance with quality family time, be present in all my moments, and be location independent. It has been liberating.
Life is a journey, not a destination. You do not want to spend your life’s journey on a treadmill going nowhere. It is self-defeating and pointless. A better life exists when you decide to choose it. What does escaping the rat race mean and look like for you? What small and big steps can you take? When will you act? Now is a really good time.
Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted – Albert Einstein
Gladys Agwai,
Founder, Ignite Within
She has 30 years experience as a corporate executive leader within IBM in the US, Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya.
She is an international author, coach, speaker, teacher and strategist.
