It’s 6 AM. My alarm goes off, and I feel a familiar pit of despair in my stomach. I wonder if I continue to press snooze for long enough, will I no longer need to go to work today? Alas, I must get up…shower, hair, make-up, suit. Coffee, coffee, coffee. I’m at the edge of late, so I’ll have to run to catch my bus. My heels are in my bag, as I run to join the other tired drones on the bus. I ride for an hour to spend the day doing something I do not love, with people I wouldn’t necessarily choose to spend time with if they weren’t in the cubicle next to me, to eat lunch at my desk, or I could go out, but it’s so stressful to get back in time for my meeting, and (errrrreeeccckk—this is the sound of squealing tires as I halt this story).
This isn’t my life…well, it’s not my life anymore. Today, I work at home in my PJs. Most days I wake up when I’m done sleeping. I exercise, make myself some delicious breakfast, write in my gratitude journal, and when I’m ready, I start work. My commute is 30 seconds, I don’t have any make-up on, my hair is in a ponytail, I work with whomever I choose, focusing on projects that bring me joy and fulfillment, and most of the time, I love my life.
Honestly, I think the number-one reason to be an entrepreneur in some fashion is, to quote one of my idols, Aretha Franklin, “Freedom, oh freedom, yeah freedom, people say FREEDOM!” Please don’t misunderstand me and think I’m implying that entrepreneurs don’t work. In my experience, entrepreneurs often work “harder” than many employees. But the difference is that it’s in YOUR time, on YOUR schedule, with YOUR rules. The difference is that when my niece was born, I could take two weeks off to fly to Colorado to be with her and my family. I didn’t ask for permission, I didn’t take vacation days, I just went. I personally am a work hard/play hard entrepreneur. When I work, I am diligent and focused and am constantly striving to provide more and more value in the marketplace and in people’s lives. When I don’t want to work, I don’t. I spend time with the people I love, I go on totally unplugged vacations (no cell phone, no computer), I take classes, I go to happy hour, I go hiking, I read, I nap, I travel…you get the picture.
I would also like to take a moment here to talk about full-time vs. part-time entrepreneurs. If you want to fully transition out of a job you’re not passionate about, you can absolutely do that. But even if you love your job, or you truly don’t want to give up your job, you can still become at least a part-time entrepreneur in some form or fashion. Entrepreneurialism is not for everyone, but you won’t know until you try. The extra money and time freedom it will afford you can be well worth the effort. Besides, you could find a new calling that might surprise you. If you have a desire for more time and money freedom, if you want more control of your life and your income, then it’s time to have your own business. That is where more time and money freedom come from. They certainly don’t come from being a slave to a company or another person.
Why do YOU bother? What drives you to be an entrepreneur? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
This is an excerpt from Bridget Brady’s #1 International Bestseller, “Jobs to Jammies!” Get your copy now at JobsToJammies.com.