I am pretty much the “free-spirit” of my social circle. Most of my old friends, dating back to college, high school, and youth, have entered into the corporate world, pulling down decent paychecks, working 9-5, with two weeks off a year. They think I’m wild and crazy for venturing into the land of self-employment.
They always asked me, “Wouldn’t it be easier just to go into work and collect the paycheck? You wouldn’t have to worry about anything. Someone else will take care of your benefits, your retirement, and all you have to do is show up.”
And, in all honesty, in the beginning, it’s hard. I’m not going to kid you. I did put in long hours, I did neglect my social life. I’m lucky in that I started on my path of self-employment in my early 20’s, so I didn’t have any dependents to worry about. But even if I did, I can’t imagine working for someone else.
You see, I wanted that artist warehouse. I wanted a place where artists of all genres can come and work and exhibit their creations. I wanted a place where the public can come in and view a living museum. That’s what I wanted. And I couldn’t get it by working for someone else. I couldn’t get it by waiting for some magic fairy to come and drop a million dollar gift bag on my lap. I needed to find a way to create it myself. That was the desire and drive that I needed to work the long hours and create something that I knew would have an impact on the world.
So, this is your lesson for the week: What is your “Why?”
Really think about why you want you be self-employed. What is it that you want to accomplish? Are you physically unable to work for a corporation? Do you want to spend time with your family? Are you just too darn creative to be locked up in a cubicle all day and don’t know how to market your talents?
This is your time now. Decide why and write it down. Make sure that this is a piece of paper that you look at every day. For those creative types, you may want to make a collage. Take pictures of how you’d like your life to be. Family, friends, travel, homes…cut ‘em out of magazines, newspapers, family albums, and create a concrete vision of your future: The one you’ll create by working for yourself.
