Why You Should Be Your Own Boss: 10 Reasons You Should Work For Yourself
Imagine a life in which you can live on your own terms, have the freedom to choose how you spend your time and the projects on which you work. With enough planning, patience and determination, this situation can be yours.
Let’s face it — we’ve all had a job that sucked the life out of us. The daily grind of working for a company that you don’t really care about is draining.
While self-employment can be a tough gig, as it comes with its own problems, stressors and setbacks, the sense of accomplishment and pride you’ll derive from it is worth the investment. Check out these 10 reasons you should get started today:
1. The flexibility to work anywhere
You can choose your location for working; one week you may be sitting on the beach in Greece with your laptop, while the next week may have you sailing the seas of Mexico. With today’s technological advancements, it’s possible to work from nearly anywhere.
2. Do work that you enjoy
Richard Branson reminds us that “some 80% of your life is spent working. You want to have fun at home; why shouldn’t you have fun at work?” If you hate your job, your negativity will spill into your personal life, making you feel tired and unmotivated. Life is way too short to waste time doing things you hate. Be an entrepreneur and get paid to do something that you actually enjoy.
3. You have the opportunity to create jobs
There is no greater accomplishment than being able to support others. If you create a small business, at some point, you’ll likely need to hire people to do jobs that you no longer have time to do yourself. As a result, you’ll help others pay their bills, feed their families and make a decent living.
4. Choose how much money you earn
Working for someone else really limits your earning capacity, and sadly, most companies expect you to work harder than ever with no extra incentive. Why put up with this when you can work equally hard but reap financial rewards for your efforts? Your earning capacity is limitless when you work for yourself.
5. You don’t have to answer to anyone
Chances are, at some point in your professional life, you had a boss who undermined your every decision. This situation is toxic and usually results in you losing self-confidence, self-respect and, most importantly, motivation. When you work for yourself, you call the shots. You’ll be more creative, determined and motivated as a result.
6. You will become more resilient
Working for yourself requires a lot of determination to push through the barriers and setbacks. However, over time you will learn and grow from those setbacks; you will learn what works and what doesn’t. You will become wiser and more resilient in both your business and personal life. Any successful entrepreneur will tell you that in facing failure, the path to success will grow clearer.
7. You will develop self-discipline
Entrepreneurship is a stressful venture — the flexibility of the working environment can be hazardous without enough self-discipline. With no set start time, you’re free to work in pajamas, but the absence of a routine can be detrimental; too much comfort may reduce productivity. Instead of becoming lazy, develop self-discipline by sitting down and drafting up a routine.
8. You can live a more meaningful life
Ultimately, work-life happiness comes from doing meaningful things. We all want to work for a worthy purpose or cause and know that our work is actually making a difference. Working for yourself will allow you to define what’s meaningful to you.
9. You will develop business sense
Most day jobs have set tasks, and often, it’s a matter of repeatedly doing the same thing. Not only is this boring, but it also fails to teach you anything new. Becoming an entrepreneur requires you to wear many hats — product development, marketing, sales, customer service, accounting, etc. Over time you will slowly develop a keen business sense, which will result in you becoming a more confident and successful entrepreneur.
10. You will leave a legacy behind
Working for yourself is an adventure. It will provide you with great stories to tell, wisdom to impart and a reason for people to remember and to respect you.
Photo credit: Wolf of Wall St
