RADIO SHOW/AUDIO PODCAST
Solutions...with Courtney Anderson! (SwCA)
Episode 172 -
Originally aired 8/20/2014 9:00 AM -
SELF-EMPLOYMENT ECSTASY™ series -
“I Have So Many Ideas That I Lose Track of Time All of The Time! What Should I Do?”
TALK SHOW EPISODE NOTESThis is the debut of the new series, SELF-EMPLOYMENT ECSTASY™! I am ecstatic about this series as self-employment has been one of the most enjoyable aspects of my professional life. I aspired to be self-employed from the time I was a child. I shared some of my family role models in prior shows (ancestors that were real estate investors, entrepreneurs, self-employed attorneys, etc.). I love the art of creating something from nothing whether it is a short story, a lawn mowing business, a global billion dollar firm or a single person service. It is all fascinating!
There is a large amount of content available that discusses how to transition from an employee to being self-employed (as this is the most common path). Yet, my first ‘full-time’ job was being self-employed (in my 20s) and I only accepted a full-time employment appointment at a university two decades later! As a professor I am able to integrate my existing consulting and research into my educational endeavors so it is an ideal path for me. This series is designed for the statistically rare, yet often overlooked, self-employed individual who marches to their own drummer and loves it! This is not a series for people who want to consider future self-employment (aspiring) and how to become self-employed. This is a series for existing self-employment individuals. A very small number of people are self-employed ‘full-time’ (not the best term but it does convey the intended meaning). How are we defining self-employed in this series? Definition of Self-employed - ": earning income directly from one's own business, trade, or profession rather than as a specified salary or wages from an employer” Self-employed. (n.d.). Retrieved August 4, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-employed There is a very different professional situation for a self-employed person who operates as their own safety net. No guaranteed paycheck, no benefits. Self-employment is a joy for those who value autonomy and possess high levels of self-discipline. From Bloomberg Businessweek, “self-employed people are happier with their jobs than the wage-employed. According to the Pew report, "Nearly four-in-ten self-employed workers (39%) say they are 'completely satisfied' with their jobs, compared with 28% of all wage or salaried employees." This is consistent with earlier studies showing that, in a wide range of countries, a higher percentage of the self-employed are satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs than the wage employed.” (http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/apr2010/sb2010041_151187.htm) Why are we referring to the series as self-employment ecstasy? Because the data shares that this group (self-employed) are happier than the non self-employed. Definition of Ecstasy - “a state of very great happiness : extreme delight” Ecstasy. (n.d.). Retrieved August 4, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ecstasy Due to the higher levels of happiness for self-employed individuals, this series in entitled, SELF-EMPLOYMENT ECSTASY™! In this series we will explore that small percentage (about 11% in the US as per Pew Research at http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2009/09/17/take-this-job-and-love-it/). The population of self-employed in the US is also decreasing. “For the first century of its existence, the United States economy was dominated by independent workers. […] Self-employed farmers, ranchers, hunters, fishermen, and loggers made up more than 8% of the workforce in the late 1940s. Now it’s less than 1%.” (http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/02/where-are-all-the-self-employed-workers/) This small minority of individuals has unique and often overlooked challenges and motivations. From Pew Research, “Self-employed adults are more likely than others to be working for the intangible psychological benefits that come from a job. To be sure, a paycheck is important to the self-employed — eight-in-ten said a big reason they worked is to support themselves and their families. But money is less of a motive to work for these workers than it is to wage and salaried employees. […] Other factors clearly motivate those who work for themselves. When asked the big reasons they worked, the self-employed are more likely than salary or wage employees to say they work in order to live independently (84% vs. 76%), feel productive (75% vs. 67%) and “to help improve society” (55% vs. 46%). They also are more likely to work to give themselves “something to do” (50% vs. 39%) and to be with other people (43% vs. 34%).” (http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2009/09/17/take-this-job-and-love-it/) Our series is therefore focused on the issues important to this population, independence, productivity, being of service to society and healthy interaction with others! This first episode in our new series addresses a topic that many of our self-employed ecstasy community members are familiar with! It is, “I Have So Many Ideas That I Lose Track of Time All of The Time! What Should I Do?” We all deal with time management challenges whether we are self-employed, non self-employed or not employed at all! The specific issues that we are discussing in this show are how to handle time management issues when there is no (or very few) external constrictions on scheduling decisions. How do you manage time with no ‘start’ or ‘stop’ time for work? With no ‘boss’ setting requirements of what is a priority or when things are due? One of the suggestions we discuss is for the self-employment ecstasy community members to set an artificial schedule that they will force themselves to adhere to (for eating, breaks, fun time, etc.). There stereotype of the writer, entrepreneur, artist, etc., hidden away creating their work in a dimly lit corner of their workplace coming out only intermittently is a real challenge for the self-employed (here is the show on Idea Generation Location if you need a place to be creative). There are serious negative consequences to this type of behavior (physical, mental, emotional, etc.) and the self-employed have a higher threshold of individual responsibility to prevent it from occurring. From The Daily Schedules of Creative Geniuses, “Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work,” said Gustave Flaubert, the iconic French novelist. " (http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/235487) Let’s be violent and original in our work!! |
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