You want out. You have wanted out for a while. But you also know you cannot just quit, because leaving your job removes your paycheck without putting anything in its place.

The exit gets built while you are still employed. Your job is what makes the first deal possible, because lenders approve loans based on your job income.

This checklist is the nine things I would have in place before giving notice. In order. Some take a weekend. Some take months. All of them can be done while you still have the job.

What’s inside

• Your Number. How much you actually need each month once the job is gone. It is lower than your salary.
• Your credit and your paper work. What lenders look at, and what to have ready before you talk to anyone.
• Your cushion and your Advisory Team. The money set aside and the people to have in place before you move.
• Your area and your deals. Where to concentrate, and how to know a good deal when you see one.
• How you will know you’re ready. The marker that says your investment income has replaced your paycheck. 

• A few of the items

  • Figure out how much money you need each month once the job is gone. 
  • Start the lender relationship while you are still employed.
  • Know one area well instead of ten areas a little.
  • You are ready when your investment income replaces the income you are leaving. 

What this does for you

• Turn “someday I will quit” into a list you can actually work through.
• Use the job you have as the tool that funds the exit, instead of waiting until it is gone.
• Know the day you are ready, instead of guessing and hoping.