Nathan Exposed » thoughts on being self employed

This is my second full week of being self employed. I know, 2 weeks is no big deal. But these are my thoughts so far…

- I’m happy, but I’m not as excited as I thought I’d be. I guess that’s because I was doing so much work on the side, I had already developed the habit of working from home. I just happened to also spend 8 hours in an office and 90 minutes commuting each day.

- I eat A LOT. I went through this last time I was self employed. It’s really difficult to cut yourself off from snacking when you work at home. Luckily my home office is upstairs so I just do my best to stay there during the day.

- I sleep for at least 8 hours every night. The benefits have been amazing. I am much more alert, my memory is sharper, and I’m more productive.

- I don’t have nearly the amount of free time I thought I’d have. That’s one of the top myths about being self employed. I thought I’d be lounging on the couch more, but no such luck. If anything, I work more. But the work is more targeted, and more rewarding because I reap the benefits.

- I clean the house often. No idea why. I guess I do have some free time.

Everything’s going my way, so I’m pretty happy. I think I’d recommend being self employed to anyone. It does require a certain amount of ambition and motivation. But I believe that everyone is really good at something. You should focus on what that is and make it your career.

There is also this saying about money. I don’t remember the exact quote. But if you do what you truly love, what you are really passionate about, money will follow every time. I think money is the biggest stigma when people decide to work for themselves. But believe me, you find ways to make it happen.

Mon, Mar 12, 2007 @ 10:39 am | Filed in Life | Permalink

5 Comments

Sometimes structure in our lives, a schedule, is exactly what we need….other times, NEVER. And, of course,the good and bad always come together. Sounds like you’re doing very well….and, you have a clean house to boot! Cheers
Off to Orlando tonight to meet the girls there!

Posted by Lewis on Mon, Mar 12, 2007 @ 4:57 pm

Good luck Nate…

Posted by john on Mon, Mar 12, 2007 @ 9:21 pm

I bet you work off a lot of nervous energy by cleaning.
Getting 8 hours sleep is SO important. It makes a huge difference to the quality of life.
And it sounds like you’re doing well at providing the structure you need for yourself.
It’s always a little bit of a let down when you get to the “one day at a time” of things. It’s impossible to maintain that pitch of excitement day in and day out.
You’re doing great!

Posted by DEL on Mon, Mar 12, 2007 @ 11:34 pm

I envy you. I wish I could work from home. I know it’s not as easy as it looks though. You definitely have to be disciplined to survive. Congrats on being self employed! You’re livin the dream!

Posted by jasontt33 on Mon, Mar 12, 2007 @ 11:45 pm

i do envy you as well. you lucky b-tard.

Posted by aboutaboy on Tue, Mar 13, 2007 @ 12:15 pm