In the last few weeks I've been talking to a few “normal” people.

By normal I mean people with a 9 to 5 job. Who don't own their own business, or aren't involved in the consultingy, coachy, trainingy type world most of us work in.

Sometimes it's easy to envy people in that position. You go to work, you come home in the evening. You get a pension. Sick pay. Easier to switch off.

In our world it's difficult to switch off. We're either thinking about our own businesses or thinking about our clients' businesses pretty much 100% of the time. There's always something more to be done.

And we don't get any of the perks of an employed person either.

But what I heard from the “9 to 5″ers was boredom. Lack of motivation. No real feeling they were achieving something. Lack of freedom. Lack of control. Politics. Resentment at having to do stuff they didn't particularly want to do.

Sometimes it can feel tough to run your own business or do client-service work. But never forget just how mind-numbing the alternative is.

And never forget the freedom we have to do things we love, with people we enjoy working with, and on things that make a real difference.

And if you run your own business and you're not doing those things – why not? You only live once.