9 Tips for Transitioning from a 9-5 Job to Self-Employment
People loved this Twitter thread, so let's expand on it a little bit.
“Why Not Me? by Jarrylew” is an e-commerce and investment newsletter that focuses around the idea of using efficient income to become self-employed and financially free.
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Last week I put out this thread on Twitter that received a ton of engagement and even prompted several people to message me.
Just another reason you should follow me there, if you aren’t already.
![Twitter avatar for @jarrylew](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/jarrylew.jpg)
Since people loved it so much, I felt like it’s a great item to expand upon. Twitter only gives you 160 characters per tweet, so it really limits what you can include.
Let’s dive in.
Tweet #1:
![Twitter avatar for @jarrylew](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/jarrylew.jpg)
Far too often I come across people online talking about becoming self-employed or financially free as if it’s super easy to do.
Anyone claiming to have done either of those things in a year or less without hitting the lottery is just flat out lying.
If you want what is considered abnormal, you must put in an abnormal amount of effort to get it.
It would be nice to do a tiny bit of work and then get rewarded immensely, but that’s not real life.
What you’ll come to realize though is that this is a good thing.
The faster and easier you accomplish something, the more likely you are to throw it away or lose it.
That won’t happen if you put in work for years on end to get what you want most.
Tweet #2
![Twitter avatar for @jarrylew](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/jarrylew.jpg)
I can’t emphasize enough about how important this is. This is the secret to not giving up.
If you truly want something more than anything in the world, you will keep trucking when things get hard.
When things are going well, it won’t even feel like work.
This is how people work 12+ hours every day for months on end without blinking an eye.
This is how people juggle a full-time job, going to the gym, spending time with family, and building multiple side hustles.
I know this because I did exactly those things for years and never gave up.
Tweet #3
![Twitter avatar for @jarrylew](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/jarrylew.jpg)
I had no idea before I started that I would be good at building e-commerce businesses.
It happened to be one of the first side hustles I ever tried, but I also tried other things like:
Social Media Marketing
Building Amazon Affiliate Websites
SEO
Affiliate Marketing
I tried everything I could because you can never truly know what you’re best at until you experience it.
Failing is okay and is one of the best ways to learn, don’t be afraid of it.
When you fail, you don’t go backwards. You go back to where you began, but with far more expertise.
Tweet #4
![Twitter avatar for @jarrylew](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/jarrylew.jpg)
The idea of becoming self-employed by trading stocks sounds wonderful, even to me.
Just sit in front of a screen for a few hours, click a few buttons, and boom you’re rich.
The truth is that there are very few people who can actually do this profitably.
There is a reason why you have never heard of someone doing it exclusively over a long period of time.
If you have, they were lying.
Self-employment is only realistic if your means of making an income is damn near bulletproof.
No business or gig is actually bulletproof, but you get what I mean.
There is a reason why I’ve always stuck with classic e-commerce businesses, they are safe and effective.
If you actually think you can trade stocks or crypto and support yourself financially, do it on the side for some bonus income.
Tweet #5
![Twitter avatar for @jarrylew](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/jarrylew.jpg)
I’m grateful I had the presence of mind to think LONG term when deciding to embark upon this journey.
It wasn’t done on purpose though.
It was a result of doing what I said in Tweet #2.
As long as you’re on your journey for the right reason, putting all that extra work in is more enjoyable than doing nothing.
If it’s actually enjoyable, you don’t really care how long it takes you as long as you’re heading in the right direction.
Everyone moves at their own pace.
There is no use in comparing yourself to someone else, it will only discourage you.
The only person you should be comparing yourself to is your former self.
Tweet #6
![Twitter avatar for @jarrylew](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/jarrylew.jpg)
This is the most common excuse of all time that has absolutely no merit.
When someone says “I don’t have time for that”, it really just means “I’m not willing to make that a priority”.
There is always something unproductive that we all do that can be eliminated to help get to our greater goal.
At the end of the day, it comes down to how bad you want your end goal.
If you don’t want it that bad, you’ll find an excuse every single time.
If you do want it that bad, putting that extra work is not even optional.
Tweet #7
![Twitter avatar for @jarrylew](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/jarrylew.jpg)
This one might confuse some people. I have nothing against anyone needing a days off from the grind.
I totally get it.
However, most people taking days off are overdoing it and haven’t actually identified a schedule that is most efficient for them.
If you have figured out that if you take ever 3rd weekend off because over a 6 month time period, that is the best balance for you... Go for it!
If you are taking every weekend off because you feel like that’s what you “deserve”, you’re going to struggle.
Find what works best for you through experimentation.
Listen to your mind and body, but don’t let complacency creep in.
Tweet #8
![Twitter avatar for @jarrylew](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/jarrylew.jpg)
This one kills people’s momentum all the time.
I’ve had personal friends of mine start side hustles and then they start shopping with that new extra income they have.
I can’t think of anything more detrimental to your progress.
Delay the gratification for the day you sell your business or are making 20x what you’re making in your first year.
Taking profits away from your hustle should be avoided at all costs.
Don’t do it.
Tweet #9
![Twitter avatar for @jarrylew](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/jarrylew.jpg)
Almost any question you’ll ever have has already been answered at least once on the internet.
Develop the skill of answering your own questions through curiosity and research.
You’ll come to find out that it’s a fantastic way to learn and grow.
Want to run Facebook Ads? Google it.
Want to start a marketing agency? Google it.
Want to get started selling on eBay? Google it.
Google and YouTube should be your best friends.
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I wouldn’t ask if it didn’t really make a difference.
Thank you for reading.