You should really quit your job on Monday. Yes tomorrow today . If you are working for a salary or wages and have no equity in the business that is.
And here’s why:
You are living someone else’s dream.
You are exchanging the days of your life to build the vision of someone else. You are not doing what you dreamed about as a child.
The reality is this: once you have a place to live and food to eat, the rest is ego. Chances are you are working in a job just to feed your ego. I know because I was this person for more than 10 years. I had jobs I didn’t like – high paying ones, to buy things I didn’t need, to impress people I didn’t care for. It’s a pointless treadmill which the government encourages to maximise consumption, generate higher tax rates and PAYE deductions and enforce control through a passive education process which says consumption equals success. We must remove this idea of the power structure from our minds and remind ourselves that real wealth is defined by the cool stuff we are doing, rather than the stuff we buy.
Quite your job, de-gear your life and do something of value. To further encourage this process I’ll leave you with one final thought I tweeted a while ago:
Cheers, Steve
[digg=http://startupblog.wordpress.com/2009/04/26/quit-your-job/]
Done 🙂
You ‘da man Steve.
I quit a long time ago, and each day embodying that concept you came up with: don’t optimise it – awesomeise it.
Sam,
running flat out.
One does not accrue wealth merely for needless consumption. It is accrued for needful consumption, comfort, entertainment, and security.
If everyone followed your advice, the economy would collapse, as people would all seek risky endeavors in place of stable and proven productive ones.
I respect the prepared, reasonable entreprenuer, who realizes that other people do not owe them financial safety just because they threw caution to the wind and pursued their “dream” with no regard for the possibility of a venture failing.
My advice is: be productive at a job, obtain a sizable safety net, and then become an entreprenuer. Preferably while young, so that your retirement is not at risk. Be prepared to fail and return to more stable employment.
Joel,
Nice counter comment – I really appreciate the dialogue.
Agree that we certainly need wealth for needful consumption, the thought challenge is how much do we really need?
If everyone followed my advice? – It’s a ‘startup blog’ – not employee blog, so the people reading this either are, or have, entrepreneurial ambitions -I’m encouraging them to realize their dream. In terms of the reasonale, prepared entrepreneur who builds a safety net, I reckon there are more unreasonable entrepreneurs who have no option, but to succeed who make bank. Just my thoughts without any research 🙂
Loved the comment.
Steve.
Well said. Too many folks fall into this trap, and just never get out to what they wanted to do. And perhaps this is the best thing that has come out of the “economic” crisis 🙂
Vijay (The Startup Guy)
http://www.vijayanand.name
I needed this today. I am still living someone else’s dream (if that’s what this is 🙂 nightmare might be more accurate ) as I work on my side venture while trying to keep up with family and life. It’s probably easier to just not start off working for someone, although all of these years in corporate life has been a good example of how NOT to do things.
MJ @ Cubicle Bailout
I also agree – I’m living someone else’s dream! No more! Today is MONDAY!