Success has an odd razors edge.
I would like to consider myself successful. I quit my job so that I could pursue my dreams of working from home doing development and consulting. Seems great, right? Ehhhhhh…
I know plenty that would kill to be in my position.
They say “Oh, how can you be troubled if you get to choose hours and don’t deal with a boss?”
I guess you just need to be here to understand it all.
I’m not knocking it. I would choose to work for myself over others any day of the week. I just think it’s way different than what people expect. There are dark sides to the matter.
The first is that you’re always in competition. No longer do you have that safety net of screwing up and getting chewed out. You can bounce back from that and keep going. When you mess up on your own accord it means a client is bouncing.
You should be willing to admit your mistakes. This isn’t something many are willing to do when they’re so used to working for others. You can blame it on policy or some outdated metric but when you’re in business for yourself it all falls on your shoulders.
The second is understanding of whatever vices you have … they’ll get worse. When you’re working from home or in an office of your own, you don’t report to anyone. This can exacerbate any issues you have with smoking, drinking, and anything harder.
You think it provides some form of “creativity” but what’s really happening is you’re losing clients. You’ll miss deadlines. You’ll slip up. Before long you’ll find yourself scraping to get by during those lull times when work finally comes through.
My suggestion? Get help. It’s not just for work but for yourself. Find a place in your area. It may be something like rehab Arizona or wherever you are. If you don’t then you’re going to let that party mentality get to your head and that’s when you miss the opportunities.
And a third is not letting ego get to your head.
This is a big one. It’s what typically happens when people see some ROI and think they’re on top of the world. Hint: it doesn’t last. What happens is some competitor comes along, swipes your market share, and then you’re scrambling to get back on track.
Want to fix it? First is to realize that you’re not some “God of business” – there are others better than you. The next is to pass the important tasks to those that have experience – learn to let go. The final is keeping with trends – because you don’t want to be left in the dust.
I wish I could have seen it coming.
Working from home and on a personal business is great. No doubt. But with it comes with a myriad of troubles because all the weight and stress is now on your shoulders. You must be smart.
It can get to you.
You’re no longer working for a boss so it’s easy to slack. It begins to add up. Before long you’re overwhelmed with your work and soon you no longer want that pressure. That’s when your business dies even if you’ve finally reached that point which you say, “I’m successful.”
So now what?
Get things under control. Keep up-to-date with new trends in your industry. Take on new talent that will relieve the stress of competition. Don’t succumb to vices. Tap into that drive you had in the beginning.
Will it work for you? That’s hard to say.
But at least you know what’s lurking in the shadows. Now you’re ready.
