{"id":21626,"date":"2022-02-18T08:29:15","date_gmt":"2022-02-18T08:29:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.potential.com\/?p=21626"},"modified":"2025-03-25T20:45:41","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T20:45:41","slug":"should-you-leave-your-full-time-job-for-a-side-hustle-that-you-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.potential.com\/articles\/should-you-leave-your-full-time-job-for-a-side-hustle-that-you-love\/","title":{"rendered":"Should You Leave Your Full-time Job for a Side Hustle That You Love"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Side-Hustle\"Image Source: Pexels<\/a><\/p>\n

A little over a decade ago, the thought of making money online blew people\u2019s minds. It\u2019s more common nowadays to find self-employed workers, but they\u2019re still rare. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), less than 10 million Americans are self-employed<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Why Are There So Few Self-Employed Workers?<\/b><\/h2>\n

The main reason why only 3% of the population considers themselves independent contractors is work insecurity. Freelancing is seen as unstable and difficult to fall back on. Many Americans rely on their employer for health insurance<\/a>, making it even harder for employees to pull away.<\/span><\/p>\n

While it\u2019s true the self-employed are more likely to lose work during a recession<\/a>, independence isn\u2019t impossible. As of November 2021, only 5.3% of self-employed freelancers are experiencing difficulties finding work. This is down from 42.2% in May 2020, the beginning of the pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Quitting your cushy day job that pays well is a risk; there\u2019s no doubt about that. But, your side hustle may be the key to long-lasting satisfaction if your day job is affecting your mental health.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Job Satisfaction: When You Know It\u2019s Time<\/b><\/h2>\n

No one really likes to work; not really. There are days when you\u2019d rather stay in bed than drag yourself to your 9-5, and that\u2019s normal. But if you\u2019re constantly dreading Monday and too stressed on the weekend to enjoy yourself, you\u2019re probably experiencing burnout.<\/span><\/p>\n

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How Common is Employee Burnout?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Mayo Clinic describes burnout as a state of exhaustion that includes a loss of personal identity and feeling unaccomplished. Burnout is often tied to a lack of job satisfaction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, a Gartner study<\/a> found that only 13% of employees are largely satisfied with their work experiences. That same study showed that 46% of those surveyed were largely dissatisfied with their overall job experience. Dissatisfaction is a chronic workplace issue.<\/span><\/p>\n

43% of professionals planned to look for a new job in 2019, proving turnover rate was a problem before the pandemic. If you\u2019re feeling like your day job is killing you, you aren\u2019t alone.<\/span><\/p>\n

But can you justify quitting your job if you aren\u2019t happy? Should you take the risk, even if that risk could potentially lead to financial ruin? Yes, and there\u2019s a fundamental reason why.<\/span><\/p>\n

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