Contrary to popular belief
Starting a business is viewed as the new American dream.
Forget buying a house and starting a family.
The dog with the white picket fence? That fantasy has been obliterated.
The new American dream is some version of this:
Escape the 9–5 life and be your own boss.
There are countless people pushing more business models than you can count.
Content marketing, email marketing, affiliate marketing, YouTube Channel, Dropshipping, and more.
Having a “regular” job is now seen as weird or even something to avoid.
I disagree with this.
Success Is What You Decide
Let’s start here.
Success is whatever you decide it to be.
“Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal or ideal.” — Earl Nightingale.
Earl Nightingale was the founding father of the entire motivational speaker genre. Google him and listen to everything he’s put out.
This definition is perfect.
You can be successful as long as the following is true.
- You choose the goal you are working toward (this means you are not working toward something because you believe you are supposed to or because everyone else is doing that thing).
- You are progressing toward this goal
- The goal is something that is worthy of striving for (it’s something that takes time and effort to achieve).
That’s it.
If the above points are true, then you are working toward a worthy goal and are progressing.
In other words, you are successful.
If you love your regular job and believe you are making an impact on the world, you are successful.
Notice that nowhere is money or status mentioned.
Running A Business Is Not For Everyone
It takes a lot of work to start up your own business.
It takes money, time, attention, focus, and energy.
Some people are more comfortable showing up to work and collecting a paycheck.
There is nothing wrong with this. Again, I’m not trying to put the regular job in a bad light.
If you love your job and make enough money to survive, you may not want to put in all this effort when you are already happy and successful.
Others are simply not confident or motivated enough to get to work without someone there cracking the whip all the time.
Maybe they prefer to not have the final say in a decision.
If I loved my job, I wouldn't want to leave it either.
You Can Work 9–5, Love Life, And Not Feel Guilty
The bottom line is this: Work toward a worthy goal, whatever that may be, and make your own decisions.
Find your ideal version of success. Strive for greatness and be happy.
Find your purpose through your work.
A business is great to have if that's what you want in life. If you want something, go for it.
If you start a business because you think it sounds cool or because it’s a sure-fire way to escape the “rat race,” you need to step back and reevaluate your desires in life.
A 9–5 job is not a bad thing.
“Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal or ideal.” — Earl Nightingale.
