From a young age, society trains us to follow a predetermined path: go to school, get good grades, find a stable job, and work hard for someone else’s dreams.
This conditioning is so deeply ingrained that most people never question it.
We are subtly, and sometimes overtly, groomed to be employees cogs in the wheels of businesses designed to make someone else rich.
Let’s unpack how this happens, why it persists, and why it’s time to rethink this outdated blueprint.
The Employee Mindset: How We Are Programmed from Childhood
From the moment we enter the school system, the grooming begins.
The structure of traditional schooling mirrors the structure of the workplace:
Fixed Schedules: Just like a typical 9-to-5 job, school requires you to adhere to strict schedules, teaching you to prioritize punctuality over creativity.
Following Authority: Students are trained to follow rules and take instructions from teachers, much like employees take orders from managers.
Independent thinking is often discouraged, while conformity is rewarded.
Grading vs. Value Creation: Instead of fostering innovation, the system measures success based on grades much like the corporate world evaluates employees based on performance metrics rather than true impact or personal fulfillment.
Preparing for the Workforce: High school and college career counseling often steer students toward stable, "secure" jobs rather than encouraging entrepreneurship, creativity, or self-employment.
The result? Generations of people conditioned to believe that success means landing a job and climbing the corporate ladder, even if that ladder leads to burnout, low pay, and limited freedom.
The Reality of Being an Employee
For many people, the typical employee experience looks something like this:
Trading Time for Money: Most jobs require employees to trade hours of their lives for a paycheck that barely covers their expenses.
This paycheck often keeps people trapped in a cycle of living paycheck to paycheck.
Low Pay, High Expectations: Employees are expected to give 100% of their energy and loyalty to a company, yet they rarely see a proportional return.
Meanwhile, business owners and shareholders grow wealthier from the labor of their workforce.
Limited Growth: Corporate jobs often offer limited opportunities for personal growth, as employees are usually focused on tasks that benefit the company, not themselves.
Job Insecurity: Even the so-called "secure" jobs can be lost in an instant due to layoffs, automation, or economic downturns.
Who Really Benefits?
At the top of the corporate pyramid sit the business owners and executives, who reap the rewards of employees’ hard work.
While employees are stuck exchanging time for money, the business owners enjoy passive income, wealth accumulation, and the freedom to live life on their terms.
This isn’t to say that all business owners are greedy or exploitative. But the system, as it currently exists, is designed to funnel wealth upward.
Most employees work hard to maintain someone else’s dream instead of building their own.
Why You Should Work for Yourself
Imagine if all the energy, time, and talent you currently give to your employer were redirected toward building something for yourself.
Whether it’s starting a business, freelancing, investing, or developing a creative passion, working for yourself offers several key advantages:
Financial Freedom: When you work for yourself, you have the potential to earn far more than a fixed salary.
Your income is directly tied to the value you create, not the hours you work.
Flexibility and Autonomy: Self-employment allows you to set your own schedule, choose your projects, and prioritize what matters most to you.
Personal Growth: Building something from the ground up forces you to develop new skills, solve problems creatively, and grow as a person.
True Security: Job security in the traditional sense is an illusion.
Real security comes from having multiple income streams, skills that are in demand, and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
Leaving a Legacy: When you work for yourself, you’re building something that can outlast you, whether it’s a business, a brand, or a body of creative work.
Breaking Free from the Employee Mindset
Breaking free from the employee mindset isn’t easy.
It requires unlearning years of conditioning and taking risks that may initially feel uncomfortable, but the rewards are worth it.
Here are some steps to get started:
Invest in Yourself: Take courses, read books, and develop skills that will help you succeed independently.
Start Small: You don’t have to quit your job overnight. Start a side hustle, freelance, or work on a passion project in your spare time.
Network and Collaborate: Surround yourself with like-minded people who are also building their own paths.
Shift Your Mindset: Stop thinking like an employee and start thinking like an entrepreneur.
Ask yourself: How can I create value? How can I solve problems? How can I build something that lasts?
Take Ownership of Your Time: Time is your most valuable asset. Spend it wisely by investing in activities that move you closer to your goals.
Choose Freedom
You weren’t born to spend your life making someone else rich.
You have the potential to create, innovate, and build something that benefits you and your community.
The path of entrepreneurship isn’t easy, but it offers something that no job ever can: freedom.
Freedom to control your time, your income, and your destiny. So, take that first step, invest in yourself, and start building the life you truly want.
Remember: You can either build your own dream, or someone will hire you to build theirs. The choice is yours.