9 to 5 or be your own boss.
As simple as the above question is, the more confusing, hurting, and unanswered it stays in the minds, and thoughts of various people in the world we live in today.
The level of confusion however depends on the location. When I mean location, it refers to different countries of the world with their different governments, policies, and the work/job environment. A lot of times we do not or should I say we don’t have the power to change certain circumstances, policies, or laid down rules in the different locations that we are. You might want to ask again what is the main reason for getting a job, or seeking to be employed? The answer still remains the same, It all boils down to being able to add value to the company, and as well as get the reward for your value, and time which is money. That is the basic reason we all get a job. As we grow we are aware of the nature of the environment we live in. We need money to do the majority of things that come our way in our everyday lives. It’s either because you have a family to feed and take care of, or maybe it’s just you alone, you need money to take good care of yourself and do the basic necessities required.
That being said, why do we want to be our own boss? The answer is more like the previous, providing value(Products, Services, etc), as well as getting their rewards (money). But it is more entailed. The first reason most people don’t want to work a 9 to 5 job or generally work for someone is that they want to be their own very boss. They don’t have to wake up early to dress up for work, they don’t have to be instructed and told when certain assignments and tasks are to be submitted, In essence, they want to be their own boss as said earlier.
This second means of income however are sometimes not born with the passion and zeal of being an entrepreneur, but it was rather conceived and birthed through the stress, tedious, unpleasant, hazardous, and unhappy times, moments, and experiences encountered while running their 9 to 5 jobs.
From the country where I am from, I have been able to see and experience some of these unpleasant factors that lead people to take the entrepreneurship decision, even when it is obvious they weren’t borne genuinely. I have stayed in the busiest state in Nigeria and I can tell that 70 percent of people going to work daily are doing so just to make ends meet. For some, they enjoy the type of work they do, but the pay is low, coupled with the traffic stress they go through every blessed day of the week, while for some they don’t like their jobs and the pay is bad. But then there are some who don’t like their jobs but the pay is good, they tend to look away from the stress even when they feel it and know the consequences it brings, they feel tired every morning when they wake from their beds to go to work and this is due to the previous day stress, but to them, the money is the goal. The funny thing here is most times, such people tend to leave their jobs to become an entrepreneur after making that which they think is enough to kick start their entrepreneurship journey.
You might also say to yourself, everyone goes through stress, we all need to go through one stress or the other, but then I say to you again, come to Lagos, Nigeria, and know the meaning of stress and it is mostly caused by roads traffic jams. You set out to go to work by 4/5 AM in the morning and get to work about 7:30/8 AM in the morning, Only for you to close work by 5/6 PM depending on where you work and get home 8/9 PM that’s if the road traffic is light. We can talk of getting home 10/11 PM most times.
Asides from the road traffic jam stress mentioned as a means for deciding whether to go or continue with a 9 to 5 job or be your own boss. There are a lot of times when the stress at work itself, (Toxic workplace/environment, Unpleasant Bosses, Overload of work, Draining, and unfruitful experiences) warrants you reaching that point of making that decision.
You see, whether you go for a 9 to 5 job or you want to be your own boss, you are free to do what you think is good for you. Nothing really is impossible to achieve if you are willing to pay the price for success. So if you are faced with this confusing situation, weigh your chances of success and be truthful to yourself.
Above all, you can be anything you want to be, and a draining job shouldn’t be entertained. Because, it all comes back to you, and you feel the hit and results even if you are getting the money you want.
If you ask me again, 9 to 5 or be my own boss? I will tell you, you can be anything you want to be.