Let the "Fear" Push You, Not Stop You

You decide to start a side-hustle while still holding on to your 9-to-5 — few people would raise an eyebrow at that. But the moment you decide to resign altogether and start a new chapter on your own, the feedback changes. If you go around seeking advice at that point, you'll find that maybe one out of ten people will actually encourage you to take the leap.

Yet, curiously, the same energy doesn't apply when someone resigns to relocate abroad. Hardly anyone bats an eye. It's almost treated as a guaranteed win, as if life outside is entirely safe and success is automatic once you cross the border. But it isn't just the news that tells a different story — the same picture comes through when you actually talk to friends, colleagues, and family already living abroad. Between them, we hear enough — of the cold, the loneliness, the menial jobs taken far below one's qualifications, the years spent struggling before anything stabilises — to know the "guaranteed win" isn't quite true. The double standard is telling: resign to chase a dream abroad, and you're celebrated. Resign to chase one at home, and you're the one who needs "advice."

This isn't meant to cast them in a negative light. Some speak from within the system we find ourselves in. Some speak from their own painful experiences. Others speak out of respect for the job you currently hold, while some are simply speaking from fear — the fear of the unknown. But much of what stops us is the supposed fear: the danger we imagine long before it ever shows its face.

Even so, your decision shouldn't rest on mere conviction or a passing desire to move on. It must be built on a tried and tested concept — something you've already begun and want to grow, based on the figures and evidence available to you.

Of course, you can still gamble on an idea, and that in itself is dangerous. But life itself is a risk. The fear of failing shouldn't paralyse you — it should guide you not to fail. Press on regardless of the situation. Be willing to go the extra length: setting aside shyness, setting aside the weight of your education, and getting your hands dirty to achieve your goal.

Truthfully, many of us are held back by our own level of education, making us unwilling to "get dirty" in the pursuit of success. As they say, the money is on the street.

No one is watching you. And even if they are, it shouldn't stop you from pushing forward. Truth is, the people you imagine are watching — the ones whose judgment you fear — won't put food on your table. If anything, some part of them hopes you stumble — it makes their own caution feel justified. And funny enough, they're often the first to claim you once you've made it.

This is more than just talk — the numbers back it up. A 2026 report by Skillademia found that Gen Z's side hustle participation rate stands at 58%, well ahead of Millennials (53%), Gen X (38%), and Boomers (28%) — and 34% of these young side hustlers plan to eventually turn their side gig into their primary career. Hostinger's 2026 side hustle statistics report goes further, noting that 77% of Gen Z side hustlers only started within the last two years, showing just how fast this generation is moving into secondary income streams. On the work-preference side, the same Skillademia report found that 74% of Gen Z workers favour remote or hybrid arrangements over full-time office presence — largely because that flexibility leaves them room to pursue other ventures.

And this isn't just a foreign trend — it's happening right here at home. Ghana's youth unemployment rate stood at 32% for those aged 15 to 24 as of August 2025, according to the Ghana Statistical Service, and side hustles are increasingly becoming a lifeline rather than a luxury. The government has taken notice too: the Adwumawura Programme, backed by GHS 100 million in the 2025 Budget, was set up specifically to give young entrepreneurs skills training, mentorship, startup capital, and equipment. More broadly across the continent, Brookings research notes that Africa's informal and gig economy already accounts for as much as 85% of the continent's labour force, driven by youth unemployment, urbanisation, and the growing demand for flexible work. The hustle, in other words, is not a fringe activity. For a lot of young Africans, it is the main economy.

There's a wide range of opportunities out there, both online and offline. The traditional 9-to-5 often prevents you from exploring these, simply because there's little to no time left in the day. In fact, the demands of a 9-to-5 job can be so consuming that you may never even discover the many opportunities available to you.

But the street is "hot," and so we must tread carefully. Everyone wants to be the next Mr. Abrahim Mahama, Dr. Ernest Ofori Sarpong or Dr. Osei Kwame Despite. But if these men were to speak openly about the obstacles they faced on their way to success, many of us wouldn't dare take the risk.

Make no mistake — the business or entrepreneurship path isn't a straightforward one. It's risky, and it comes with more than its fair share of challenges. But consistency is the difference-maker. Keep showing up despite the setbacks, keep refining despite the slow start, and resist the urge to expect immediate results. Success rarely arrives on the timeline we set for it. Stay consistent long enough, and you shall prevail.

Still, ask yourself: what if I'm let go — for non-performance, or for any reason at all? No matter your path, always have a backup plan. As they say in Twi, "Ɛpo mpo nsuo tɔ gu mu" — it rains even into the sea.

So let the fear stay. Don't chase it away, and don't let it chase you away either. Let it sit beside you as a companion that keeps you sharp, prayerful, and prepared — never as a master that keeps you seated. The people who "made it" were not the ones without fear; they were the ones who kept walking with it.

And to be clear, this isn't a piece against the 9-to-5. For some, the dream isn't to resign at all — it's to build a career and rise to the top levels of their field. That is an equally good dream. If that's your path, the same principles apply: be excellent at what you do, pursue every relevant skill and training available to you, and hold on to the discipline that turns ambition into achievement. Whether you're climbing a corporate ladder or building something of your own, purpose still demands the same commitment.

In the end, the choice is yours. Stay where it's safe, or step into what could be yours. Either way, count the cost, hold onto your faith, and never stop planning for the rain — even as you chase the sun.

Felix Ekow Eshun