Let’s take a minute and look at the title of this week's blog post. Most importantly, let’s notice that it does not say “How to Be Your Own Boss.” While I’ve taken to writing about my theories and half formed ideas regarding writing, in this case, well…I got nothin’.
It strikes me that in working to be successful as a writer, the ability to be your own boss—and an effective boss at that—is paramount. If you’re trying to make it as a professional writer, you’re essentially embarking on a second career, and in any career there needs to be leadership, someone to plot a course and make sure everything moves forward. But even if you just want to write as a hobby, it still takes practice and discipline to get better. Maybe in that case, it’s more accurate to “be your own coach.” Either way, you need to take charge of yourself in a way that enables you—and more importantly, forces you—to get things done.
But man, when I hear “be your own boss,” the phrase “judge, jury, and executioner” comes to mind. Your boss is a physical manifestation of your job. And unless you, I don’t know, taste candy or test out mattresses for a living, your job is typically someplace you don’t want to be, at least to some extent. Whether we’d prefer to work for zero hours a day, four, or seven, most of us work for eight (and plenty of people work more). It’s the reason things get done in the world, really: time and tasks. There are things we need to accomplish, and a set amount of time we need to accomplish them in. If we don’t, our boss will fire us. That would result in a lack of money, which is, of course, the power behind our boss.
Even if you have the best boss in the world, this is bound to breed at least a little resentment. You want to go home, but you can’t. You want to skip this assignment, but alas, that’s not an option.
So how do you do that to yourself? How do you set the rules that piss you off? More importantly, how do you enforce them? How do you tell your friends and family that you can’t hang out, when you’re the only one making yourself work? If I want to stop writing for the night, or skip it entirely…well, I can. I can take endless breaks, and do as little as I want to. Looking out over the course of the year, or the week, or even the day, I want to write. It’s incredibly important that I do so. In fact, it’s exactly what I want to do…until I sit down in front of the computer. It’s easy to be boss Nick and set targets and goals and deadlines, but let me tell you, employee Nick is a friggin’ slacker.
As boss Nick, my threats are empty, or at best, vague. Yes, yes, if I don’t write, then I don’t have a chance at embarking on the career I want. And that means a lifetime of being unfulfilled. Sure, that makes for a great pep talk in the shower. But it never holds much water once the time to write comes. A lifetime practice of writing is important, but surely this particular evening isn’t crucial? I mean, just this once I can dive into Tumblr for a bit, right? Who’s going to stop me? Me? Fat chance.
How do you be your own boss? Some of you reading this are probably thinking “Discipline. Will power. Self-control.” First off, watch the attitude. Second, how do you flip those switches if you’re someone who struggles with discipline, will power, and self-control?
You know what, that sounds like a good lead-in for another blog post. And so it shall be! Next week in fact! But for now, I’m going to enjoy the effects of the coffee and the Zedd/Selena Gomez song (“I want you to know”) that have gotten me through this blog post.
If Boss Nick asks where I am, tell him I’m dancing. And that I’d like the next month off.