PREPARE TO BE YOUR OWN BOSS

One out of every 10 of my friends in their 20’s is looking for another job. The number #1 reason:

They CAN’T STAND their BOSS.

So people say they simply cannot work with their boss, there’s a few underlying meanings:

•They don’t feel appreciated

•They’re not able to do the things they want to do in their job

•They do not feel understood

Oftentimes people think they hate their jobs because of the boss’ actions, but it can actually be because of the feelings brought upon themselves by interacting with their boss and being in that job-role.

I read an article today that the highest cause of overwork is not management, not the company, but because of the overworked individual giving them-self too many tasks, striving to go above and beyond and refusing to say no.

So what is the conclusion I draw from this? Well if you are overworking yourself, you are clearly striving for something more, hoping that going above and beyond will help you feel fulfillment. If you wish to be able to work on things outside of your regular job description, then the only person that is not allowing you to do these things is you.

Obviously, I don’t mean that if you are an artistically-inclined accountant that you should start spending your days finger-painting your account receivable reports.

I mean start working on a hobby that you TRULY love, and take it as seriously as you do your own job!

A perfect example of someone grabbing life by the horns and taking their hobby + love seriously is Tina Roth Eisenberg also known as SwissMiss (and an interview from her that I personally love, although search for them all because she is so great).

She started her blog as a way to simply keep a scrapbook of the things she loved, and before she knew it, she had a band of loyal followers. She was onto something.

Everytime she found that she was not happy in her current work situation, she took inventory of the things that she was doing that made her ^happy^ and not happy, and decided to push to do more of the former. And everytime she fell onto something great. That’s 5 businesses and counting.

One of her ‘projects’ that you may be familiar with is Tattly. It was inspired by her daughter who came home with a crappy, chemical-filled, and peeling temporary tattoo and she said to herself ‘this is crap’ I can make something better… And she did. Tattly is now servicing thousands of customers all over the world, straight from her original studio in Brooklyn, NYC.

So back to you. How can you start your own thing, and how can you get out of your current rut, and begin finding the thing that makes you happpy?

First you have to pinpoint, what is your THING? To find this out, ask yourself:

1. What are the things outside of your job that you wish that you could do?

Maybe you wish you could do more public speaking, or you wish you had more opportunities to train new co-workers as they on-board in their new roles. Whatever it is, these are all real reflections of who you truly are, and where your most passionate self lies.

2. What productive things do you do in your spare time (read: not tv and cruising instagram)

Do you find yourself doodling on everything? Maybe you need to do something more creative. Are you constantly organizing parties for friends and making lists? Think about improving your craft and potentially doing event planning! Are you writing detailed documents of your day? Consider starting a blog!

3. What we’re you doing the last time you felt truly fulfilled and happy?

This could be working out, having a discussion on a topic you are passionate about, or art class back in highschool. Nailing down the things that you enjoy doing will make sure that when you begin work, it does not feel like a chore.

You can take the responses from these questions and actually use them to craft an idea of what your DREAM job would be. Maybe it is a niche that does not exist. If so, this is the perfect avenue for you to start small and begin to be your own boss. Begin your own project, and find fulfillment outside of your 9-5.

Next ask yourself:

How do you wish your manager would manage you?

And keep close note of your answer to this.

If you want your manager to

• trust what you are doing

• be encouraging

• tell you when you have done a good job

• share your successes with the world

• and so on…

Make sure that when you are managing yourself, you are being this kind to yourself. Tell yourself how amazing your hard work is and the great things that are going to come out of it. And remember, one day when you manage other people, to reflect these important values and make sure you are the manager you always wish you had!

xo,

Reese

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Images are from jasminedowling.com, coztume.com, and tattly.com