I read that we recently, here in the United States, passed the day where we supposedly have worked enough to pay our federal taxes (if all our income to this point was to go to the IRS). Of interesting note, this point was three days later this year then in 2005.
It may seem that we are always working for someone else, but I would suggest that we are always working for ourselves. While this difference of viewpoint may seem small, it actually can have tremendous implications. I would substantiate this view by simply asking who gains the real benefit from your work. You gain direct financial benefit and if you’re successful you’ll stand to gain personal pride and a sense of accomplishment. Even if unsuccessful, you’ll have gained experience, knowledge, and the pride in knowing you tried.
If you take the view that you are working for yourself you’ll want to do your best job you can and find yourself enjoying it more. It also puts you in a position where you take a long-term view of your work as a learning experience towards future goals rather then just a way to pay the bills.
While I do believe this is true, I will readily admit that there are many days I have a hard time seeing myself as more then just working for the man with paying the bills a more then acceptable result. What about you?
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