The Internet has become full of digital nomads, the laptop lifestyle, entrepreneurs who sit on the beach and many false dreams that are portrayed as being better than working for someone else.

My buddy said this to me the other day:

“Don’t quit your 9-5!”

Five years ago, he quit his job in a bank and went out on his own with an online marketing agency.

-He sat on beaches with his laptop and did Skype calls from his villa.
-He took his girlfriend with him and put some travel photos up on Instagram.
-He did everything that the pre-roll videos of entrepreneurs on YouTube tell you will make you happy.

He was working for himself and incredibly unhappy with his career. He also went bankrupt and got $50k in debt.

The process he went through in his career led him to believe something he now teaches.

You don’t need to quit your 9-5 job.

My buddy believes that living the laptop lifestyle and working for yourself is fun for a little while, but eventually, if your work doesn’t align with your personal goals and doesn’t allow you to make an impact, you’ll eventually get lazy, or worse yet, give up.

So, what’s the solution then?

First, it’s an acknowledgment he says that not everyone has it in them to be an entrepreneur.

In fact, most people are not cut out to be entrepreneurs and that’s why 90% of businesses fail in the first five years.

There is another way though.

My buddy believes that if you understand the following, you won’t quit your 9-5 job:

1. You know how your job aligns with your personal goals
2. You know how your job makes an impact in the world
3. You know how you can use your job to discover your true self
4. You know who you are right now and who you have the potential to become
5. You know what entrepreneurship really means and whether you’re cut out for it

Why people are quitting their 9-5 jobs.

My buddy believes people are quitting their 9-5’s because they believe the grass is greener on the other side – and because they’ve never known what it’s like to be an entrepreneur, they feel it’s the only path to fulfillment and happiness.

If the culture of companies were to embrace this fundamental problem that is not being addressed, then fewer people would quit their jobs, start businesses that fail and be unfulfilled.

The solution, my buddy believes, is to show people that success can be achieved working for a company or working for yourself.

There is no one path. The number three employee at Facebook that’s now a millionaire is not complaining or feeling unsuccessful. He’s just as proud of his achievement as the founder of Tesla, Elon Musk.

“Using someone else’s company or your own company to be fulfilled and reach your goals, makes no difference”

Let me highlight this point a bit more. Four years ago, I wanted to build a personal development blog and create a tribe of millions of people. I realized that I hate building blogs, so I joined someone else’s blog (Addicted2Success) to achieve the same goal.

Addicted2Success gave me a platform and I now have my own following, vision and message that I share. When I started out though, I leveraged someone else’s blog.

There’s nothing wrong with this. What’s more important is that you feel you are making an impact and doing day-to-day activities that align with your personal goals. Avoiding this fundamental human need is what’s making people quit their 9-5 jobs. It’s unnecessary.

You don’t need to quit your 9-5 unless you are 100% sure you are cut out for entrepreneurship.

Try a side hustle together with working your 9-5 job if you must to try entrepreneurship for yourself. Whatever you do, don’t fall for the lie that you must quit your 9-5.

It could be the worst decision you ever make.

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