Being self-employed is fantastic. But Like everyone else we have our own problems and struggles we have to deal with. For some people staying at a job may be the better option. But for others, it might be better just to quit our jobs permanently. I've been self employed since August, And financially I'm thriving. But my brain continues to be in this weird state. I keep expecting a phone call from my old supervisor, To tell me that my vacation is up and I have to go back. Since I was 16 years old, Ive been working a mix of full time jobs up until I turned 23 and now I am free! I can't imagine what it would be like for someone in the job area for much longer.
These are some common challenges many self-employed or entrepreneurs have to deal with.
Failure to accomplish desired goals
I feel this often. There doesn’t ever seem to be enough time in the day. It runs out so quickly. Then I’m left with a sinking feeling about the lack of stuff I Was able to get done. You really need to decide what you want out of the day, The bare minimum sometimes. Then you have to ensure you actually get it done.
Not Getting things done
It’s so easy to get distracted and do things that seem more interesting. Like a regular job, Some things you have to do every single day, it gets old. It gets tedious. But you have just to work through it anyways. I don't think it's ever possible to completely eliminate the things you don't LOVE! Sure you can outsource the bulk of it. But some of it will always be on your shoulders.
Increasing Competition
There will always be competition; You have to be able to adapt and strategically do better than your competition. You can’t just roll over and die.
I struggle with this with my coloring books, Because I don’t always have the skills to produce coloring books that can beat my competitors so it can be hard, But you have to fight through it.
Poor business relationships
Networking is important, And knowing the right people can give you extremely good advantages. I don’t know a lot of people yet, But I hope to start meeting more people. For example, With me on Steemit. I would never have joined this site without @stellabelle . Her and I started talking because we read the same book “choose yourself” by James Altucher. We both ended up in the Choose Yourself group on Facebook. I was then later introduced to Steemit. Even having relationships with people online can make a big difference. Don’t under estimate them.
Stress and Burnout
Self-employment is scary and stressful. You have a lot of pressure to perform everyday, and you don’t have a boss looming over your head to get you to get your work done. It’s also easy to burn out after working yourself half to death, Pulling those all-nighters, etc. I had somewhat of a burnout with blog posts here on Steemit, I was writing 4 posts a day, then I didn’t have the motivation to write more, although I had a nice break and now my motivation is coming back, But with me prepping my two businesses for the holidays I may have to keep cut back to a certain degree until things start to slow down.
It’s important to find what makes you happy, What can you consider as a “Break.” For me, a book, A nice run, Bike ride, Hike, Or even just drawing is a sufficient break for me. Just make sure you don’t spend too much time on break.
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