Is it Time to Go to Work for Yourself?

Visit a workplace, any workplace, any day of the week and you will hear some version of the same "I'm-sick-of-work" litany over and over again.

"The boss is off to the Caymans again while I'm handling phones, as usual," says Michael.

Susan is upset because her daycare provider called at 11 saying that her daughter was crying for her. Susan can't leave until 5.

Chris is asked to work a couple of extra hours to make up for employees who have been laid off.

Are any of these scenarios familiar? Maybe you'd rather be home caring for your children. Or maybe you'd like to expand your horizons, learn new skills and take on more responsibility. But you're stymied whenever you try because "it's not in your job description."

Some days, it's enough to make you want to quit your job.

Let's play the "what if" game. "What if" you were the one going to the Cayman Islands? What if you could stay home and raise your family? What if you reveled in doing extra work because it was for yourself? What if you could stretch in whatever way seemed appropriate and creative for you?

What if you quit your job? Could you get by?

Think first about what's intolerable to you. At what point will you say, "I need to do something else. This job is breaking my spirit." The good news is you can take back your life and create work that is meaningful to you.

People who have taken the self-employment plunge said in a survey by the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) that they chose to strike out on their own because they wanted:
--greater control over their lives
--a better opportunity to use personal skills and abilities
--the ability to choose where and how to live
--the chance to be creative

What is driving you to want to quit your job? If you've already made the break, there are strategies to move forward. If you have time to plan before making the leap, there are strategies for that too.

You may not be starting with a lot of capital, and may have what you perceive to be limited resources. If you can quit your job and make ends meet, you are well on your way to prospering in work that satisfies you - work that you created for yourself.

Here's the key to being successful in creating your own work. You have to determine how to make ends meet. Just make ends meet. You may not pay yourself the same as you're being paid in your management job. At least not yet. But if you simply endorse the concept of "making ends meet," you will be well on your way to being successfully boss-free.

Part 2, "How Safe Is Your Job?" continues the series on self-employment.