Money both helps and hurts when planning a career. Too much, and you get soft and are unwilling to take any risks. Too little, and you can’t function. Even so, that is the biggest obstacle people throw out when it gets down to the nitty-gritty of planning a career: How do I survive while I make my move?

How much do you need, bare minimum, to get by? What is your bottom line per month? Is there anything you can cut out to lower that number while you get going? What is more important to you, time to work on your craft or a nice car, recreation, toys? Most people use material comforts to make up for lack of substance in their life, relationships and career. Is that what you’re doing?

Could you be a monk for a while? Quit smoking, get a roommate, live on cereal? If the answer to this is NO WAY, I have to ask, how badly do you want a career? Seriously, if you aren’t willing to suffer just a little to get what you want, maybe it is not right for you. This is what I mean when I say passion. If you have real passion for a goal, a career, an expression of your creativity, no obstacle will loom too large. If you don’t have every obstacle will seem insurmountable.

The up and down cycles common to the creative career can cause financial trouble if you don’t plan for them. As someone who goes from project to project, I have had good times when the money has rolled in and lean times when I wanted to roll up my pantlegs and wade into the wishing well and collect the coins. Creative people have to be disciplined enough to plan for the droughts by saving some during the boom time so they don’t go bust when it gets tight. But don’t be so afraid of the downtime that you take every job that comes your way, whether it ties in to your plan or not.

If you aren’t willing to let go of what you have and go for what you really want, you aren’t committed enough. And the fact is, the more you are willing to risk, the more likely you are to make it. It also seems that the less you care about and need money, the more it comes to you.

When you get too involved in proecting what you have, it stifles your growth. Hoarding what you have gives an illusion of safety, but, as the saying goes ‘A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are for”.