The Real Struggles: Working for a Company vs. Working for Yourself
Sharing the raw mental thoughts behind the struggles of each.
I don’t think I could’ve found a better-suited picture for this article.
Each face portrays so many mixed emotions.
Bewilderment? It’s there. Doubt, frustration, exhaustion? All there. An innocent momentary shock of happiness? So there!
All of those are emotions that can be felt through the struggles of working for a company vs. working for yourself.
Two worlds so different, yet somehow, a little similar.
A little over a year ago, I handed over my Google badge to the security guard at the front desk of the Google Docks building on Barrow Street.
That was how I said goodbye to my “working for a company” life.
I left because I needed something to light my inner flame again. I was curious about playing a game with less defined rules, and my intuition told me it was the right time to go out and explore.
So I took a travel break, and then got to work and launched an e-commerce brand to combat plastic pollution.
And that was how I said hello to my “work for yourself” life.
Almost a year into it now, I want to share the real struggles of working for a company vs. working for yourself. And I want to do so by expressing the humorous and true thoughts that ran through my head.
1. The Struggles in Day-Dreams
Working for a company: “I should quit my job and start a company.”
This is the narrative on the street. Especially in the ambitious world of young techies where everyone thinks they have that next billion-dollar idea.
Working for yourself: “Maybe I should quit this whole thing and go back to corporate?”
The bills. Somebody’s gotta pay the bills.
The bank account is running dry and there’s no magic paycheck to throw me a lifeline at the end of the month. And this business I’m trying to create, my goodness, it’s barely even paying for itself. It’s taking too long and it’s costing me too much.
Yes, the struggle is real.
It’s exciting to be bold and bravely walk into an entirely new chapter in your life. At the very beginning, the energy is overflowing and the morale is sky-high, but the question is, can you weather the storm when it hits?
2. The Struggles in Making Money
Working for a company: “I need to get that promo to get that salary raise.”
Working for yourself: “Okay, let’s hold onto this client and if I can get two more, I should be able to pay rent this month.”
Your one mental thought: Just keep going… Just keep going... Just keep going…
2. The Struggles in Seeing People
Working for a company: “Today, I have a coffee chat with Jake, lunch with Anna, two calls in the morning and three meetings in the afternoon.”
A people-sparkled, meeting-filled day.
Can I please have an hour alone so I could work on that proposal?
But then there’s that huddle to make a quick announcement. Oh, and that extra meeting that was spontaneously scheduled for 4.30 pm. And the town hall — there’s always a town hall. But wait, they canceled today’s meeting — oh yes! A worthy cause to celebrate.
Working for yourself: “I guess I’ll just talk to myself again today.”
Have you seen the movie Castaway? It’s the story of a man named Chuck Noland who finds himself stranded on a deserted island midway in the ocean after his plane crashes and he’s the only lucky survivor. With no way to escape, he must find ways to survive in his new home.
In short — the guy almost goes crazy. In order to survive through those years, he finds a volleyball (that managed to stay intact despite the crash) and cuts through its top. He inserts some leaves and twigs through the ball’s head to give it “hair” and then slaps his blooded palm onto it to give it a face.
And voila, that was how Wilson was born — Chuck Noland’s new companion in life. His new best friend.
If you work for yourself, you might want to find your Wilson.
And sometimes Wilson might just be you.
Working for yourself implies spending a lot of time alone. But you’ll learn to be okay with it and in a way, you can become your new best friend.
Another bright side is that you most probably won’t have any scheduled meetings for an entire week. A worthy cause to celebrate — or not?
3. The Struggles in Counting Down Days
Working for a company: “I can’t wait for Friday.”
And when Friday hits, it’s TGIF.
Working for yourself: “I can’t wait for the day I start making decent money again.”
That’s literally the only thing on my mind.
Twenty four hours, seven days a week.
How am I going to survive?
4. The Struggles in Comfort
Working for a company: Morning Routine — Wake up, shower, get dressed, make coffee, go to the office.
The usual.
Oh, and sometimes you snooze one too many times and end up rushing out of the house without even making a cup of coffee because you have that client call at 8.30 am sharp.
Those definitely weren’t the best mornings.
Working for yourself: Morning Routine — Wake up, make coffee, put on a pair of yoga pants and bring the laptop over to your bed.
That’s perhaps one of the sweetest things about working for yourself.
Work from home, at your own pace, on your own schedule.
5. The Struggles in Framing Time
Working for a company: “It’s Thursday.”
It’s impossible not to know the time of day or the day itself. You have a calendar. You have meetings. You have proposals due and if you don’t get them delivered on time, somebody’s not going to be happy, and you don’t want to make them unhappy.
So you’re on it. You’re always on it.
Working for yourself: “What day is it today?”
The days and nights intertwine to the point at which you literally forget what day it is. All you know is that you’re working. That’s all you do — work.
6. The Struggles In Work-Life Balance
Working for a company: “We have a team policy: no checking e-mails after 7.00 pm.”
Working for yourself: *Clicks the refresh button every hour on the hour.*
Did we make that sale yet? Did we have any new orders? Did the wholesaler get back to us with their purchase order?
The Verdict
Learn to love both.
There is no right or wrong, there is only growth. If you’re not growing, you’re not learning. And if you’re not learning, you’re drying up your well of potential.
So it doesn’t really matter whether you choose to work for a company or for yourself. What matters is that you’re constantly pushed out of your comfort zone — because that’s the only place where you’ll taste the thrill of feeling alive.
Oh, and in either case, do get yourself a Wilson.