Working for Yourself Sucks Sometimes, but It’s Better Than a Day Job
Let me remind you why you (should) quit
--
The company I quit eight years ago is doing great.
Like, greater than I ever thought they would be, to be honest.
I still keep in touch with some of my former colleagues, and I know they make great money, enjoy flexible schedules, lots of vacation days, company parties, work trips worldwide, and jealous-worthy social packages.
Sometimes, I miss it all. Freelancing, writing, and even entrepreneurship (with all its communities) can be excruciatingly lonely, depressing, difficult ventures. It can feel like it’s you against the world. Most of the time, it’ll be years before you achieve decent results. Financial insecurity is nerve-racking. Confusion, overwhelm and burnout become daily emotions you should learn to ignore.
When I have a terrible run, I start browsing job websites and consider calling my former boss and begging for my job back.
I see people on Medium writing about this: that they quit, got a taste of the freelancer’s life, and got back to 9–5. And I get it. Some months, it’s all I can think about.
Then I read a few job ads, and it’s like I get teleported to an office. I breathe in the stiff air and feel the insufferable boredom. I remember why I left. I remember what I’m doing and why.
This is the antithesis of the “I came back to 9–5, and it’s awesome” stories. It’s your reminder that, as brutal as it can be, some of us have a different path, and we must keep walking it, even when it hurts.
It’s my reminder too.
Don’t quit your entrepreneurial/freelancer life just because it’s difficult. That’s the stupidest reason to quit. Your reasons for quitting your job were much better. Like…
Working for someone will always mean working towards someone else’s agenda
For some of us, doing anything but what we want to do just won’t fly.
I want to write. I’m not saying I’m a great writer. Who knows if I’ll ever be. But my mind wrote words long before my fingers started typing them. It’s…
