8 Signs It’s Time to Start Working for Yourself
Think about your typical day. Do you wake up early in the morning, have a quick shower, commute to work, do your job for eight or more hours, then commute home to make dinner, do chores, and go to bed all to do it again in the morning? Or perhaps you work a job where the hours vary week to week, making it impossible to settle into a routine. Do you struggle to find passion in the work you do, fight to have time for yourself, and feel unsatisfied overall? If the grind of conventional industries is leaving you feeling worn down, it’s possible that the time has come for you to become your own boss. While becoming an entrepreneur is hard work, you open yourself up to a career of passion and innovation, where you dictate your own life, instead of letting other employers do so on your behalf. If you’re still unsure whether starting your own business is right for you, here are some signs that it’s time to start working for yourself:
- You constantly find yourself thinking of a new job
- You often complain about your current job
- You’re dreaming about retirement
- Your sleep has become disrupted
- You’ve noticed physical signs of stress
- You dread Mondays
- You find that you’re less productive at work
- Your job has a poor work environment
You Constantly Find Yourself Thinking of a New Job
Sometimes we all want another job. A particularly bad day can trigger the urge to leave your workplace, or the opportunity for a dream career might come up. However, if you find yourself pining for a different job for weeks or months on end, there’s probably a good reason behind it. The work you do might not be stimulating, you might find yourself constantly bored, you might not get along with your coworkers or boss, or maybe you’re just ready for a new experience. Anything that contributes to unhappiness in the work place can be a reason for wanting a new job. And if you find that you’re constantly on the hunt for something new, even if you don’t act on it, then working for yourself could be your perfect solution.
You Often Complain About Your Current Job
Complaining about work can be a good way to blow off some steam but if all of your conversations inside and outside of the workplace are negative comments on your job, that might be a sign that it’s time to leave. While bad days are guaranteed, they shouldn’t outnumber the good. Furthermore, constant complaints can contribute to mental illnesses like depression and anxiety, which only make the problem worse. Most ideal work situations lead to professional and personal growth, and positive discussions about your days’ work. If you can’t stem the flow of complaints, it might be time to leave.
If You’re Dreaming of Retirement, Working for Yourself Could be Perfect for You
While most of us dream about retirement at some point or another, more and more workers are beginning to dream of retirement at a young age. Your working life shouldn’t be a countdown to a point in time where you don’t have to work. Instead, you should be able to enjoy and celebrate the work you do. If your 9-5 job isn’t fulfilling, becoming your own boss might be the solution to get you out of countdown mode and into enjoying your life in the present.
Your Sleep Has Become Disrupted
There’s a common cycle that many workers fall into. Stress about work leads to poor sleep, poor sleep leads to exhaustion at work which then exacerbates the stress hurting your sleep in the first place. Falling into this rut impacts your life inside and outside of work, and the cycle can be incredibly hard to break without making drastic changes to your life. Working for yourself might be the change you need. You can continue to make a living without working yourself into a zombie-like state of exhaustion.
You’ve Noticed Physical Signs of Stress
If you notice that you’re getting sick more frequently, commonly having headaches, losing your hair, feeling the urge to drink a lot, and rapidly gaining or losing weight, work stress might be the cause. These symptoms don’t just develop overnight, however. They’re an indication of long-standing stress that is finally taking a toll. If your workplace is generating enough stress that it’s causing physical illness, that might be the sign you need to leave and find another job.
You Dread Mondays
Very few people truly like Mondays but if you’re starting your work week with true dread, it might be time to leave your job. Dragging your feet getting out of bed in the morning, not having any appetite or feeling sick from anxiety, or having racing thoughts about not wanting to go in to work are other signs that working for yourself could be for you.
You Find That You’re Less Productive and Passionate at Work
We all have off days but if you used to be able to do double the work you can manage now, you might have lost your productivity. This is often a symptom of more serious problems, like having no passion for your job and constantly being bored at work. Many people find it hard to work when they just don’t like what they do. If you fall into this category, it might be the right moment for you to hand in your notice and turn your attention to building a career that will help you to feel fulfilled.
Your Job Has a Poor Work Environment
You might be dealing with a poor work environment if management is unsupportive of the work you do, if you’re given more work than you can reasonably complete, if you aren’t paid fairly for your time, and more. This type of workplace leads to unhappy workers and can trigger any of the above feelings and symptoms of work. While some workplaces might accept worker feedback and aim to improve their environment, many others will not. If you find yourself working for one of these companies, it could be time for a change of careers and working for yourself is an excellent way to make that change.
If you’ve ever considered becoming an entrepreneur or you’re sick of your day job and want to work for yourself, these signs can help you decide when it’s time to make the leap.
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