1) Do you value financial stability? Income from jobs tends to be steady. You get paid the same amount twice each month and then once a year, you get a raise if all is going well. Income from other money-making systems tends to vary. It may go up and down each month. However, it might also go up every month.

If you freak out at the thought of not knowing how much money will be deposited into your checking account next month, then you should probably choose to make money as an employee. However, if you are excited about the possibility of your income going up each month, and are comfortable that you can still make your finances work if your income dips, then you should consider other ways to make money.

2) Do you value freedom? Some people hate to be tied down. Whether it’s staying in the same city or having to be somewhere at a certain time, the lack of freedom grates on their nerves every day. These people should not have a job; or at least not a typical job where you don’t get paid unless you do certain tasks in certain places at certain times.

If you are one of these people, then you need to find a way to make passive income. Money-making systems that create passive income work for you while you’re doing other things. That way you are free to go anywhere at any time without disrupting your business. You still have to do work, but since you own the system you can decide when and where that work is done.

3) Do you want to be the boss? I know some people who really do just want to go to work every day, do a particular job or task, and collect their paycheck. They thrive on the accountability that a job provides. And they like that they can just “do their job”. They like that they are not responsible for making the decisions for the whole business. If this sounds like you, then you should choose to make money as an employee

Others would rather rub their skin with sandpaper than have to deal with a boss that checks to see if you’ve done your work, asks how you did the work, and tells you what to do next. These people need to find some other way to make money or they will grind their teeth to nubs before they are forty. Now don’t get me wrong, other systems of making money require work. There’s just no one telling you what to do and when to do it except you.

4) Do you have a pre-existing health condition? Unfortunately in our country, you have to be extremely healthy to get health insurance as individual. Even if you’re just receiving maintenance care (e.g., seeing a chiropractor) to prevent big problems down the road, you will probably not qualify for affordable health insurance except through an employee group plan. In this case, you may have to suck it up and work as an employee until you are creating enough income through other sources to be able to self-insure or buy very expensive coverage.

5) Are you living the life that you want to live? This is the most important questions of the five, so take a few minutes to really think about this one. What would your daily life look like if you didn’t have to consider finances? Would you still choose to go to your job every workday? Or would you stay at home and play with your children? Would you write a book, or start a business? Would you stay up late every night and sleep till 10?

Now, is there a away that you can achieve the life that you want while funding that life through a job? It doesn’t have to be the job that you have now. It could be any job that you can think of.

If you can’t live the life that you want to live while working in your current job, then it’s time to leave. Based on how you answered the first four questions, you may need to find another job. Or, you may need to find other ways to make money. Either way, don’t hesitate to live the life that you want to live. Don’t fear the changes that you’ll have to make. You only get to live each moment once. Make the most of each one that you’re given.