It might seem like a stretch, but the reality is, once a few pieces are in place, such as some good habits and a stable home life, working for oneself is pretty awesome.

Compared to a traditional work environment, solopreneurs have it made in the shade.

Here’s 4 ways solopreneur-ship is superior to trad work.

And a few tips for would be deserters along the way.

1. A Greater Sense of Purpose and Adventure

If you only consider this section, I believe it will be helpful, no matter what your entrepreneurial path looks like.

It’s no accident that I mention “purpose” first.

I believe it is the greatest determiner for success in the long run.

Entrepreneurship, and more specifically solopreneur-ship, forces a person to examine themselves and their motivations. The examination may be uncomfortable initially, but it will forge a greater-willed individual and a better business.

A deep sense of purpose will allow you to push through tough times. You will outlast and outmaneuver any competition without one.

By knowing yourself deeply, you have a fallback point with a vantage that gives you an undeniable long-term advantage.

But there is also something about being on your own as a creative entrepreneur that enlivens your drive to push forward. It’s a state of mind that I’m not sure is possible in a 9 to 5. There’s a sense of adventure, an enlivening of the soul, and a feeling that you’re on your path.

It’s a taste of what I imagine being a pirate or a Viking felt like, without all the scurvy, killing, and venereal diseases.

2. Control Over The Work Environment

Having little control over your work environment means DISTRACTION, in a variety of possible forms, such as: loud co-workers, disruptive bosses, impromptu or unnecessary meetings, building maintenance, corporate training, etc.

If you’re a solopreneur there’s a good chance you work from home, which means less distraction as well as a host of advantages that help to create high-quality products.

Instead of having to change to suit your environment, like you would in a normal environment, your environment molds to you.

And continues to do so as you grow.

Of course, there’s a host of other benefits to working from home, like:

• Less commuter expenses.
• Less financial and physical risk (i.e. not getting mugged on the subway, not getting in a car accident…).
• Less wasted time and psychological energy.
• Increased health from home-cooked meals, etc.
• If you have a home gym, you’re way more likely to use it.
• And so on…

3. Highly Efficient Business Systems

Success in everything is about systemization. This idea is nothing new.

In his book Eight Pillars of Prosperity, published in 1911, James Allen wrote that “a systematic man can get through so great a quantity of work in such a short time and with such freedom from exhaustion as to appear almost miraculous.”

Once a process becomes refined to a certain level, it really starts to rock and roll, and deliverables start being produced quickly and easily.

In a single-person team, this production capacity can appear god-like.

But, it is simply a matter of continuing to “sharpen the saw” as Franklin Covey wrote in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, referring to a program of “self-renewal” in four quadrants:

• Physical
• Social/Emotional
• Mental
• Spiritual

As conscious effort begins to mold the subconscious through structured habits, such as sitting down to write, create videos, or whatever makes sense for your chosen endeavor, things start to speed up and processes become solidified.

The trick to getting to this point is to keep pushing forward, even when things seem impossible or you think you’re failing.

Just bring yourself back to your habits.

It won’t always seem like it, but you’re learning things you won’t always realize in the moment. Help is on the way in the form of subconscious support.

Eventually, you will have inspirations begin to come to you that you could never have anticipated.

Systems that make sense to you will begin to develop organically.

You can then further clarify them by writing them down, mind mapping to clarify them, creating flowcharts to describe them, and so on.

You will begin to be in flow and your business operations will reflect that.

4. Product Ownership

Finally, and this is a big one… ownership.

Traditional workers usually have very little or no ownership of their output.

Many companies require employees to sign over rights to any intellectual property that they create while employed with the company. A statement about this is often in the hiring papers that an employee signs.

On the other hand, solopreneurs usually have complete product ownership and room for theoretically unlimited growth.

Best wishes,