Opinions expressed by entrepreneur The contributors are themselves.
I recently contacted one of my best friends who moved to London to work for a large multinational company. He is talented, successful and hardworking.
However, she called me full of tears, anxiety and anger. They are restructuring the company; They are downsizing. My role is about to disappear.
I suggested he apply for the same role at other ventures, companies that could offer multiple benefits, from remote work to stock options. I explained that with his talent, potential and ideas, he could even become self-employed through freelancing for various contract clients. He could chase his own version of success and happiness. And he could probably end up with more money and even more freedom.
“you do not understand.” He said. I don’t want to be nobody. I want to work for the top companies in the world.”
Maybe I don’t understand but I also don’t understand why talented and hardworking people like him want to use all their potential in hierarchy and politics for prestige. Why do they allow their companies to stress them out, ruin their day, limit their career options, and define their worth?
RELATED: 7 Signs It’s Time to Transition from Employee to Entrepreneur
Make no mistake; There are many great people who recognize their worth and consciously support the employee mentality. They have no problem with that.
But if you’re tired of the corporate world, feeling like it’s limiting your options in life, and wondering when the time is right to use your skill set and make a change, now is probably the time.
Here are seven signs that you no longer have an employee mindset.
1. You love to work wherever and whenever you want
Flexible working hours and location independence became the norm after the pandemic in 2020. You’ve proven to your employer that location doesn’t affect productivity, and that a hard 9-5 workday can leave you exhausted.
And while many companies allow work-from-home days and flexible work schedules, you still need to report your location and total hours worked.
However, with an entrepreneurial mindset, complete flexibility of time and place is your dream. You know the only way to get there is to have complete control over your freedom by creating an income stream instead of waiting for a paycheck.
Related: Remote work is here to stay: Are you ready for a new way of life?
2. When you’re in meetings, you’re daydreaming instead of participating.
Employers spend an average of at least 3 hours per week in meetings, with 30% reporting spending more than 5 hours per week.
And instead of actively participating in that meeting, you think about how to avoid the next meeting so you can work on something instead. You know you could spend your time in a more productive way than attending company meetings, but there’s nothing you can do about it.
A senior person requested your presence. You have to be there so here you are, visualizing how you can get away with this waste of your time, when time is money.
Related: Your time is money, so don’t waste it
3. You absolutely despise titles and hierarchy.
When you have an employee mentality, you get too caught up in titles. You puff yourself up with pride, show off on LinkedIn, gossip about other people’s abilities, and jealously broadcast your best wishes to colleagues who first had a C title.
When you own a business, you laugh at job titles. You want people to work with you, not for you. You also know that a title cannot determine your worth. Anyone can go on LinkedIn and claim to be the CEO or an executive member of a 5 person company.
What does it even mean?
Fancy titles in corporate jobs almost always equate to less freedom, less time to work on your relationships with others, and less time to spend with your pre-adult children.
C titles as you climb the corporate ladder also mean less time to invest in planning your own personal care, health, and skills, and less time to enjoy life.
4. You’re experimenting with some lateral movements after or before work.
With the mindset of an employee, you look at a quarter to six and know it’s time to shut down your laptop and get on with your day.
And while it’s important to maintain a work-life balance, as a business owner, you’re constantly testing concepts and trying to create multiple income streams whenever you can. You’re not tied to a client, idea, or salary, but you’re willing to experiment, take risks, fail, and start over.
Related: 4 Creative Games That Fight Inflation and Make Extra Money
5) You are not afraid to build relationships through communication.
As an employee, you dread cold terrain. You don’t like to be rejected or ignored because that usually happens. You don’t try to communicate with others unless you have something to sell. In that case, you’re dealing with learning as a transaction, not a relationship.
However, as an entrepreneur, you know that expanding your systems through communication, consulting, or simply interacting with others is one of the most critical steps in building a personal or professional brand.
You do not underestimate the power of community and networking. Your goal is to make daily connections with one or two new people in the industry. In a year, you’ll be amazed at your reach and the ways your network has benefited.
6. You know that it is 100% possible to create passive income and make money online.
When you have an employee mentality, you don’t care about investing or making passive income online. Even if you care, you don’t think it’s very good and you don’t bother to build a diversified portfolio.
On the contrary, when you have entrepreneurial tendencies, you get excited about passive income ideas and turn your world upside down to generate income online.
The economy creates a very good and realistic scenario and not a quick plan. It’s an accessible reality with no barriers to entry, and as a business owner, you love the challenge. You know that spending x amount of time to create the smallest passive income stream can pay off 10x in the near future.
They know they need to find what they enjoy creating and work on it daily.
7) You continuously enrich your knowledge and skills to increase value.
As an employee, you are exchanging your skills and experience for billable hours. However, as an entrepreneur, you offer your skill set, idea, or business as a service that solves problems and provides value.
You don’t charge by the word, hour or month. You charge according to the benefits and application of your solutions. You answer questions and give results. And because your expertise is directly related to the value and results you deliver, you work to improve and enrich it daily.
Final thoughts
Maybe you’re not 100% ready to escape the rat race. However, if any of the above signs are true, then you know it’s time to own your career and follow a path you can fully control.
