Top 10 reasons to leave your job (and become self-employed)

This article is focused more towards those interested in making a transition to self-employment or starting their own freelance agency based from the home. But most of the reasons can apply to anyone. 10 reasons to leave your job, ranked in order of importance:

10. Aren’t you tired of working for someone else? Aren’t you tired of answering to someone else’s demands? Catering to their needs, their goals, their visions? Hoping one day for that raise, or saving precious vacation time for that 2 or 3 weeks away. Well let me ask you this — why are you waiting to flip the whole script around and become that someone else yourself? What’s stopping you now? Is it job security? So-called “stability”?

If you are tired of working for someone else, then take the next step towards doing something about it. Imagine working with your own vision in mind, setting your own goals for your company, and being the person in charge. Maybe that thought doesn’t appeal to everyone – if so, ask yourself why. What are you afraid of? What have you got to lose?

9. Make more money. Of course when you are working for someone else, you’re also making the real money for someone else. How about turning that around, and making the money for yourself? If you are working an 8-to-5 type job, you’re most likely spending your precious time doing tasks and projects that earn you a paycheck. But the real money being earned is not you. The real money is going to the company owners. And you will never have a shot at that real money working as an employer for a weekly check.

Are you worried about the risks of calling the shots and being your own boss? Well I believe both employee and employer shoulder nearly equal the risks, and I’ll explain more on that later in reason #5. But the fact is, when you are slave to a paycheck, you simply limit yourself on earning potential.

8. Savings on gas. Ok this isn’t the most glamorous reason, but it is what it is. If you set up shop working from home, you’ll save money on gas as well as car repairs because you’re not putting all those miles back and forth to work. Just add up what the potential there is for savings. Let’s say you cut your gas costs in half. If you’re spending 2-300 on gas a month, well now you are down to 100-150/month. What could you do with that extra 100-150? I don’t know, you tell me! Invest? Pay off credit cards? Tuck it away into savings?

7. Save on time. So you could potentially save thousands each year on gas if you switch from a daily commute to work-from-home freelancing. But also consider the saving on time. When working full-time and commuting to and from that job, consider the time preparing for work, the time driving back and forth, and all the hours away from home. All that extra time -driving, getting ready, even mentally preparing for your day – could have been spent being productive. In addition, I don’t know about you, but I’m not always my most productive self at strictly 8 to 5 every single day. Sometimes I get inspired or just feel more productive at night. Or early in the morning, or on a weekend. So not only would working from home save on time but you can also potentially make much greater use of the time in which you are actually working.

6. a) You can’t stand your boss. I realize this may not apply to everyone, but for those of you who really have a boss you can’t stand, this reason alone could be enough to propel you to leaving that job and making your way on your own. There’s nothing worse in the workplace than having to answer to someone that you just can’t stand. You can’t stand hearing their voice, can’t stand their jokes, can’t stand having to answer to their demands. Well, imagine yourself not having to deal with that boss anymore. In fact, imagine yourself being the boss. Of your own company. Where you can treat employees the way they deserve to be treated. b) You can’t stand your co-workers. I have to say in my last couple of jobs I have been lucky enough to get along with most everyone I work day-to-day with. But I have definitely been there, as far as having to go in and deal with co-workers that just plain irritated me. And now that I remember a few of those co-workers, I think it could be even worse than having a boss you can’t stand. At least your boss usually has his own office or something and spends his or her time doing other things. But co-workers are always there, always around you, always asking questions about the things they would have known had they read their email like everyone else. Or they’re always doing whatever it is they do that just grates your nerves every time. So there’s another reason. Not convinced yet? Consider the next 5 then:

5. Job insecurity. An article in MSNBC posted today talks about another job in the unemployment rate. Jobs are just not as safe and secure as I think people perceive them to be. Your employer could decide at any time that your services are no longer needed or required. Then what will you do? The news is abundant with stories of companies laying people off. When will your job be next? Will you be ready?

I was talking recently with a relative about going into business for myself. She commented to me that at least when you work for someone else, the employer takes all the risks. I thought about that and although I think she is right about the risks an employer takes, at the same time, the employee has significant risk too – the risk of being laid off or being let go during tough times. So the employee takes on just about the same risk. It’s not as if the employer shoulders the risk on their own – much of that is passed off onto the employees.

The point is, jobs are simply not secure. Holding on to your job because you think it is more secure than self-employment is a bad idea. The fact is, there will always be some kind of insecurity in your work, either as an employer or as an employee. And since both employers and employees carry certain risks, why opt for the risks as the lesser of the two?

4. Motivate yourself to do what you love. This is where the list of reasons really gets good. Because now we start moving beyond the mundane aspects of job markets and saving money and working with people you don’t like — and we instead begin to talk about the more important things in life. What makes you happy? What inspires you? Maybe you love to cook. Or you love to paint. Or you’re great with numbers. If you’re not doing what it is you love, ask yourself, what it would be like to spend the working hours in your life – doing exactly the things you love to do. Wouldn’t that be like a dream?

Nothing is stopping you. Nothing, that is, but yourself. You can do what you love to do, and there is nothing standing in your way between you and that goal, but your own insecurities, or procrastinations, or whatever personal obstacles you’ve placed in the way.

If it means taking a pay cut, consider that it might just be worth it after all. Money isn’t everything. Money just does not buy happiness, not for you or for anyone else. But happiness can and will be found spending time doing what it is you love to do.

3. Once inspired to do what you love, you will find yourself generally living an inspired life. When you find yourself working doing what it is you love, everything in life changes. You just take on a new perspective on life, on a whole range of things. Suddenly you find you have interest in the things that you previously paid no attention to. There is an excitement and an energy that slowly but surely takes over you. Your only regret is that you don’t have the time to get involved in all the things in life you wish you could take part in. You are truly living an inspired life. And how many people stuck doing jobs they don’t like, working for bosses they don’t like, spending all their time and money on maintaining those jobs, can really say that?

2. For your own personal well being – If you are one of the many people stuck in a job you aren’t passionate about, maybe it goes without saying, but it is detrimental to your emotional livelihood, your mental well-being, and even your physical level of healthiness. What happens is you end up carrying the stress and the anger and unhappiness around with you. So for your own personal well being, it just makes sense to work in a field that you are passionate about, and better yet, to become self-employed in that field. Even if you are passionate about a job working for someone else, some of that passion can still be taken away just from the fact that you are not in control.

We spend so many hours out of our lives working. Why not let those hours work to our benefit rather than having the hours work against us?

1. For the well being of yourself and your family – Because it’s just not all about you. Your family and friends will also benefit, from you being a happier person. On a deeper level, isn’t life mostly about serving others? Even if you do not agree with that statement, it’s still not all about how well you can do and how much money you can earn and how wonderful a person you are. But about how you can serve those you love and who also love you. If you can’t find happiness for yourself a compelling enough reason (and I don’t know many people who can’t) – then do it for others. Do it for your family, friends and those close to you.

If you find employment working from home, you will spend less time commuting and preparing for work which will mean more time to spend with family. You’ll save on gas and car repairs which again can be money spent on their well being. You’ll be carrying around less and less anger and stress, the benefits of which inevitably gets shouldered off onto them. Your happiness and well being may not equal their happiness and well being. But it will rub off.

So there you have it. 10 reasons to leave your job, and if not towards becoming self-employed, at least in making the switch to a career doing something you enjoy. The benefits are clearly enormous. What’s stopping you?

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Tagged as: Business, Employment, Inspiration