Whats stopping me from being an internet entrepreneur?
There are multiple ways you can make money and there are a thousand and one tutorials or articles online that teach you how to do so
I have a full-time job that I enjoy on most days and I am generally good with my money yet here I am in my one bedroom flat rather than having escaped the numerous Covid lockdowns on my private island somewhere. So, I have given this a lot of thought and realised a number of things.
Boxed in:
There is a path laid out for you from the very beginning, which mostly is encouraged by your family when growing up and as you grow up you continue on that path as that is all you know. Some individuals veer from that predetermined path and can be successful, on the other hand some who stay on the path aren’t always successful.
My path was education and then a job, my entire family did the same. None of us thought of becoming entrepreneurs — having a stable job was essential to survive. We played it safe, didn’t take any risks and are still boxed in and getting out of that box is hard work!
Laziness:
I don’t think I’m lazy but if you compare me to my husband who deems sitting down to watch TV as a sin; I am lazy. If he sits down for more than five minutes, it’s only because he’s making a to do list.
However; after working a full day and dealing with familial and other responsibilities it is much easier to turn on auto pilot and do things that you find relaxing rather than exerting even more energy learning or doing something ‘productive’. Watching Netflix while mindlessly scrolling through Instagram watching everyone else complain about yet another lockdown is way more satisfying than watching a YouTube tutorial about how I should utilise this lockdown to learn a new skill.
Instant gratification:
Now I’m not sure if this is a curse everyone suffers in the modern world due to social media.
I know it won’t happen quickly so maybe it’s not even worth me doing it as 1. Do I really need to do it? 2. I am doing fine without it so far and 3. Someone else has probably done it and better and most importantly 4. If I’m not instantly successful everyone I know will ridicule me.
Before you know it, you’ve talked yourself out of doing anything.
Lack of knowledge:
I asked my husband why he wasn’t what we both thought of as being ‘rich’. His response was simple and honest: he wasn’t aware there were so many possible ways to generate an income while still having a job.
My reasoning: I was aware of using social media as a money-making tool but it was more fun to watch cooking videos or DIYs and also, I just didn’t have time! Which leads me onto my next point.
Time:
I am guilty of saying ‘I just don’t have the time’ which I appreciate is complete BS when you take into the account the amount of time, I spend playing games, listening to music or podcasts while online shopping, cooking a buffet for just two people or re-watching Lord of the Rings for the nth time. What I should really be saying is ‘I don’t have the time to be ‘productive’ because I don’t want to’.
Relativity:
Rich is a relative term; I spent two lavish weeks in Bali on my honeymoon (feeling rich and spending like no tomorrow) and with the same amount of money I could probably get a day or at a push two experiencing a lavish lifestyle in London.
Simply put, one person’s rich is another person’s poor.
Lesson learnt:
Obviously there are so many other reasons that what I’ve not covered. However, I believe that it all comes down to happiness. I mean I would be happy on a private island somewhere. To do that I would have to first schedule every minute of every day to ensure I do something ‘productive’, learn a new skill, network with the right people, invest my energy in ‘side hustles’ and hope to get that lucky break.
Writing this helped me realise the age old cliche: I’m not money rich but have a rich family and social life (or at least I did in the world before Covid) and for the time being that is all the riches I require.
