How to Work for Yourself

When someone doesn’t have any work (usually job!) to do, he seems depressed, dejected and devastated. He feels something dying in him though he is alive. He hears something crying in him for expression. Rick Warren said: “Impression without Expression equals Depression”. Therefore, the greatest privilege of humanity is the privilege of work. But a greater damage to the human mind and the society is engaging in work that does not make you a better person. Like wildfire, your frustration ‘scars’ everyone – your family, friends, colleagues, clients, and sometimes God! (See Signs of a Frustrated Employee)

Therefore, to ‘work for yourself’ means to have the freedom to enjoy your work (not job. You can never enjoy your job so long as you see it as a job!), make the most of it, and become the best in it.

Here are a few tips on how to work for yourself.

1. Accept responsibility for your life. Whatever your boss/employer does notwithstanding, you must choose to enjoy yourself and your work. You’re either distracted by the noise in the market, or you focus on your transaction. You have a choice.
2. Be rewarded based on performance, not salary. (I know this would kick a ‘you-are-unrealistic!’ response in some minds, but the only way you can know how much you are really worth is by your performance. You’d understand this if you are an employer. Otherwise, you’re likely cheating on your employer)
3. Focus more on the rewards of work other than money. Money is very important (and from my observation, the next in importance to God). But when it seems you are not getting enough of it in your present work, it becomes wise of you to get enough of the other benefits of work rather than complaining, compromising, conniving or criticizing. A few rewards of work are:
   1. Satisfaction
   2. Mental development
   3. Networking and relationships building
   4. Systems development and management
   5. Knowledge management etc.

If you really need the kind of money that you are worth, then you must get enough of these if they are available. You’d need it.

I know one of the challenges we have are practical, quick, realistic and simple methods by which we can implement these. I have packaged a 4-hour-training, The 180⁰ Worker, where we can share live experiences and thoughts on how to be a truly great employee in 2013 and beyond. For more information please call: +2348096001659.