Work For Yourself

Friday, April 17, 2009

I look at life as something that is finite. You only have one chance and you will never get this day back again. Why spend the majority of your life doing something you don’t enjoy?

The standard work week in the United States is forty hours. Most people spent that time working for another person or company in exchange for a paycheck. It is so easy to become complacent at our jobs and accept that paycheck as compensation for our lost time. The security and benefits keep us from living our dream. But my question is: What if you took a risk and spent that forty hours working on your own agenda and accomplishing your goals instead of someone else’s?

I assume most people would choose one of their hobbies as their new “job”. If this is true, a few challenges arise. First, you would need to select a hobby you are passionate enough about to do for forty hours each week. When you no longer enjoy yourself, you hobby becomes work. Also, because this will be your new job, the real challenge will be finding a way to make money doing this activity. Fortunately, many hobbies can be transformed into businesses. There is a market for almost any good or service; You just have to do it better than the competition. Before leaving your “secure” job, try it on a part-time basis to see if it is truly your passion and attempt to build a positive cash flow.

I truly believe that if you spend forty hours a week on something, you will be good at it. Over time, you will gain the necessary experience to perform your chosen task proficiently. While talent is helpful, perseverance is necessary. Live your dash to the fullest and happiness will follow.