The LifeMaven

A simple epiphany for me.

One of the reasons for my current situation is my disdain for corporate life and traditional jobs.

I had felt that I would be happier if I had more free time and tried to build my own business on the side. It would allow me to both enjoy myself and create my future.

The past few months have taught me a lot:

1) It is difficult to start a business that your heart is not entirely in.

(Follow your passions)

You have to really love what you’re doing. If you spend hours working on your business/project and forget to eat or wonder where the time went, then you know you’re on the right track.

2) Just as hard, is finding a business model that works with your passions.

(How will your passion make you money, who will pay and how much.)

3) Set your own goals for what you want in life.

(Your list of things to do before you die. )

Make sure these are your goals and not just what society or your peers think should be your goals. They should speak to you on an emotional, deeper level. Your heart should race with excitement as you think about them!

4) Based on those goals, how will you achieve or finance them.

(Small business or corporate?)

The last point brings me to my intentions for this post. I realized that by working part time and trying to force myself to come up with a business, I was not getting any closer to my goals.

Much to my disbelief, taking one of those traditional corporate jobs would give me the funds much faster and make it much easier to get started on my goals. The only problem would be if I fall too into the other extreme and forget my goals entirely. Otherwise, a job will simply be another means to my ends.

On my list there are some things that I want to experience before I die. Things like drive on the Laguna Seca or the Nurburgring. These are both very achievable if I only had the finances. It is not something that I need an overwhelming amount of time for. A week maybe? I could use vacation time from said corporate job to do it.

Am I selling out? Vaguely.

It depends on the corporate culture that I join. If the values are right, and the environment is good, then I won’t have a problem.

But I won’t get stuck in another unhealthy corporation, just for the money.

(Disclaimer: The company I’m at now wasn’t always this bad. But in the year and half I’ve been there, I’ve seen it go bad. Firing good people, under paying others, all in the name of cutting costs and maintaining profitability and the salaries of those in managerial positions, while the front line staff are marginalized and forgotten.)

The corporation I join has to do their part. They need to reward their employees’ efforts and truly practice the cliche that employees are their best asset.

If they do that, then I can join in peace.

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