Via the thedailyseyi.com:

We need to talk about this ideology that working a 9 to 5 is a bad thing. That everyone needs to be an entrepreneur. That if you work for someone/corporation, you’re not living your best life or being the best version of you.

STOP WITH THAT RHETORIC!

Look, not everyone is meant to be a business owner. Think about it. If every single human being on this planet decided to stop working for someone, nothing would get done. AT ALL. You would be a one man/woman show, burn out, and wish that you could go back to a simpler time when you worked for someone.

I am seriously sick and tired of hearing people tell others that they need to quit their job and pursue their dreams. Ok, I get it. We all have additional dreams outside of traditional career paths, but does one ever stop to think that maybe that person’s career path is their dream. Or that it is very much possible to work traditional hours and still cater to your other hustle?? That you can have TWO DREAMS??? Who would’ve thunk it! The two are not mutually exclusive. I do it. I work from 10-6, or 7pm, or 8pm, depending on the day. I still make sure that I carve out time for blogging.

YOU CAN HAVE BOTH! YOU CAN DO BOTH!

I swear everyday I see some thread about why it’s important to make sure that you aren’t investing your energy into your day job and putting all that energy into your side hustle. Now, let’s stop and think that maybe this job is here to:

1) Discipline You: how are you going to work for yourself if you can’t even stay diligent in waking up at a set time everyday and going to work. Working a “traditional” job gives you some serious skills that helps you tackle situations outside of work. It also informs you about what type of worker you are. Do you work better in a team or solo? Are you someone that likes to do multiple things at once, or do one task at a time? Having this knowledge about your own work ethic can help in your path

2) Teach You about Being a Follower: no one wants to be a follower these days. It’s taboo. Why be a follower when you can be the leader? Why be the tail when you can be the head? If you are so quick to wanting to be the leader, then you are not meant to a leader. Sorry. And that’s something I had to learn for myself too. I always wanted to be the one to lead something, and when I didn’t get the opportunity, I would be BIG mad. Now I am grateful for those missed chances. Because ya girl was NOT ready. All those times I had to follow (and still following to this day), has shown me that there are some leadership qualities that I was lacking at the time. If you are not able to understand what it’s like to follow, when you do finally have your own business and get employees, you’re not going to understand how to empathize and work with them.

3) Keep You Focused: Be honest with yourself. If you’re the type of person that tends to get distracted very easily, then having a structured job is NECESSARY AF. You can’t be out here owning a business and don’t even know how to keep a decent schedule.

4) Test You: How do you handle the small things? How do you handle criticism from a superior? What is your work ethic like? This is something I’ve also had to internally process. I will be the first to admit, I don’t like hearing criticism. I don’t care how productive it is, I don’t want to hear it. But I NEED TO HEAR IT! I need to know the areas where I can improve, and then actually improve on those areas. How am I going to handle owning a business (and failing in some aspects), if I am unable to handle failing in something much smaller, now.

I am 1000% sure that every business owner out there will tell you that it’s not for the faint of heart, and that their past jobs shaped them into the owner they are today. Stop looking at your 9 to 5 as a drag. Be grateful that you have a job to go to. Again, something I have to remind myself daily. BE GRATEFUL. When you start thinking of it as something to better you rather than drag you down, you’ll start to approach your days a bit more differently.

I personally don’t tell like telling people to just up and quit their job because I don’t know their situation. I know my situation very well and know that right now, that’s a luxury I simply cannot afford. If it is something you can actually afford, then by all means, do the damn thing. But don’t feel ashamed that you have to go to work everyday.

Lastly, your current job isn’t holding you back. It really isn’t. If you truly want something, you will make time for it. I enjoy blogging. I enjoy creating content. So when I have free time, I do just that. My day job allows me to fund this passion until it gets to a point that it starts funding itself. Now this is not a ding to those who currently work for themselves. Not at all. This is also not saying that you should stay in a job that makes you unhappy. This is just a reminder that everyone’s path is not the same. The way you did something is not one cookie cutter example for the rest of us. So stop perpetuating this idea that having a day career is hurtful to your “dream”. You can cultivate your other passion while simultaneously doing a job well done in your career.

Yes you can!

Until next time…

Photography by: Kristen Ashley

Seyi is a Nigerian-American style and lifestyle blogger currently residing in her hometown of Los Angeles. She earned her MBA (Masters of Business Administration) in May 2016 from the American University at Washington, D.C. Before moving to D.C. for school, she worked in the advertising media world. She hopes to combine her marketing background along with her business knowledge to making a statement in the blogging and fashion industries.