I think the “start-your-own-business” peddlers need to stop belittling the 9 to 5 lifestyle. Stop assuming that people aren’t living the life they were meant to have. Surely you guys can peddle your goods without making people feel like crap, right? Telling everyone they “must have their own business” is just as absurd as telling everyone they “must become a jazz flutist.” Let’s face facts. Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone, and not all entrepreneurs are rich.
I have a friend who started at a call center as an agent when she was in her teens. She never got a college degree, and she stayed with that company for almost 20 years. She’s at an executive level now, and making killer money. Her husband also has a regular paycheck job. In fact, her office is where they first met. They live in a nice neighborhood, they dine out almost every night, they drive fancy cars, they travel all the time, and they’re pretty happy. It’s as if the recession hasn’t affected them at all. They have no aspirations to be billionaires, or run for politics, or to own their own business. They are quire happy with their life as is. I see no need to belittle their lifestyle, or try to convince them to find their purpose in life as a jazz flutist.
If you are 9 to 5 person, don’t believe the hyperbole about the benefits of entrepreneurship. Like I said, not everyone is cut out to run a business. Now, if you are unhappy with your job, or if you don’t feel you are not making important contributions to your job, or if you don’t feel empowered at your job, then perhaps a career change is in order. Perhaps you should think about becoming an entrepreneur. The first thing you should try is to change your attitude. There are millions of people out there who are jobless. Some of them have been looking for jobs for over a year. Be grateful you are employed. Be proud that you have a job. If you don’t like your job, do something about it.
If you do like your job, and if you’ve always had aspirations of becoming an entrepreneur, try this: treat your job like a business. Make improvements to it. Make your work more productive. Try writing a manual for your job. Turn your job into a business plan. If you can do that, not only are you ready for a promotion, you might be ready to turn your job into an actual business. Even if don’t want your job to be your actual business, at least you know what it takes to create one.
For now, don’t let anyone make you feel ashamed about your job. Be proud that you are working. Be proud you are employable. Be proud that you are making an income. Be proud, period.
Young is a writer, artist, serial entrepreneur, and the creator of ideavist™. Young's mission is to help people make their ideas happen through his writing, coaching, consultations, and through speaking engagements on ideation, creativity, and entrepreneurship.