Are You an Entrepreneur Stuck in a 9-to-5 Job?

Networking

Entrepreneur StuckThree years ago, when I was stuck in a career rut at corporate, I couldn’t have imagined not being an employee, not having a job with a regular paycheck and not being a part of a big, giant corporate entity.

As unhappy as I was at my corporate job, the notion of owning a business and striking out as an entrepreneur was just absurd. It didn’t even occur to me that the path of self-employment could be right — much less possible — for someone like me.

Me, go out on my own? To do what, exactly? I knew nothing about running a business, being my own boss or standing on my own two feet.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered a little truth about myself: this gal was only ever meant to be an entrepreneur! No wonder I was such a difficult employee! I was stuck in the disguise of an employee for, oh… some 11+ years.

Entrepreneurs are emerging everywhere today, building up businesses one digital byte at a time. The barrier to entry to running your own business in today’s world is extremely low, and there has never been a better time to go solo and pursue your business dream — but beware the myth of entrepreneurship.

It’s not about having an MBA, being born into a family of business owners or having years of sales and marketing experience. It’s about a certain mindset, willingness and personality, and anyone can fit the bill if they have the “symptoms.” (Click here to tweet this thought.)

 

You Might Be an Entrepreneur If…

How can you tell if you’re an entrepreneur stuck in a 9-to-5 job, bursting to get out to do your own thing?

If you’re miserable at your corporate job, and the best of rewards -– the promotion, the raise, the shiny office, the great boss, the perks -– haven’t filled the hole in your soul that screams, “There’s got to be more to work and career! God Almighty, won’t you please show me the way before I go mad?” (or your own, calmer version)… Then chances are you’re an entrepreneur trapped in the 9-to-5.

The good news is that you can make the switch.

Whatever your skills, your experience, your age or your other circumstances, if you want to break out of the 9-to-5 and strike out on your own, You Can. Period. As long as entrepreneurship is your calling.

 

7 Not-So-Obvious Signs You’re an Entrepreneur at Heart

If your plight isn’t as screamingly obvious as the above example, check out these top seven symptoms to find out if you really are an entrepreneur stuck in the 9-to-5, or if you’re just having a bad case of Mondays:

 

1. You Crave Freedom

Your biggest priority is seeking freedom to do what you want when you want to do it. You have ideas to pursue, products and services to create and a vision for a lifestyle that accommodates this, whatever the cost or the risk. An entrepreneur is a freedom seeker!

 

2. You’re Bored and Bothered

You are beyond bored at work, and it bothers you to waste your time and creative genius in this way. The structure of the workplace, the meetings and the status quo drive you crazy, and you want out to do your own important work.

 

3. You Seek Empowerment

The mindset of an entrepreneur is one of optimism and self-empowerment. You have faith in the ultimate outcome of your dreams, even if you’d be a little fish in a pond of big fish entrepreneurs. You cannot stand the victim or scarcity mindset.

 

4. You’re Self-Directed

You don’t need a boss — in fact, you were never meant to have one. You don’t need to check in with higher powers or get validation as to whether your work meets the bar. No, thank you! You prefer to oversee your own your work, your business and your life in the path you choose.

 

5. You See a Job as a Risk, Not a Source of Security

You consider having a traditional job to be the ultimate risk because your security is completely out of your control. Someone else could decide your faith tomorrow based on some numbers, and that thought scares you to death. You are fiscally conservative, but not in the sense that you want a steady paycheck from someone else — rather, you want to take your income into your own hands.

 

6. You Defy the Norm

Going against the flow is in your nature. You’re not afraid to buck authority, to come up with “that’s never been done before!” ideas, and you’re curious about solving problems and making a difference — on your terms. You don’t want to fit into a box and do “normal” work. You want to figure out your own roadmap.

 

7. You’re a Dreamer

Every entrepreneur is a dreamer, just like every single one of us was a dreamer as a child and maybe even as a young adult. You trust that fire in your belly and know in your heart that you need be outside of the standard job zone to make stuff happen.

 

Where to Go From Here

If you nodded yes to every one of these symptoms, and you’ve been feeling this way in your 9-to-5 job for some time, it’s a sign. A sign that finding another job and getting a new boss are likely not the answers to your career woes. A sign to pay some well-deserved attention to your entrepreneurial calling, despite any objections and resistance, and consider — just consider — taking a step in a direction you never thought possible.

You, an entrepreneur? Calling your own shots? Being your own boss? Becoming a self-employed warrior? Absolutely. Why not?

Listening to the signs that I was a complete misfit in my employee role, even though I was very successful by normal standards, was one of the best decisions of my life.

My only regret? I didn’t listen sooner and instead tried to fix my frustrations with bandaids and distractions. I probably would have done something about it if I’d read about my entrepreneurial symptoms in a blog post like this one! So you’re one step ahead of me already, and time is your greatest asset.

Don’t wait to take action.

How did you score? If you’ve realized it’s time for a change, let us know in the comments what one step you can take in the next week to move in the direction of your entrepreneurial dreams!

 

Farnoosh Brock profileFarnoosh Brock is a multi-passionate entrepreneur and a published author, speaker and business coach. She started her own media and publishing company, Prolific Living Inc., in 2011 and teaches professionals going through “mid-career crisis” how to move up the corporate ladder or get out to start their own businesses. Learn more at https://www.farnooshbrock.com/

Forbes Insider's List opt in

Image: Flickr

About The Author