Employee: Know exactly when & how much the salary will be, also know when it will finish. You have full control yet happiness & contentment levels are low. There is fear of losing the job & greed to get more are biggest challenges. Loss of purpose & little room at the top can lead to quarter life crisis & mid life crisis.
Freelancer: Don't know when or how much money the next assignment will be. You have less control but yet there is happiness & contentment in doing your own work. Learning is good. Your relationship with money plays out, money problems could be there since there is no surety of work. If you work hard rewards are handsome. Freedom & Independence are the big outcomes. You could become a vagabond too. Discipline is the key here. You could feel burdened if you work too much or feel an emptiness if you don't have much work.
Consultant: Your expertise is rewarded. You can make a lot of money & keep improving on your skills. If you have the credibility sky is the limit. If you are networked well or have built your brand work keeps coming. Expertise comes from years of practice. Learning is immense. You have the choice of the work you would want to pick up. Work life balance can be amazing. There is a danger of not getting involved enough & hence not providing the right solutions. You could end up believing that you know it all.
Entrepreneur: Don't know how will you pay the salary of employees. It all depends on external factors, you have little or no control. But happiness & joy of creation is immeasurable. There is high risk & high return. 16 hour work days are common so is burnout. Learning is maximum. Paying yourself comes last hence it is tough for entrepreneurs to survive. Failure rates are over 90%. But once you cross the first few years you can not only support yourself but so many families. Your work can leave behind a legacy & it can support generations. The reward is maximum in terms of learning, skills, money & quality of life & making a difference in society.
I have had the good fortune to having played all these roles. My order of preference is from entrepreneur to consultant to freelancer to employee in reducing order of preference. Entrepreneur being the most interesting role.
What about you?
What role would you prefer to play in your life?
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