"Be your own boss," wrote Sue Shellenbarger in today's WSJ "Work & Family" column. I always wondered why, when I hear my clients talk about their frustrations with their jobs, I secretly grin as I realize how fortunate I am to have taken the route of a solopreneur. True, I have no paid vacations, nor an employer based health insurance program, nor daily access to friendly colleagues. But, I have so much more ... in my opinion. Photo to the right is me at my local TV station, anchoring my own show, called "Alivelihood: New Careers As We Age" - 1 of the things I do as a solo entrepreneur.
Shellenbarger previews results from a landmark survey of 100,000 people, conducted by the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which found that the self-employed exceed 10 other occupations in their reported life satisfaction. They experience joy and contentment in these domains:
- emotional and physical health
-
job satisfaction
- healthy behaviors
- access to basic needs
- self-report of basic life quality
Frank Newport, editor of the Gallup Poll, says, "it reaffirms my view that the more control you have over your work, the happier you are." Despite the long hours and the felt need to always be "on call," people who perceive they are masters of their own fate feel more life satisfaction. They more often feel that they've chosen something to do that is meaningful to them, rather than working for someone else's agenda.
In this period of tough economic times, many people in their 50s and 60s have felt out of control of their work lives. They might be more vulnerable to layoffs and take longer to re-employ. Those who have gone into business for themselves at least feel that their work ethic and perseverance can be rewarded. They believe that you have only yourself to blame if your business flounders. If it does, you can always devise a plan to get new business, to change your approach, to find a new market. Entrepreneurs, who by nature are optimistic, tend to be more resilient when disappointed; they bounce back and try another angle.
As a solo life coach, psychotherapist, author, and speaker, I am often excited by the prospect of a new client or one who's making a breakthrough, a new speaking engagement, or my next book being published. I don't have to depend upon my boss's decision about what I should do next - I decide myself. I have complete independence to reroute my decision, if the last one didn't pan out. I can make my own schedule. I can choose the ambience of my office and make it as feng shui as I know how to do. I can choose my work colleagues and hire (or fire) the ones that don't meet my expectations.
If you're your own boss, what is your level of well-being? How often do you smile with contentment about a job well done, thanks or praise you just got from a customer or client, satisfaction about learning something new that fits beautifully with your business goals?
Join the discussion here by clicking on Comment below. Or write to me at Karma@LifeSpringCoaching.com.

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