The Yin & Yang that is self-employment

Look up the meaning of yin and yang and you’ll find that they are widely regarded as complementary rather than opposing forces. Combine them both together in the right way and you get a dynamism and energy that can be very powerful; if you let it.

Reading more about this ancient Chinese philosophy (thanks Wikipedia!) made me immediately think of the yin and yang that is self-employment. Those of you who are self-employed will understand only too well the need to take the rough with the smooth. The daily ups and the downs. The unrelenting focus on yourself to strive and thrive. Success is on your shoulders alone and that pressure can sometimes be difficult to cope with. But, when that success occurs, how good does it feel? That sense of achievement is like no other right?

Sitting on the early morning train to Manchester yesterday, I decided to make a list of the yin and yang of self-employment and wanted to share it in this post to illustrate my point above. Here goes:

· Early mornings

· Late nights

· Sleepless nights

· Massive highs

· Incredible lows

· Excitement

· Rewards

· Risks

· Long hours

· Spontaneously taking a day off (and not having to ask anyone for permission)

· The awesome professionals and peers who support and help you along the way, because you know we’re stronger together

· The disappointing ones who say they will but don’t!

This is the unmistakable yin and yang of self-employment and the only person who can control ensuring these forces complement each other and result in success is YOU!

However the day before has gone, wake up with a smile and determination that will beat everything that comes your way in the next 24 hours. Even if you don’t feel like it or you don’t mean it (and I know this can happen a lot), don’t ever show it. If you can convince yourself that all is good with your world of work, you will automatically pass that positivity on to others around you.

Self-employment is tough but it is also uniquely rewarding and liberating if you let it be so – and the same rewards apply to any of you in the employed world too, of course. Every day, you have the opportunity to be kind and stay positive – USE IT! Only then are you on your way to personal success with the perfect combination of yin and yang of self-employment.