Corporate Life or Self Employment
You’re probably looking for those “5 things to do” or “7 simple steps” kind of article to make this choice. Honestly, whether it is 5 or 7 or 8, it does not matter.
Many of you would have had this thought at some point —
Should I continue following the trend, grow within the organisation (or jump to a new one to do the same thing), or should I take that bold leap into entrepreneurship / self-employment ?
And then the other questions follow — my abilities, my age, is this the right time, do I even have it in me?
Lesson #1: Every moment is a golden opportunity.
Some of you have already made that choice. Some of you are still sitting on the edge of your seat, watching the market, watching others, waiting for that “perfect” moment when a message appears saying — Now is your time.
Let me tell you — there is no golden moment.
Lesson #2 – Involve your family in decision making
I had these exact questions after 20 years in a corporate job as a Computer Science Engineer. Coming from a middle-class, conservative family, I was happy — good education, stable job, family, money, and even two houses. Yes, I bought two houses thinking one for my daughter and one for my son. (Lucky for me, I didn’t know the person who lived down the lane — otherwise a third house would have been needed!) Little did I realize that anxiety and worry came free with the house.
And like many people, I fell into the EMI trap.
Lesson #3: Listen to your body and take care of your health.
So, I worked harder. I looked for growth. I wanted to do something different. That’s when I enrolled for my Masters in Psychology and a diploma in counselling. (Also the time I joined tennis and taekwondo… just in case life needed that from me!)
All this finally took me to a hospital bed due to a transient attack. First EMI, now health. What next? Doctor said it was stress.
Lying there, staring at the hospital wall, it felt like a movie of my life was playing. At the intermission, I realised — this is boring. There was no meaning. Something had to change. A question hit me hard: “How do I want to be remembered after I am gone?” (And no, I wasn’t thinking of any drastic steps.)
That moment made me rethink everything. I decided I would work for 20 more years — with the last 10 as a part-time consultant. That was when I found my purpose. You could say a new version of me was born that day. (Maybe I should celebrate it as my second birthday!)
Lesson #4: Listen to your inner self.
After I was discharged, I returned to my corporate job — but this time, I moved out of engineering and into the people development space. I enjoyed it. Maybe that hospital visit was the universe saying, “I’ve sent you many messages. You didn’t listen. Here’s one you can’t ignore.” It brought meaning back into my life.
Lesson #5: Figure out your ‘Why’ first.
Those five years in people development taught me a lot about behaviour and mindset. I did multiple behavioural science courses and certifications. Once I was clear about what I wanted and why I wanted it, the how fell into place.
Lesson #6: Just do it.
But the one thing I couldn’t crack was the mindset of the management. That’s when I knew it was time to move on.
Lesson #7: Keep listening to your inner voice.
Of course, the doubts followed —
Am I doing the right thing? What about my family? My children’s education? Their future?
These questions will come whether they are in kindergarten or high school. It’s fear testing your commitment.
People advised me not to rock the boat while things were going well. But deep inside, I wasn’t satisfied.
Lesson #8: Network and build relationships.
I finally took the leap and moved out of corporate life. It was a mix of freedom, excitement, accomplishment — and anxiety about what I was going to do next. Thankfully, a few well-wishers supported me. I started meeting more people, learning, understanding, building connections.
Lesson #9: Decide and learn to be happy with your decision.
Today, it’s been five years since I started working on my own, and I’m enjoying the journey. The second half of my movie looks much more interesting. I haven’t reached the “happily ever after” yet, but I know I’m on the right path.
Picture abhi baaki hai.
For those still wanting the steps, here’s the summary of my lessons — the ones that worked for me:
- Every moment is a golden opportunity
- Involve your family in decision-making
- Listen to your body and care for your health
- Listen to your inner self
- Figure out the Why and the How will follow
- Just do it
- Keep listening to your inner self
- Network and build relationships
- Decide and learn to be happy with your decision
At Enabling Ventures, we believe every career crossroads is an inner journey before it becomes an outer decision. Whether you choose the structure of corporate life or the freedom of self-employment, what matters is the alignment between your purpose, your energy, and the life you want to build. When clarity meets courage, your path becomes your teacher. When self-awareness meets action, your work becomes meaningful. And when you finally learn to trust your own rhythm, you stop waiting for the perfect moment — you create it.