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1. Take a look
Honestly, look around you. If you are at work, this is probably enough said. If you aren’t, then take a good look around when you get there. Do you really want to end up like that guy next to you? You know, the one who’s been there for 20 years? What about the woman who’s retiring next week? You mean, she actually worked there that long? What about the woman next to you, the one complaining about the project she’s working on. Are you just like her, or are you going to do something about it?
2. Ditch the employee handbook for good
Live without an oppressive regime employee handbook. As part of the employee’s training, we are taught what to wear, how to talk, sit, and so on. People aren’t allowed to think for themselves because that would ruin everything. God forbid Derek puts a plant on his desk when it’s against policy. Your job probably has some stupid little rules for you to follow. Well, if you are your own boss, you can wear what you want, do what you want and say what you want without asking permission first.
3. Get paid for your value not your time
Get paid what you are worth, not what someone says you are worth. At your job, you are probably trading time for money instead of value for money. In the auto repair industry, workers are paid X number of dollars per repair. It doesn’t matter to the manager if it only takes 5 minutes to complete the job. It is possible to provide a great value to a customer while only spending a couple of minutes doing so. In the end, the customer is happy, and you are paid for the value you provided, not the time spent providing it. Think about what kind of value you have to offer. You’d be surprised what people will pay for that value.
4. Quit gambling
Many people believe having a job is the safest way to earn an income. This is wrong. How is it safer to place your life and your family members’ lives in the hands of those who treat you like a number on a spreadsheet? Do you really think your employer has your best interest at heart? The people who make decisions at the top of the company have one thing in mind, to preserve the interests of their investors and shareholders. Placing your trust and life in the hands of someone else is the exact opposite of safe. It is foolish. You can’t have security when you don’t have control, and employees have the least amount of control. Limit your job title to entrepreneur, not professional gambler.
5. Go ahead, give yourself a raise
When it’s finally time for a raise and your review is around the corner, how do you act? Do you start to sit and perform tricks to make your master happy? Do you beg for more money? Does it feel good to be thrown some doggie treats now and then? Or would you rather feel free to decide what you make without anybody’s permission? The money you earn through your business is proportional to the value you provide. Up your value, and you will begin to earn more. It’s your time and energy, so you decide how much you are willing to give.
6. Travel the world
When you are working for yourself and you feel like traveling, you can. If the destination of your travels includes a conference or meeting, then your business gets to foot the bill (the business part at least). Get out and get some fresh air. Stop dreaming about a vacation and actually do it. You will be happier, in control and out living life while making money. What could be better than that?
7. Be your own boss
When you enter the entrepreneur’s world and cross paths with an idiot, you can walk away. In the corporate world, that idiot is often your boss. Well, how about being your own boss? That way you make up your own rules. You won’t have to live by an employee handbook anymore. Do you want to take a 2-hour lunch to break up your day? What’s stopping you? Besides, for once you can now take credit for everything and know that someone else isn’t going to steal your glory. You make the decisions, and you get the benefits.
8. Feed yourself first
When owning your own business, you decide where the money goes. Chances are good the company you currently work for pays twice the amount of your take-home pay for the privilege of you working for them. All that extra cash your company pays that should rightfully be yours is siphoned off the top to 401(k)s, insurances, investors, share holders, Social Security and state and federal taxes. By the time you actually receive your paycheck, you are only paid for half the value you provide to your company. John Chow recently did a series on taxes and blogging. Here.
9. Work your own hours
If you aren’t a morning person, why are you waking up at 6:30 a.m. to get to work by 8:00 a.m.? I bet you really suffer through the first half of the day. Some people’s bodies naturally function at a different time of day than “normal” business hours. I say work when you are the most productive. When you fizzle out, find something else to do until you’re back on your “A” game again. This also comes in handy when you have kids and practices. Maybe the best part about being self employed is the amount of time you will have to spend with your family and friends. Your cat will be happier, too.
10. More Vacations
By working for yourself, you have the control of planning your own time off. More vacations sound great to anyone, but as a caution, they are only feasible if everything is in place for you to do so. I took a couple days off last week in order to take care of some personal matters. In the time I was gone, I made more money and had more visitors to my site than when I am normally here. Unfortunately, I don’t think that trend would last if I continued it, but I had the flexibility to take the trip. When your bases are covered and you want to get away, go ahead and do it. Have you used up all of your vacation days already?
*Inspired by Steve Pavlina’s 10 reasons you should never get a job
This was not the right post for me to read 1 hour before I have to go to work. Lately I’ve just been thinking about how going to work is totally getting in the way of my online ventures.
Thanks for the inspiration.
B Carter’s last blog post..A Little Diversion from Everything
Hi Josh.
Great post. You put a smile on my face this morning. I thought my readers might like to enjoy it too, so here’s a link:
http://www.blog.getmywealthnow.com/2008/02/top-reasons-you-should-quit-your-job.html
I’ve bookmarked your blog, and I’ll be back.
Thanks, take care.
Kimberly
Kimberly Clay’s last blog post..Top Reasons You Should Quit Your Job
Hmmmm… I suppose as a 1-employee company this may sound appealing, especially for the person who has recently become self-employed or is considering it. But as a small business owner who has grown to the point of needing employees to run the show, this rubs the fur the wrong way. If all employees were as rebellious as described above, small businesses everywhere would fail. As a business owner, not only do you decide how much money YOU want to make, but you also decide how much money you are willing to pay your employees. I’ll be dipped in shit if I’ll have an employee dictating to me how they will dress, act, speak, or decorate in my office, or how much vacation time or pay I must give them. That’s what unions are for, and no business of mine will EVER be a union shop. I am vehemently against communism, as all business owners should be. Granted there are good employers and crappy ones. There are those whose rules and regulations are excessive. But then again…. no-one forced you to work here. If you don’t like my rules - then just leave. In a free enterprise capitalist system, no-one is entitled to a job.
heidi’s last blog post..Can A Screen Printer Survive The Digital Age? (or in other words… I Am NOT CafePress!)
Good point, I do feel that if you are happy with your current situation then most of this post probably doesn’t apply. But, if you were like me a few months ago and dreaded going to work, than this is little breathe of fresh air.
Number 8 is 100% true not only in working but in every day life. It DOES NOT MATTER what is going on with your money situation, it is manageable, as long as you manage it. If you don’t, it will manage you.
Information is power when it comes to money too, if you stay one step ahead of what is coming at you, life is gravy (trust me, much to the chagrin of a lame person who’s bent on making me hurt financially, I’m set thanks to proper financial control.)
ATV Style’s last blog post..Jeremiah Jones and Bill Ballance ATV Racing School
You have no idea how #1 and #2 ring true for me at work…I cannot stand my Job!
It is very tough to pursue working on your own - but if you can make it happen you will live much happier doing something you enjoy on your own terms.
I have been trying to make it from nothing, not pulling in much money yet, but find it easier and more enjoyable to work on my own terms. The challenges keep it interesting (no mundane tasks)and my desire to make it keep me alive.
[...] I had over one post per day this month, meaning I met my March goal of 31+ posts. My top post for number of visits is the post: 10 reasons you should quit your job. [...]
Josh, you’ve hit the nail right on the head. For me, it’s about designing a lifestyle. Much like what Tim Ferris talks about in his book “The 4-Hour Work Week.” I currently have a “day job,” but I’m working on some projects that will free me soon. You are absolutely right on target!
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Thanks Marty. I completely agree. The lifestyle you create that makes you the most happy will ultimately change your life.
Great post!
I guess the dilemma though is a balance between security and freedom. Lots of risks quitting your job but lots of opportunity too.
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You are spot on, have to think about things like health insurance and having an emergency fund built up. I really didn’t have much of an emergency fund in place but my bills were pretty low.
Great reasons there. I suggest doing full time (learn the businesses of others) while having time for part time entrepreneurship. Sooner or later your personal business will begin to prosper and you can devote time on it. Your experiences during the full time job will be a great learning experience on what to do and what not to do. You will be able to learn from other’s people mistakes for free.
MarketingDeviant’s last blog post..Do you have a Negotiator?
I can tell everyone that leaving my corporate job was the best thing I ever did!
Had a great paycheck, but hated the conference calls, traveling, headaches. So, I decided to play guitar all day longs.
Now, 2 years later, I’m getting ready to move into my new studio with 13 teachers working for me!
If you’ve been thinking about it, plan it out. Do it right to see if the numbers work for you than do it with all your heart!
guitar teacher’s last blog post..This has absolutely nothing at all to do with playing guitar!
[...] Pavlina was the first to open my eyes to value and self worth. This was the inspiration for me to quit my job and set out on my [...]
For most business owners “More Vacations” is probably the biggest joke they’ve ever heard. You have to have someone you can trust your business with while you’re gone, and those people are far and between - usually running their own business.
Whoa, dude…for the person who wrote “10 blogging commandments” I’m seriously surprised you would rip something off another blogger. There were entire sentences and paragraphs lifted from Steve Pavlina, who wrote this first several years ago.
Not cool, man. Not cool.
@Andy Credit given where credit is due, thanks for the call out. I wrote that at the beginning of my blogging career and should have properly given due credit where inspired.
@Josh: Glad to see you’ve fixed it — my faith in your integrity has been restored.
Other than that minor hiccup, I really like your site…for a very young aspiring entrepreneur, some of your articles really resonated with me. Keep at it!