Comments on: How to Work For Yourself By Age 26, and Keep It Up http://matthewburton.org/wordpress/selfemployment/ Occasional Notes Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:22:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: D Speck http://matthewburton.org/wordpress/selfemployment/comment-page-1/#comment-39723 D Speck Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:22:25 +0000 http://www.impublished.org/wordpress/how-to-work-for-yourself-by-age-26-and-keep-it-up/#comment-39723 Hey Matt; I am mezmerized by you article and your intelligence and witt. You have quite an abliity to write and get your thoughts on paper. I am taking an anylytical writing class and trying to find source material but got totally sidetracted by this article. What are you doing now it is 2 years later? Hope all well young man. Dannette Hey Matt;
I am mezmerized by you article and your intelligence and witt. You have quite an abliity to write and get your thoughts on paper. I am taking an anylytical writing class and trying to find source material but got totally sidetracted by this article. What are you doing now it is 2 years later? Hope all well young man.

Dannette

]]> By: Fran Civile http://matthewburton.org/wordpress/selfemployment/comment-page-1/#comment-37635 Fran Civile Sun, 09 May 2010 17:54:13 +0000 http://www.impublished.org/wordpress/how-to-work-for-yourself-by-age-26-and-keep-it-up/#comment-37635 Hi Matt, I haven't read this yet but I will! "Thoreau’s Life Without Principle. This paper convinces me again and again that humans were not meant to spend eight hours a day in an office. “What is it to be born free and not to live free?" I enjoyed reading your interesting article and I want to congratulate your ability to your capacity to combine your aspirations for free agency with enough flexibility to be able to adjust to a variety of pressures along the way... and getting into a steady relationship with a caring human is very good ... All in all it seems that you're able to blend your need for independence with unavoidable outside pressures... it can't all be on your terms all the time! you're a wise young man! I'm just writing a short series titled "Working for Yourself: Is this for you? and that's how I found your article... while checking google out for similar subjects. Good luck to you, Fran Hi Matt,
I haven’t read this yet but I will!
“Thoreau’s Life Without Principle. This paper convinces me again and again that humans were not meant to spend eight hours a day in an office. “What is it to be born free and not to live free?”

I enjoyed reading your interesting article and I want to congratulate your ability to your capacity
to combine your aspirations for free agency with enough flexibility to be able to adjust to a
variety of pressures along the way… and getting into a steady relationship with a caring human is
very good …

All in all it seems that you’re able to blend your need for independence with unavoidable outside
pressures… it can’t all be on your terms all the time! you’re a wise young man!

I’m just writing a short series titled “Working for Yourself: Is this for you? and that’s how I found your article… while checking google out for similar subjects.

Good luck to you,

Fran

]]> By: Ohis http://matthewburton.org/wordpress/selfemployment/comment-page-1/#comment-30767 Ohis Sun, 15 Nov 2009 07:00:44 +0000 http://www.impublished.org/wordpress/how-to-work-for-yourself-by-age-26-and-keep-it-up/#comment-30767 I'd like the idea of doing free jobs so you get known for what you do. And i just started to make myself known too. I’d like the idea of doing free jobs so you get known for what you do. And i just started to make myself known too.

]]> By: Alastair http://matthewburton.org/wordpress/selfemployment/comment-page-1/#comment-25684 Alastair Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:47:52 +0000 http://www.impublished.org/wordpress/how-to-work-for-yourself-by-age-26-and-keep-it-up/#comment-25684 Hi,very intersting comments so far.I would also like to work for myself although there are some challenges.I fear that i will become too lazy at home by myself and won't push myself hard enough!I also come from a low-income fanily and worry about money in the survival sense. How do you keep the motivation levels high?.. Hi,very intersting comments so far.I would also like to work for myself although there are some challenges.I fear that i will become too lazy at home by myself and won’t push myself hard enough!I also come from a low-income fanily and worry about money in the survival sense. How do you keep the motivation levels high?..

]]> By: Yan http://matthewburton.org/wordpress/selfemployment/comment-page-1/#comment-23905 Yan Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:54:51 +0000 http://www.impublished.org/wordpress/how-to-work-for-yourself-by-age-26-and-keep-it-up/#comment-23905 Hi Matt, I'm thinking working for myself for quiet a long time now. I just don't know how to star it. I'm 25 this year.I think it is a good age to start my own business. but it really need encourage to do so. I have a stable full time job with monthly paid. if I work at home by myself. it is more risk to gain income. and I feel I will become lazy to work at home. I just get confused and don't know where I should start ! any advise ? Thanks ! Hi Matt,

I’m thinking working for myself for quiet a long time now. I just don’t know how to star it. I’m 25 this year.I think it is a good age to start my own business. but it really need encourage to do so. I have a stable full time job with monthly paid. if I work at home by myself. it is more risk to gain income. and I feel I will become lazy to work at home. I just get confused and don’t know where I should start ! any advise ?

Thanks !

]]> By: Tina http://matthewburton.org/wordpress/selfemployment/comment-page-1/#comment-20831 Tina Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:04:17 +0000 http://www.impublished.org/wordpress/how-to-work-for-yourself-by-age-26-and-keep-it-up/#comment-20831 Matt, I just read what your article. You gave good advices. Also,it is so true - to work in the area of my interest. I incorporated my company in 2007 and have been working as a part-time job until, god knows, when I am ready to leave my job. With the economic down turn, my boss gave me more responsibilities. Oh, Great! It is not my skillset and not my interest. Thank you. My question is when do I know I am ready to leave my job. I asked myself that question but I have no clue. I am a little scar about leaving my steady income at my full-time job as well. Any suggestion I should take? Matt, I just read what your article. You gave good advices. Also,it is so true – to work in the area of my interest. I incorporated my company in 2007 and have been working as a part-time job until, god knows, when I am ready to leave my job. With the economic down turn, my boss gave me more responsibilities. Oh, Great! It is not my skillset and not my interest. Thank you.

My question is when do I know I am ready to leave my job. I asked myself that question but I have no clue. I am a little scar about leaving my steady income at my full-time job as well. Any suggestion I should take?

]]> By: Matthew Burton http://matthewburton.org/wordpress/selfemployment/comment-page-1/#comment-13871 Matthew Burton Sun, 23 Nov 2008 02:42:24 +0000 http://www.impublished.org/wordpress/how-to-work-for-yourself-by-age-26-and-keep-it-up/#comment-13871 Scott, the entire purpose of working for yourself is that you get to do something that YOU think is valuable, instead of doing SOMEONE ELSE'S bidding. (The exception is due to the instability of self-employment: sometimes, you can't get by solely on meaningful work, so you've gotta do some odd jobs to stay alive.) I found myself in your situation a few years ago, when I was working full-time on something that didn't satisfy my curiosity. So I did extra work for another organization in my evenings, for two reasons: to move my career forward, and to relieve myself of the worthlessness you're feeling. Because your boss isn't watching you while you work, I recommend you do something a little rebellious: slack off on your meaningless job and spend a bit of your day doing something you care about. Then, when you can't take your current job anymore and are ready for something better, you'll at least have SOME experience in that new career. Scott,

the entire purpose of working for yourself is that you get to do something that YOU think is valuable, instead of doing SOMEONE ELSE’S bidding. (The exception is due to the instability of self-employment: sometimes, you can’t get by solely on meaningful work, so you’ve gotta do some odd jobs to stay alive.)

I found myself in your situation a few years ago, when I was working full-time on something that didn’t satisfy my curiosity. So I did extra work for another organization in my evenings, for two reasons: to move my career forward, and to relieve myself of the worthlessness you’re feeling. Because your boss isn’t watching you while you work, I recommend you do something a little rebellious: slack off on your meaningless job and spend a bit of your day doing something you care about. Then, when you can’t take your current job anymore and are ready for something better, you’ll at least have SOME experience in that new career.

]]> By: scott http://matthewburton.org/wordpress/selfemployment/comment-page-1/#comment-13497 scott Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:34:47 +0000 http://www.impublished.org/wordpress/how-to-work-for-yourself-by-age-26-and-keep-it-up/#comment-13497 I find myself working at home 3 days a week, and traveling a couple of days (I'm in sales, have a 1 1/2 state area). I have a pretty laid back boss, he doesn't really "bother" me. We talk on the phone once every two weeks, other then that he lets me make my own decisions, make my own schedule, etc... as long as I keep my sales numbers up. My biggest dis-like is the lack of accomplishment, almost to the point where I want to go back to manual labor because at the end of the day I actually feel like I got something done. Do you ever feel this working for yourself? I can have a successful day and get a couple thousand dollar sales, but I still don't feel like I did anything important. I find myself working at home 3 days a week, and traveling a couple of days (I’m in sales, have a 1 1/2 state area). I have a pretty laid back boss, he doesn’t really “bother” me. We talk on the phone once every two weeks, other then that he lets me make my own decisions, make my own schedule, etc… as long as I keep my sales numbers up. My biggest dis-like is the lack of accomplishment, almost to the point where I want to go back to manual labor because at the end of the day I actually feel like I got something done. Do you ever feel this working for yourself? I can have a successful day and get a couple thousand dollar sales, but I still don’t feel like I did anything important.

]]> By: Matt http://matthewburton.org/wordpress/selfemployment/comment-page-1/#comment-1507 Matt Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:36:04 +0000 http://www.impublished.org/wordpress/how-to-work-for-yourself-by-age-26-and-keep-it-up/#comment-1507 Hi David, good question. While I work from home by myself, the projects I do are not solo. There are other people involved, so there is always some kind of interaction with humans; it helps that I think instant messaging is just as good as face-to-face contact. Sometimes I do have in-person meetings with people, but they're rare. But despite the always-on IM capability, there WILL be a lack of human interaction when you choose to work from home. It helps if you're like me and you like solitude. I imagine doing this would be really hard for social butterflies. The first few months were especially difficult, but since September, it's gotten much easier. Unfortunately, the solution isn't a method you can voluntarily employ: I met a girl. Instead of continuing indefinitely, most workdays now end around 7, after which I spend time with her. Consistent interaction with someone at the end of the day is definitely much healthier than what I was doing before. So your ability to do this depends on your personality and your, uh, "situation." Hi David,

good question. While I work from home by myself, the projects I do are not solo. There are other people involved, so there is always some kind of interaction with humans; it helps that I think instant messaging is just as good as face-to-face contact. Sometimes I do have in-person meetings with people, but they’re rare.

But despite the always-on IM capability, there WILL be a lack of human interaction when you choose to work from home. It helps if you’re like me and you like solitude. I imagine doing this would be really hard for social butterflies.

The first few months were especially difficult, but since September, it’s gotten much easier. Unfortunately, the solution isn’t a method you can voluntarily employ: I met a girl. Instead of continuing indefinitely, most workdays now end around 7, after which I spend time with her. Consistent interaction with someone at the end of the day is definitely much healthier than what I was doing before.

So your ability to do this depends on your personality and your, uh, “situation.”

]]> By: David Bamford http://matthewburton.org/wordpress/selfemployment/comment-page-1/#comment-691 David Bamford Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:03:55 +0000 http://www.impublished.org/wordpress/how-to-work-for-yourself-by-age-26-and-keep-it-up/#comment-691 Hey Matt; I've spent many years in and out of corporate life and most recently have been working for myself before and after ITP. One thing I miss is contact with people that a steady job brings especially in a chosen field, do you miss a meeting people or do you still have plenty of contact? Also do social networks bring you any meaningful contact?? Hey Matt; I’ve spent many years in and out of corporate life and most recently have been working for myself before and after ITP. One thing I miss is contact with people that a steady job brings especially in a chosen field, do you miss a meeting people or do you still have plenty of contact? Also do social networks bring you any meaningful contact??

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