The 9 to 5 Grind: Can You Escape It?

People constantly wonder whether they can escape the daily 9 to 5 grind.  But when they attempt to do so, they tend to do the wrong things.  This article offers tips to steer you in the right direction and hopefully get you out of that grind once and for all.

NOTE: At the end of this article, I have a very special bonus for you for reading this article.  You will NOT need to leave your email to grab the bonus so you won't get bombarded with a bunch of emails - which I wouldn't do any way 🙂  But I feel that taking the time to read the article deserves at least something as a token of my appreciation.  Of course, if you want to jump straight down and grab the bonus without reading this article, you are welcome to do that as well!

In this article, I will explore the following topics:​

People are Tired of Working at Dead End Jobs

I know this for a fact because that is why I started my own business.  But I also know this from the profiles of fellow members of Wealthy Affiliate, which is a service that helps teach people how to create and run online businesses.  Time and again, these members write that they want something different out of life and that is why they joined Wealthy Affiliate.

Figuring Out What Want To Do​

One of the biggest stumbling blocks when deciding to change careers is in knowing which career to change to.  For some people it's easy.  They migrate towards the hobbies they love like music or some kind of sports.  But for many others it can be a difficult transition.

But for those who have a difficult time, help is available.  Wealthy Affiliate can give yo​u guidance on how to choose a market that you can focus on.  And members are always available to offer helpful tips about how to get started.

Wil​l You Have to Take a Pay Cut?

In many cases when a person decides to change careers, they do​ so after building up a fairly decent salary level.  They justify the salary level due to the experience they have acquired along with serious sweat equity.  So there is a realization that by changing careers into something which they are not experienced in, employers are going to be less likely to pay at the same scale.  A pay cut is very likely.  This is not a decision to be taken lightly, especially as people get used to a certain lifestyle.

If you decide to start your own business, the situation can be even worse because no income will be coming in initially unless you are able to start generating income from y​our business.  There are ways generate temporary income which I will cover later.  But you will need to be ready for the fact that the "well is dry" as far as pay goes.

One alternative is to use a program like Wealthy Affiliate and build y​our business up while you are still working at your job.  This way you are still earning but you are building up something that has the potential to replace your income.  The downside is you won't have as much time to put towards your business.  But you could always choose to outsource the tasks that you don't have time for.

Cutting Back Expenses

Whether you change careers or decide to start up your own venture, you may need to cut back expenses at least until you get to a point where you are making what you made from your job.  This is often the most difficult part of the process as it requires not only a cut in pay but it's really a cut in the lifestyle you were used to.  Focusing on the future is the key to getting through this though.

Finding Temporary Ways to Generate Income

The internet has made it possible for anyone to generate some necessary cash.  There are several freelance sites where you can offer your services, such as graphic design, web programming, or writing content, among others.  Take a look on Craigslist and other websites as well.  People are always posting the need for some kind of service.

This can also be a great way to get experience with a skill that you are weak in.  There are many opportunities on a site like Craigslist where people will ask for services in exchange for a referral.  There won't be pay with the job but you are building a portfolio that can be presented to others later for pay.​

A word of caution: when looking for temporary ways to generate income, there are several time bombs just waiting for you to explode.  Anything that requires a serious initial cash outlay or just sounds too good to be true, should be avoided at all costs.

You Still Need To Work Hard

Many people approach career change or starting a business as an easy way out of the work they were doing.  If you are one of these people you need to refocus your mindset and realize that whatever you decide to do will be hard work.  In fact, you are probably going to work harder than you have in a long time.  Think about it.  You were probably very good at your job and much of what was expected of you was probably second nature.  With your new venture, whatever that happens to be, you are the "new kid on the block".  You almost have to work extra hard just to prove you are worthy.​

If you decide to create your own business, there is a dynamic that most don't think about: you are the boss now.  That sounds like a great proposition until you realize that no one is giving you the direction that you used to get when you worked in your job.  I get that is the point of starting your own business but you now have a further element of time management that used to be your former employer's responsibility.  This one aspect has actually led to many business failures.  Don't take this lightly.​

Get Training and Mentoring​

It's scary starting a new venture.  Many people haven't a clue how to go about doing it.  That's why you should invest in a training program and try to find a qualified mentor that can help guide you into taking the appropriate measures that can lead to success.​

Be careful when looking for this though.  There are plenty of self proclaimed "mentors" that have never made a successful business themselves.  The only thing they may be successful at is finding suckers who will pay large sums for their "expertise".  And as far as training, there are plenty of charlatans that will try to sell you programs that will not only be worthless but have the potential to get you into trouble.​

Wealthy Affiliate can satisfy both the training component and the mentoring component.  The training is extensive, even for the free starter membership.  While the mentoring is not one-on-one, you will have access to thousands of people that can answer your questions in a moment's notice.​

​Learn More About How To Utilize Wealthy Affiliate to Start Your Own Business

Discouragement is Natural

It's easy to envision living a good life because you branched out on your own and started a new business.  But as I mentioned, the real truth is it is hard work.  And it is going to be filled with discouragement along the way.  This is a natural component to owning your own business.  Heck, it can also happen when you change your vocation as well.  It's one thing to recognize (on paper) that you have to take a pay cut.  It's another altogether to truly experience it.  The bills don't go away and they seem more gargantuan when you aren't bringing home any cash.​

This is not meant to try to get you not to take the plunge.  It's just meant to point out that there are going to be plenty of road blocks along the way, some that even may make you want to give up and go back to what you were doing before.  Remember that most entrepreneurs are only profiled when they are successful.  The story of how they got to be that way is usually not the one that is told (until it becomes a documentary on that person's life, etc.)​

Support of Family and Friends

You would think that family and friends would be your biggest supporters but sadly, often they are your biggest critics, especially spouses.  Let's face it.  Your decision to branch out into something that no longer brings home income (or in the case of a career change, reduces income) affects them too. 

But interestingly enough, I saw a post the other day on Wealthy Affiliate about how this one member's husband wanted nothing to do with her business and didn't believe she could make it happen.  Then she got a sale and his whole attitude changed.  Now, he is her biggest cheerleader and if she is able to generate a certain amount of sales he told her he can quit his job.  Little does he know that when she gets to that point, she is the one going to be quitting her job! 🙂  The point is spouses tend to change their tune once traction in the business starts taking hold.

Friends tend to want you to fail (subconsciously) probably because if you succeed they are suddenly going to become jealous of your success.​  They are working the grind so you should have to as well.  Why should you get to live the good life, so they think.  What they don't realize is that many businesses that you can start today, they can start too and be just as successful.

Challenges of Working From Home​

When you work at your job, you head to wherever it is you work and then at a certain point at the end of the work day you go home.  Your family (and neighbors) all expect this from you day in and day out.  Then you decide you are going to work from home on your own family business.  You've heard about working in your pajamas, no?  But the harsh realities are you need to block out much of your home life when you start working at home, and that may not always be easy.

What you should do is to set aside a place, like an office space, where you will get your work done and you make it known to your family those boundaries.  In that space, you want to make sure it is as distraction free as possible.  Unless your job requires you to watch television (like a trader on wall street, etc.), do not have a television in your workplace.   But you also can give yourself the right to take a break to attend to family needs, as long as you don't do this too often during the day.  The balance of work to family is a process of negotiation and trial and error.​