5 Reasons Most People Fail to Quit Their 9–5 (and Fly Free)
Even when they truly want to and work for it.
This isn’t about everyone should quit their 9–5. This is for those who want to, try to side hustle, but still don’t make it.
This isn’t to influence you to quit because no one career path is for all. This is for those whose dream is to be self-employed, be free from the shackles of their office, and need some direction around it.
As a solopreneur and as someone who also teaches writing and has interacted with 130+ students from across the world, interacts with plenty of people across LinkedIn and Twitter around the creator economy, here’s why I see most people don’t quit.
They Don’t Side Hustle
So many people dream of going solo but don’t even side hustle.
How can you jump in the pool without at least dipping your feet in cool water?
When I wanted to quit my job, I side-hustled for 6 months before I handed in my resignation followed by another 3 months of side-hustling because of a stupid 90-day long notice period.
Side hustle to:
- earn on the side
- learn + polish your skills
- meet others in your area of expertise
To do: Build a catalogue, hop on to Upwork and apply for gigs.
The Mirage of ‘Safety’
I texted a friend who works at Google about 2 months ago. He replied today, to explain how the layoffs had him really anxious and his close friend was laid off, which impacted him mentally.
For the past few years, we’ve seen layoffs like never before.
Where exactly is the ‘safety’ here?
I feel more safe knowing that even though my cohort-based course is only four times a year, some months closer to the course will get more income from there and I balance others with sales of my other digital products.
I feel great that now my growth on LinkedIn is also helping me attract opportunities.
The Lack of Belief in Unlimited Possibilities
Here are things I didn’t believe to happen:
- having a sold-out cohort-based course
- teaching people from around the world
- becoming ‘LinkedIn Top Voice’
- earning passive income
But here’s what I believed in: as long as your intention is pure, you put in your reps and keep showing up; you increase the surface area of your luck and attract opportunities.
I believe in unlimited possibilities and that mindset helps me show up even when I don’t want to. It also helps me play around with various business strategies to see what strikes.
Lack of Patience
I wrote in my yearly planner that I’ll quit my job in 2 months. It took 6 months to put down my papers.
It takes time to
- grow on platforms
- build an audience
- build a product
- improve
- learn
Give yourself that time. There’s beauty in being a beginner because you get to play around like nobody else. What else do you want?
The journey is way more fun than the eventual results.
Doing It From a Place of Inadequacy
If you do it only to earn money, you’re coming from a place of inadequacy.
If you’re only looking to make lots of money and do everything for money, it won’t happen because a business gets money (customers) when they solve problems. It doesn’t happen by ‘wanting money’.
If you don’t see results (because lack of patience) and go around pulling others down and talking about how rigged this is, you’re coming from a place of inadequacy.
The right mindset is important to do groundbreaking acts.
Is this really the right one?
They Don’t Experiment
You can
- fail
- not get customers
- get zero sales
- make $0
But that's a chance you’ll have to take. You’ll only know what will happen if you give it a shot.
Execute an idea quickly and see how it does.
How to do it? The internet is full of answers, so there’s no space for excuses, really.
Last
If you can’t take a chance on yourself, why would anybody else?
If you don’t believe in yourself, how will you go ahead?
Big changes outside require even bigger changes inside. The obstacles you face with yourself will be bigger than any business obstacles. Luckily, it’s entirely in your control to make it happen and change it.
You have control over your life, don't make anyone make you think otherwise.
All the best!
