One of the common career themes these days is the idea that you might be much happier if you are working for yourself, rather than for “the man.”

The dream is to start a side hustle[3], cultivate it, and then quit your day job so that you can have the freedom that comes with working from home. For some people, this makes sense. It makes sense for me. I love the flexibility that comes with working from home. I give up a little bit in terms of stability and regular income, but working from home suits me.

Even though I love working from home, I know that there are those who aren’t as interested in quitting their day jobs to work for themselves. The reality is that you don’t have to quit your day job in order to be happy. For many, the benefits of a day job outweigh the risks associated with quitting to become self-employed.

Keep Work at Work

My husband has never been one to enjoy staying at home all day. In fact, he likes having some sort of a job because he likes to keep work at work, rather than having his work at home.

I know many others who feel that way as well. Not everyone likes the idea of quitting a day job just to have to turn a home into a workplace. Those who do want to work for themselves, but keep their homes out of the equation, often get offices so that they have a place to leave their work at the end of the day.

Stability

There’s nothing wrong with valuing stability, and having a paycheck you can look forward to. And, of course, having a day job and starting a side hustle aren’t mutually exclusive. You can monetize a hobby or look for other ways to earn extra income while you still work a “regular” job.

The day job provides a certain level of stability, and for some, that stability is worth more than the ability to work from home. Maintaining that stability can be important — especially for those with families.

What If You Like Your Job?

Another possibility is that you could like your job. If you find your job challenging and rewarding, it might no be worth it to stick around. If you aren’t sure about what you will do with your time if you leave your job and work from home, that is usually an indication that you shouldn’t quit. Don’t forget the social aspects of a regular job as well. You don’t have coworkers to befriend when you work from home[4].

Bottom Line

Every person is different. There’s nothing wrong with being someone who prefers to keep his or her day job. Whether it’s for retirement or whether you just want to reduce your workload, ditching the day job isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. If you are happy with your position, it doesn’t make sense to try to force the issue by quitting and working from home.

What do you think? Do you think quitting the day job and becoming self-employed is the only way to financial happiness?