It’s been almost two and a half years since I officially became self-employed, and although there have been high points and low points, I still wouldn’t have it any other way. In fact, I’m not sure I could ever go back to a 9-5 job, and here’s why:
I Like Being the Boss
I actually had a really great boss at the job I left before I became self-employed. She was actually extremely supportive of my side hustles and told me I could actually blog from work as long as I was caught up on my work from her. I know not everyone can have such a great boss and many people pursue self-employment to get away from bosses they hate. Still, I like being my own boss much better. No matter how great of a boss you have, they are still your boss. They still tell you what to do, and you still report to them. It’s much nicer being able to do what you want when you want.
I Like Having Unlimited Income Potential
A fellow self-employed entrepreneur told me something I never forgot when I first left my 9-5 job. She said, “Congratulations on being self employed! Now your income is limitless!” I’d never considered it that way before. As entrepreneurs, we’re always focused on the negative which is the fact that our income fluctuates. However, if you flip it around, it’s actually the opposite. People who are self employed aren’t bound by annual reviews and incremental 1% raises. You’re only restricted by how hard you work, how many clients you acquire, and how many customers you attract. The sky is truly the limit.
I Can Change My Mind at Any Time
I love the fact that my job is flexible not only in terms of when I work but also on what I work on as well. For example, if I wanted to, I could decide to blog about traveling instead of personal finance. I know how to start and grow a successful blog and how to start a freelance career from scratch. The types of projects I work on are totally up to me.
For example, this year I started experimenting with video content. Next year, I could decide to add something completely different to my skill set. It’s all up to me and I love that I can change things up if something isn’t working or if I want to be more creative and do new things.
I Can Travel Whenever I Want
As I write this post, I’m sitting in my hotel room in Bergen, Norway. I’m here with my little family, and we’re enjoying some time together before my husband starts residency. Sure, I’m writing this while they are asleep, but I’m happy to do work while I travel because it actually enables me to travel.
As long as I make some income while I’m on the road, we can keep seeing the world. I love that I didn’t have to ask my boss for two weeks off and that I can spend over a month in Europe and still make an income. Of course, it’s taken me a very long time to get to this point, but it just goes to show that anything is possible, and a 9-5 just can’t give me that!
