The freedom of being self employed

Greetings!

My work currently is not paying as well as it ought to, but I absolutely love it because it gives me the total freedom that I need. Honestly, there’s nothing like working for yourself; being your own boss brings so much peace of mind.

The last place I worked as an employee gave me no freedom at all. We worked from Monday to Sunday, resuming at 7:30 a.m. and closing at 9:30 p.m. each day. We barely managed to attend Sunday service but had to resume work on or before 11 a.m., which meant I was always reporting to work straight from church. As you can see, there was no single space for freedom at all. The worst part was that the salary didn’t match the workload. We were just using the job to survive because there were no better-paying options at the time. During that period, I was filled with regret, but I kept working because I had no alternative.

Now, however, I run my own business. Though it’s small, I truly love the freedom it brings. I can easily have visitors and attend to them properly. I can step out to eat whenever I want, and whenever I feel sick, I can lock up and take care of myself without being questioned by anyone.

My Work Routine:

Basically, my work life is based on client demand because it’s a service job—laundry service. I work according to my customers’ needs, but this doesn’t mean I’m tossed around; not at all. I follow a schedule. I attend to work at specific times, except when there’s public electricity. Whenever there’s electricity, I quickly make use of it, which may interrupt my routine. Apart from that, most of my tasks are handled in a very organized manner, and once I’m done for the day, I use the remaining time to attend to other things, especially on my phone, where I spend time writing and reading on the blockchain.

I’m never restricted from using my phone, unlike in workplaces where employees are prohibited from using theirs, even during breaks or when they’re idle. I experienced this during my teaching days in NYSC. The proprietor of the school, being an elderly man, disliked seeing young people use their phones. Each time he saw us on our phones in the staff quarters, he would murmur but never had the courage to impose a ban since we weren’t directly employed by him. I can’t even imagine working in a place where I’m restricted from using my phone.

Of course, I know there are high-paying jobs where phone usage is prohibited, and many people would jump at the opportunity to work in such places without hesitation. However, in today’s world, earning online has become a necessity. It’s not a bad idea to work in such places while still running a side hustle on your phone, provided you can balance both.

I love the simplicity and freedom I’m enjoying in this phase of my work life, and whenever I compare it to being employed, I always choose this one.

Thank you for reading.

Photos are mine