Break From Convention: 5 Reasons To Follow Your Dreams And Become An Entrepreneur

Many people often look at the negative side of starting a business (if there's such a thing in my opinion!). A fear of failure. A fear of success. Getting out of your comfort zone. An unstable income. Working 24/7. If you've always dreamed of starting your own business but keep making excuses, here are the 5 reasons to follow your dreams, take the plunge and become an entrepreneur.

I was born and grew up in Japan, where people stick together as a group, whether you are at school or in the working environment. Most people try their hardest to fit in, follow the rules, take instructions and wait for praise & promotion. When I was 9 years old, my parent sent me to the UK to a well-known alternative school called Summerhill. A place where lessons are non-compulsory and both adults and children have equal status. I didn't speak a word of English. I was regularly homesick in the beginning, but learnt to adapt to the new environment and embraced the freedom during the 7 years I spent there. I loved being different, I got to be "me" and enjoyed living an unconventional life.

When I graduated from school, I knew I was meant for something big, so at 16, without any hesitation, I decided to move to London alone and went to college to study Media Studies and Photography. I worked 6 nights a week so that I could pay rent and buy expensive photography materials. I couldn't afford to go to university after college as I was classified as an "overseas student" and I couldn't pay the fee. So I went on to follow what people would call a "normal" career. I worked hard and climbed up the corporate ladder quite quickly, but my heart was never there. I was itching to break free from the conventional 9-5. I wanted to be different again. This is when I decided to complete my Yoga teacher training as I loved the way Yoga helped me stay positive, and was hoping that it will open up some new possibilities for me - and it certainly did in an unexpected way.

Every year, more and more people are breaking free from the conventional 9-5 to start their own business. I dabbled for years before I started my own coaching business. Why did I wait for years? Probably the same reasons (or excuses) others have. Yes, I agree there are so many things to think about when stating your own business. Many people often look at the negative side of starting a business (if there's such a thing in my opinion!). A fear of failure. A fear of success. Getting out of your comfort zone. An unstable income. Working 24/7. If you've always dreamed of starting your own business but keep making excuses, here are the 5 reasons to follow your dreams, take the plunge and become an entrepreneur.

1) You have a dream don't you? Then you need to make it happen! When you are working for somebody else, you are working for somebody else's dream. You are working hard to make that other person's dream happen. If you are going to work hard, don't you want to work hard to make your "own" dream happen instead? Don't dream your life. Live your dream.

2) You will never be bored. Running your own business provides many different challenges and no day will be the same. What makes these sometimes mundane challenges interesting is that by overcoming them you know that your business will be more effective and efficient in the future. Even getting your tax right can be satisfying!

3) You are your own boss. There's no nagging boss, telling you what to do. No rules. No waiting game for your next promotion. You get to call yourself whatever you want! Who wouldn't want to be their own boss and call themselves a CEO?

4) You'll have freedom. You get to choose when and how long you want to work. There are no set hours. You'll have complete freedom to do whatever you want to do each day, even if that means working longer than you would in a 9-5 you will be doing something you love.

5) You'll become strong. Starting a business can be tough. There are always risks that you need to take. There will be rejections - you will need to let go and move on. There are always naysayers that will continue to stand in your way. But these are all part of your entrepreneurial journey. If you can run your own business, there's nothing you cannot do in your life!

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