For most of 2023, I woke up between 6 AM and 7 AM and was pounding away at my keyboard by 8 AM sharp.
The company I worked with was old-school and subscribed to set working hours, measuring manpower by hourly production, and clocking in and out.
There are numerous reasons why I hate these working circumstances.
One major reason was that I felt controlled.
It was demeaning to me.
We Should All Start Our Own Businesses
| I want all of the fruits of my labor to end up in my pocket, benefiting me and my loved ones. |
I have always wanted to be my own boss.
That’s probably why you’re thinking of starting a business, too. I think that’s the root of the problem all entrepreneurs want to solve.
You want to do it your way, do it better, ensure you’re helping others, and help yourself a bit along the way.
Entrepreneurship equals freedom.
Unfortunately, entrepreneurship also takes money.
You need startup capital and money to pay your personal bills while you’re working to grow your business.
The thought of going out on this financial limb and dipping into your savings or getting a loan is daunting and can cause most of us to recoil, stay where we’re comfortable, and live a quiet, unscathed life.
But some of us say, “Fuck it,” and take the leap.
I’ve always been in the latter camp but have listened to the large majority of those who live in the first camp.
Lately, the basis for my fears is my age and my stage in life. I’m looking around, comparing myself to others, and thinking, “Shit. I don’t have what they have. I haven’t accomplished what they have. I can’t do this. It’s too dangerous.”
Guess what. It’s not dangerous, and that thinking is a dream crusher.
Age = Stage
So yeah, I’ve been on a soul-searching, deep dive into what I want out of my life and my career lately.
And I finally have the courage to admit this to myself: 50 is right around the corner, and I’m scared.
At least, I was scared until I found a fantastic video on YouTube.
Professor Lynda Gratton presents the realistic possibility that we should work well into our 70s, given that we can realistically live to 100 due to modern technology and medicine.
Gratton illustrates how society has moved away from the traditional 3-stage model of life, Education to Work to Retirement, into a more flexible life model that she calls a “multi-stage life.”
I’m so here for this way of thinking.
We’ve been programmed to achieve milestones at certain ages, and it’s considered a massive fail if we don’t hit these touch points.
There’s familial and peer judgment if you’re not a college grad by 23.
Or a parent by 30.
Or in a senior-level position by 45.
Or counting down to retirement after 55.
I personally haven’t experienced the pressure to retire, but I’ve experienced the pressure of every other stage. I’ve been lectured by those who are “doing better than me” or “know better.”
My vision was always to control my finances and my time.
Gratton’s multi-stage life model has motivated me. I don’t see my work life winding down soon.
I’ve always envisioned working into my seventies or eighties and felt a certain amount of depression about that. I wondered what my parents would say about me having to work at such an age.
But Gratton’s model shows me that it makes sense, and I hope it makes sense to you, too.
Watch the video and let me know what your thoughts are.
Self Belief: Who Inspires and Motivates Me?
One of my favorite entrepreneurs is Nicolas Cole. He’s a writer who I discovered several years ago, and his message of self-belief really resonated with me.
He makes online entrepreneurship attainable.
I think I first discovered Cole on Medium around 2016. I was an experienced content writer looking to learn, and he was posting some great advice.
One piece of advice that stuck out to me was his method of writing for four hours upon waking, going about his day, and then writing for another four hours before bed.
I tried this, and it did not work out for me due to my work schedule and personal life.
But I think Cole has stuck to this, and his career has taken off.
I think it helps that he’s incredibly insightful and wise, so you should consider following him.
Another piece of advice of his that’s stuck with me is to write more than you read.
This one is insanely hard for me.
A lot of my pleasure is derived from reading, capturing that knowledge, and then bringing it back up at wildly inappropriate times—at least inappropriate to others.
Usually, my drops of random historical facts or trivia are triggered by something someone says or something in my surroundings.
It’s quite possible that I have undiagnosed adult ADHD.
Time To Start Your New Life Stage
So, your work life isn’t over when you hit your sixties anymore.
And I’d really like to stop seeing the memes online where we compare ourselves to our parents and call ourselves old.
You’re not old. You’re just in a different life stage. You can go backward or forward, depending on what’s best for you.
I’d say the only stipulation is to try not to be a burden on others if you do this.
It’s why I made the decision to leave a bad working environment.
I had set myself up for the move, and I’m excited to move back into an education phase of life before my next career stage.
It’s an exciting time, and I think people in my generation have the most to look forward to.
We’re the “missing link” between Boomers and Millenials, so we see both sides.
We’re able to adjust to new working methods, culture, and tech. But we’re also able to instill some of the old ways into modern work culture.
Starting a Business: Just Dream and Launch
If you’ve always wanted to start your own business, now is a great time.
There’s always going to be competition. But the world can always use another option for a service or product.
Yes, it will test your capabilities and mental strength. It will also force you to develop skills you may not have known you had.
But anyone can run a business, especially with the right help.
And that help exists all around you. From the Small Business Administration (SBA) to all of us online who specialize in helping businesses succeed, you can do it.
The best resource for starting a business is over on SBA.gov. Scroll down to the middle of the homepage, and you’ll see step-by-step guides on how to plan, launch, manage, and grow your business.
When you’re ready to grow your business, I’d love to chat. I want to hear all about your original plans, how your launch went, and how your operations are going. And if possible, I’ll do all I can to help.
Deven Bhagwandin 