There are several moments in almost every self-employment journey when people start wondering whether it’s time to give up. To drop everything and return to a more ‘normal’ employment setup.
They have been showing up, stretching themselves and doing things that feel highly uncomfortable.
They have been on Instagram more than they liked. They have had conversations with complete strangers. Attended networking events despite feeling uncomfortable in a room full of people. They have put themselves out there and invested time, money and energy into building a business that matters to them.
But somehow, it feels like there is no reward for their efforts.
No enquiries.
No clients.
No visible progress.
Just a lot of silence and nothingness.
This is the perfect opportunity for those lovely voices in our head to make an appearance. A saboteur that makes you wonder whether you actually have anything valuable to offer. Maybe the offer isn’t good after all. Perhaps you’re not suited to self-employment and should return to regular employment.
To make matters worse, you open LinkedIn and see somebody celebrating another successful launch, another fully booked programme or another business milestone.
Suddenly, everyone else seems to have figured it out.
Everyone except you.
If this sounds familiar, I want you to know that what you are experiencing is very normal.
I have been self-employed for almost ten years now.
I started as a freelancer in the events industry and later moved into career coaching. I have lost count of how many times I have found myself in exactly this place.
In fact, I still find myself wondering from time to time whether I should give up and look for a job.
And that’s not because I don’t enjoy what I do or because I cannot pay my bills.
It is because self-employment requires you to keep going, no matter what.
In contrast to employment, there is no manager telling you you’re doing a good job.
No annual review confirming you’re on the right track.
No guaranteed salary landing in your account at the end of the month.
There is just you, your business, your vision and your resilience.
Ten years of self-employment have taught me a few things that are helpful when I find myself in that dark and doubtful place.
1. Take Your Own Medicine
Return to the things you know will serve and support you.
Do your morning routine, your exercise, your journaling and your self-care.
Whatever it is, do the activities that restore your balance and help you get into a better mindset.
When you’re starting a business or building a self-employed career, mindset matters more than most people realise.
2. Keep Doing What Has Brought You This Far
Do the things you have been doing over the last weeks and months, even when you don’t particularly feel like doing them.
Just keep going.
The seeds you’ve planted are still beneath the surface, so it can be difficult to see the results yet. But they are there, and they need to be nurtured.
This is where resilience comes in.
Showing up when you don’t feel like it is one of the most important skills for any entrepreneur, freelancer or solopreneur.
The people who succeed in building a self-employed business are not necessarily the most talented.
They are often the people who felt the doubt and showed up anyway.
The people who continued showing up through the quiet phases, the loud doubts and the moments when they questioned everything.
The reality is that most employees don’t wake up every morning feeling inspired to go to work either. They show up because they are accountable to someone else.
As a self-employed business owner, you need to create that accountability for yourself. That’s where my third tip comes in:
3. Create Accountability Systems, Book Events and Try Something New
The easiest way to keep doing the work is to be accountable to someone. This can come in the form of booking (and subsequently attending) an event, having an accountability partner or telling the world you’re working on something.
Sometimes the routine can be tiring. If that is the case, why not try something you haven’t tried before? Have you been on YouTube yet? Have you handed out flyers on the street? Have you thought about pitching your idea to the Dragon’s Den committee?
Whoever needs to hear this: you are doing great!
Keep showing up.
One post at a time.
One conversation at a time.
One baby step at a time.
And then repeat the process tomorrow.
The only way to find out whether your business can succeed is to keep going long enough to give it a chance.
The next chapter of your self-employment journey is written by the actions you take today.
Career change coaching 