Becoming responsible for your life and wanting to take the ownership reins fosters a mindset of being unemployable.
Not unwilling to work
There’s always going to be work.
And if you buy what I’m selling on this page, then know that your workload will dramatically increase.
No. I’m talking about something different here. A change in perspective. An altered goal set.
OK. Right now, this does not apply to all of you out there.
I am addressing the truly entrepreneurial-minded amongst you.
The ones who seem to have it all in the smarts and experience departments, yet can’t keep a job.
I’m also talking to those of you who may be developing a strong sense that this might be you.
And if you’re in that second group, by enacting what I teach and share, you will – like it or not – find yourself in that first group.
You will become UN-employable
You will find it increasingly difficult to remain a cog in someone else’ machine.
You will also realize that no one can change your status, except you.
Only you can remove that glass ceiling over your head.
The one that is prebuilt into the career you currently have.
This is good news! Great news, actually!
But it’s a good thing that comes with a heavy price to pay that only becomes more expensive if you go about it wrong.
I can’t work for anyone as an employee
Haven’t been able to in over a decade now.
Literally. Haven’t been able.
It’s too hard for me to be part of a poorly run shop, or to have my ideas ignored, or to want more income knowing the job itself will never allow for it.
Yet I am an incredible team player.
And in some situations, someone else is the leader and I must follow what that person dictates in order for the project to move forward.
And I’m fine with that. Happy even. I can’t be THE leader in every situation, nor do I want to be.
Back to my point: I long ago lost the ability to work as hard as I could and give my best every day, in order for some other person to lead the dream life I was helping create for them, instead of my own.
I got tired of being leveraged
And therein lies the rub.
When you’re an employee, which is no bad thing in itself, you are working to make the owner’s dreams come true.
He has leveraged your energy.
This allows him to not work like you but still get that job done.
He scales production by leveraging many workers like you.
Now he earns exponentially more money.
Again: without doing any of that work himself.
It’s simply effective ROI. He’s multiplied himself.
The efforts of the entire force bring him a good return on his investment of leadership, sales, and planning efforts.
He works too, probably harder than his employees in many cases.
But in the end:
- He’s getting a piece of income from the efforts of everyone under him
- You’re only getting an income from your efforts
The fact that all of you remain employed, while fulfilling your tasks, ensures you’ll continue to get paid but nothing more.
You’ll never get paid what you’re truly worth
You’ll only get paid what the job’s worth to the company.
And there’s never a shortage of folks looking to take your place if you feel you’re being undervalued and wish to leave.
If the owner plans well, he can eternally raise his income
He also has enough money to then make investments in other areas – to put his money to work for him.
You probably are living from check to check and can’t even imagine having enough to set aside for investment.
Is there anything wrong with any of this?
No. Not at all. He’s doing him and you’re doing you. You’re both honoring a mutually agreed upon contract.
But what if you want what he has – generally speaking?
- Or what if you realize that his company might fail or he might have to cut you free to keep his company alive?
- Or fire you for any number of reasons having nothing to do with the quality of your work or character?
- What if you have to quit, in order to take care of some new development in your life that has nothing to do with your job?
By staying an employee, you truly have no choices!
As long as you remain an employee, that sword hangs over your head.
The hair could snap at any moment.
There is only one way to guarantee a chance at a better life
You have to build something of your own that does what his company does for him. And it has nothing to do with what he actually produces.
You have to build a machine that will deliver you that upgraded lifestyle and security.
You have to accept responsibility for your destiny, just as he does!
That is scary to most people, even when they realize they’d like to give it a shot.
So, let’s take this one step at a time and chunk it out.
Accept the fact that you’re not happy as an employee with a limited ability to earn
Now make a list of what matters to you most, what you enjoy most, what you’re best at, and where it all overlaps.
Start by looking at your life and seeing if you can identify whatever it is that you talk about most, regardless of why.
A topic of interest.
The thing you’ll tell people about, whether they asked for it or not.
And I’m referring to a positive thing. If your thing is based in negativity, well, you’re not going to get what I’m saying anyhow.
Then, accept the fact that you really can have more.
Just accept it.
No big actions yet, besides the lists. Just get it in your head that this can be done.
And “this” is just something bigger.
- Something more satisfying
- Something that you’d get up early for to service
- Something that matters to you or to someone you care about deeply
And there’s more.
But for right now, I just want you to get good with the idea that if you take responsibility for your life, and refuse to be fed by someone else for evermore, you can be the person that feeds others.
With great rewards come great responsibilities but the reverse is also true.
This has nothing to do with power, gaining fans or worshipers, or ego
I am only referring to your becoming aware of that inner voice that tells you that you can and should do better.
You know it’s not lying.
Now take responsibility and start some research. Start those lists. Start believing in yourself enough to give this some time in the sun.
Start being honest about where your life’s headed and if that path leads to what your heart desires most
Rich Schefren has an entire system devoted to this discovery.
So do a few other mentors of mine. Go have a look at what they did for me and see what they might do for you.
The photographer of this post’s featured photo: Priscilla Du Preez
