Wonder why you’re still working as an employee, instead of the employer? It doesn’t necessarily mean everyone should be the boss, as the job market has its own checks and balances. Everyone has their own role to play, and working for someone might be your personal preference. However, if you violently feel you should be an entrepreneur instead of working for someone, but can’t figure out why you’re not doing exactly that, read on for some common explanations. One or more of these reasons might apply to you, and it’s important to have an honest opinion of yourself in order to achieve what you really want.
1) You have a lifestyle to maintain
One of the biggest reasons why people are unwilling to become entrepreneurs is because of the rough start. No entrepreneur pays himself decently at the beginning. After working in a corporation, drawing a comfortable $4,000 a month salary, the idea of suddenly having zero pay is absurd to most.
“I have insurance payments to make.”
“I’ve a date at that fancy restaurant with my girlfriend.”
“I’ve a monthly car loan to return, there is no way I can stop drawing a salary!”
Sounds familiar? But how did you end up with such ‘liabilities’ in the first place (including a girlfriend, which occasionally is a cash liability too)? The critical point to note is that no one takes on such luxurious liabilities without first having the financial capabilities to do so. When you earn more, you tend to spend more. All these monthly cash outflows can be controlled and some are even unnecessary. If you want to start a business, you have to be willing to give up what you enjoy now. So ask yourself if you can sacrifice this current life, for a better one in the future.
If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary. -Jim Rohn.
2) You do an average job
Let’s be totally honest now, how good do you think you are at your job? Could your boss hire someone else to do what you are doing, and the same results be replicated? Or will it be done better? You know whether you are doing an average job. Being satisfied with mediocrity, that’s where you’re going to stay. The common mindset with successful people is that they do their best in whatever task they are assigned to, be it working on that shareholder presentation or mopping the toilet floor. They understand that time is the most precious commodity, and if you execute a task below par, you’re going to have to go back and do it again eventually. Doing the bare minimum of what is required of you is why no one is calling you ‘the boss’. Worst still, if you’re not even doing your job properly, people are going to start calling you ‘unemployed’.
Learn to care. When you don’t care about your job now, you will never be able to care for employees under you in the future.
3) You’re happy where you are
Not everybody wants the responsibility of heading a company, and that is perfectly fine. Followers make up a leader. If you are happy doing what you love, be it part of a staff faculty, then by all means continue doing it! There is nothing better in life than finding what you are happy doing every single moment. That’s how most workaholics are born, because they simply adore their jobs too much to stop. Being satisfied is a wonderful feeling, and the people who can find gratitude and content in their work are truly blessed. Working for someone, especially an awesome boss who treats you well can be a very rewarding experience. If the pay is good, you love what you do and your work environments is spectacular, then go ahead and be happy where you are.
4) You complain every day, but don’t take action
Ah, I’m sure all of us have had that friend at gatherings, constantly complaining about their job, and when you ask why they don’t just quit, they give you a million reasons why not. Stop complaining and take action already. If you don’t do anything about it, then suck it up because this situation was entirely your choice. Except National Service. You don’t have a choice about National Service unless you break your legs.
Let me expose a socializing secret: No one likes a whiner. If all you do is complain to every living soul you meet, even your pet goldfish is going to try and drown himself. You hate a certain scenario, then do something about it. Just continuing monotonously day to day until eventually you get fed up enough to leave is detrimental for your company as well as yourself. The work produced is horrible due to disinterest, and your superiors think you are just incapable because of it. Why waste the time doing something that absolutely bores you to death? The reason for such illogical behaviour is presented below.
5) You don’t have the balls
Studies show that fear of failure/rejection is as painful as physical pain and the fact of the matter is that you’re scared. Every human being is capable of controlling their own fates and situation, but fear holds us back to inaction. Not divine intervention, not the devil that looks strikingly like your manager, but the reflection you see in the mirror. So all you do is talk big and complain about how things would be different if you were in charge. If you strongly believe you have the capability, take charge and make the first step. You will soon realize this fear can be overcome with constant action.
When you do not dare make a change, someone else will do it, not for you but for themselves. Those who dare are the ones you eventually call ‘boss’.