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Why are so many people pursuing an alternative way of approaching your career by looking at things like freelancing, self-employment, and becoming a solopreneur?
Or possibly shifting into being a contractor and looking at things like entrepreneurship and online business?
It’s fascinating because every single year this is growing in the United States, and abroad. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world. There is a growth happening across all age groups, genders, and generations.
It’s not specific to just millennials that know how to use social media. You can see this in multiple studies.
They’re showing us every single year the number of self-employed is just growing. This is fascinating, and you can see the reasons why people are doing it.
 

Why Is This Happening?

Why is there such a tremendous growth, where all of a sudden people are just going from what they were taught, the conventional way of approaching your career, staying at companies, working hard, building your resume, to this completely self-directed alternative approach?
I think there’s a couple of big reasons this is happening…
One practical side of it is that it’s simply possible. It’s not only possible, but easier than it’s ever been in the history of all mankind to take up your own career.
You’re able to choose your own direction for your vocation and what you want to offer the world because people are realizing that they can actually shift into something that’s their craft.
Finding your craft is something that I’m passionate about and created a career for myself doing that.
The information is out there because of the internet and that allowed people to share their experiences (for example, here are 11 essential elements your business needs to thrive). Every generation is now utilizing this opportunity because of the tools and technology that’s readily available.
 

But That’s Not It…

I think there’s a deeper reason here…
I think it’s more of a psychological reason. It’s societal. There’s a shift occuring in how we’re living on a day-to-day basis, and we’re starting to wake up.
We’re starting to wake up to the idea that there’s more to life than following the path that was laid out for you. We’re starting to wake up and get excited about ideas like loving the work that we do, and being able to contribute something to humanity, to your neighbors, even to your friend.
Even if you help one person, people are feeling that sense of fulfillment that comes with it, seeing that it’s possible, and waking up to the idea that this is even possible. They’re also waking up to the idea that the plan they laid out for their lives was not their plan.
People are stepping aside and saying, “Did I intentionally choose this plan and this direction, and if I haven’t, where would I like the rest of the road — the journey of life — to take me?”
We’re waking up to the fact that life is short. We get to choose our own adventure We can have our own hero’s journey. Why not choose exactly what journey we want to go down?
Of course, there will be stop signs and car accidents and various signs along the way the leads us to different paths and possibly different turns, but at least we get to choose the ultimate direction.
At least we get to point our compass the direction we want to. People are waking up to that idea, and it’s a beautiful thing.
 
Photo credit: Dream Job // Interwoven—CC license