The Core Philosophy Behind Working For Yourself

As mentioned in the video, when most people hear the phrase “working for yourself,” they think of being their own boss.

That’s not the case.

In reality, working for yourself in its most raw form means working on projects you find meaningful.

This could be:

Working on your business
Starting a brand
Building an agency
Leading a community

Working For Yourself means that you choose what you want to work on. No constraints, no limits. Just you and your free will.

However, this would mean:

No weekends
No holidays
No rest days

But this also means you won’t be miserable the entire time. Also, you won’t be working overtime cause every minute is spent caring for your work.

Your Work

My work. Not for some other institution. Not for a machine you were chosen as a cog for. Not for a cause you don’t understand (or maybe don’t even want to support).

It’s for you. And that’s the interesting part.

You care way more about your projects, your products, your work, and everything else that is yours.

When people critique me for working so much, I simply ignore it (though I know where it is coming from).

I enjoy what I do.

Ever since I have started working more and more on personal projects, I have stopped understanding the reason why people would want a day off from their work.

The same thing goes with wasting time on different things like video games, watching TV shows, ranting on subreddits about things that don’t matter, etc.

Why I May Never Work For Somebody Else

I want to make something clear. If the other person’s work fulfills me (like community building, event organizations, setting up online infrastructure for communities) and/or provides me with some cash, I will always take it up (the first part is a must, but the second is optional).

This is because I love doing things that fulfill me.

I hate the idea of waking up at a time I don’t want to, commuting at a time and place I don’t want to, working at a place I don’t enjoy, coming home feeling “tired” after doing nothing, and repeating this 5 days a week for 2 days of rest.

I would rather work 12 hours every day on my own project(s), business, etc.

And I do.

And that is why I may never get into corporate, 9-to-5 jobs.

A gig to work on software (website building, setting up servers, etc.) for a company that is temporary, pays me nicely, and has no strict rules - sign me up.

But that isn’t a great solution for the long term.

Conclusion

This video helped me reflect on my position on what I want to do in life.

Asking questions like “Do I want a boss?” or “Is flexibility really that important?”.

I will always prioritise fulfillment and money. And so, anything checking those boxes is something I would do long term.