( CareerBuilder.com ) -- Some people just are n't hardwired for the traditional workplace . If you get bored easily , have many interests , like to take risks and prefer to make your own rules , then you may be one of them . So what 's an unconventional worker like you to do ? Well , you can either suffer through decades of being someone 's employee , unfulfilled and bored , or you can take a risk and create your own path to success by working for yourself . Wayne Rogers , an entrepreneur , businessman and actor ( famous for his roles on television series like `` M*A*S*H '' and `` House Calls '' ) did just that . In a career that epitomizes the word `` unconventional , '' Rogers has been involved in everything from the wine-making and bridal businesses , to acting on stage and owning a film-distribution company . In his new book `` Make Your Own Rules : A Renegade Guide to Unconventional Success , '' Rogers details how he was able to triumph in such a wide variety of business endeavors , all of which were independent pursuits . Here are some of his top tips for finding success through working independently , as discussed in his book : . 1 . Do n't limit yourself : Many people believe that because their educational background or work experience lends itself to a particular field , that their career choices must lay within that field . Not so , says Rogers . `` This will surprise you , but the common thread to the various businesses in which I have been involved is that I had never previously been in them . '' While many would see a lack of experience as a deterrent to entering a particular business , Rogers saw it as a benefit . `` It was an advantage that I had no rules to follow , no premade decisions , no 'books ' to tell me how to find success . This allowed me to take a creative approach rather than an administrative approach , '' he says . `` It is my belief that the best results in business come from a creative process , from the ability to see things differently from everyone else , and from finding answers to problems that are not bound by the phrase 'we have always done it this way . ' '' 2 . Get comfortable with `` red tape : '' These days , even small businesses are subject to a variety of federal , state and local regulations , so if you want to start your own , these regulations should be learned and lived by . `` Your ability to comply with the blizzard of paperwork and reports required by various rules that come down from Washington , D.C. , your state capital or your local zoning board may mean the difference between success and failure , '' Rogers says . 3 . Remember that bigger is not better : Fight the urge to make growth and size the overarching goals of your business . `` Size is not efficient , '' Rogers says . `` Not that long ago , there were several automobile manufacturers , including Nash , Kaiser , Hudson , Studebaker and Packard . They had to compete with one another . Was it difficult ? Yes , but it led to innovation . '' By contrast , he says , today 's Big Three automakers -- Ford , General Motors and Chrysler -- have become complacent with their products ; so much so that they were overtaken by foreign competitors and forced into their respective financial crises . Keep your business small , and you keep your business innovative , he says . 4 . Work with good people : Choose the people you bring into your business wisely , Rogers says . `` Pick partners and associates you trust and have them trust you . Both of these processes will almost certainly affect the outcome of what you are doing , '' he says . `` Picking whom to trust ... is based on using your instinct , observing people 's behavior and judging the consequences of their actions . '' In addition to being trustworthy , your business partners and employees should also share your mindset . `` I have found that it is always easier for me to understand someone who operates outside the mainstream and who looks at things differently from others in his field , '' Rogers says . & copy CareerBuilder.com 2011 . All rights reserved . The information contained in this article may not be published , broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority .
Success : Wayne Rogers gives advice on how to find success by thinking for yourself . Bigger is not better : resist the temptation to make decisions and size the overarching goals . ` ` Pick partners and associates you trust and have them trust you , '' Wayne says .