Did you catch Dr. Karen Bartush’s podcast episode over at CulturallyOurs? Dr. Karen talks about how that entrepreneurial itch has always been a part of her life and had led her down many different career paths from a police officer in the Chicago Police Department, to Consulting, to Corporate Strategy and now to becoming the director of the school of entrepreneurship and innovation.
In case you missed Dr. Karen’s interview, you can listen to it here.
There is no doubt that sometimes following the road less travelled is the right thing to do for someone who really want to chase their dreams and achieve their life goals. Today, however we ask a slightly different question. Do you really need to be in business to pursue your dreams?
Our friend Montana Pratt is helping us answer this question.
From Montana,
“If you love what you do, you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”
…and all of the business owners start shouting in protest. Why? Because they know that isn’t true. In fact, it’s far from it.
The thought of spending our days doing what we love is an irresistible idea that can be difficult to let go of, especially when you are watching all of the seemingly dreamy lives of the self-employed from the comfort (or lack thereof) of your office cubicle. Don’t get me wrong – there are countless reasons why being the boss is great. You can set your own hours, you can work from home when you feel like it, and you get to make all of the big decisions like your next marketing strategy or where you’ll spend your Christmas party.
But the huge hype surrounding self-employment isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be, and it definitely isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. Despite what we hear from what seems like every corner, you don’t have to start a business in order to follow your dreams.
Its okay love your day job
There is nothing at all wrong with wanting to just be an employee. Some vocations don’t offer any alternatives. Can you imagine where we would be if every teacher or nurse or ambulance-driver decided to leave their jobs in favour of self-employment?
Being employed comes with countless benefits, like the security of a steady income, a friendly team or less things to stress about when the going gets tough. If you enjoy the work that you do, your colleagues are kind and you feel like you can get behind the ethos of your workplace, then you are allowed to be perfectly content right where you are.
Purpose over passion
We’ve all got a passion project to keep us occupied in our spare time. And I’ll bet you’ve been told more than once that you should turn that little passion of yours into a business. But there are a few caveats here.
When you’re passionate about a hobby or a skill, you’ll want nothing more than to spend as much of your time doing that thing. But turning your greatest passion into your job will leave you with nothing left outside of work, and your identity will be tied up tightly in your business. We are multi-passionate beings. We rarely have one single passion, and our passions change over time. While not all businesses are meant to live forever and some of us dive into several ventures throughout our lives, basing your work on what you are passionate about today could lead you to feel disconnected from your work later on. When you are no longer passionate about the thing that drives your business, you’ll lack the drive and the identity you need to keep the business going long-term.
No matter how much you love what you do, every job and every business comes with its fair share of trials. And it’s on those days that you’ll need a solid-as-steel ‘why’. A purpose behind the everyday. A reason that gets you out of bed, even on those uncomfortable days. The purpose is the reason your business exists – not to help you, not to achieve your own goals, but the way your work serves someone else.
There is more to life than work
Work isn’t everything. And although working for yourself might afford you more flexibility, running a business will inevitably take up more time than you think. You have to wear all of the hats – the employee, the marketer, the finance officer, the CEO – so you will always be on the go.
On the other hand, while being employed might mean you have to show up for work whenever your timecard dictates, you have more freedom to take time off for what you love, like traveling the world. Another perk of playing the employee is you don’t have to mentally take work home with you – you can leave it at the door. Whichever way you choose, running a business is rewarding and challenging in its own ways, and opting to work under the guidance of someone else can be equally as rewarding. Remember that how you choose to earn your keep does not define your value or your ability to contribute to the world.
Thank you Montana for definitely giving us some food for thought. We would love to hear from you, our listeners and readers, your thoughts – do you think you need to have a business to follow your dreams and passions?
{Credit: Words and Photos by Montana Pratt; Website: Montana Pratt ; Instagram: @montanapratt}
Montana is a writer and creative soul living on the Australian south-east coast. A dreamer and list-maker at heart, Montana embraces slow living and simplifying as a way to live a life worth having, documenting her journey online where she explores all things simple living, zero waste and becoming a better version of yourself. When she isn’t writing, she says you can usually find her buried in a book, experimenting in the kitchen, or tending the garden.
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