I Don’t Like Working
At the time of writing this, I’ve been on vacation for a week now, and I go back tomorrow. I know this is a small amount of time in the grand scheme of a year or life in general, but I think it’s still safe to say it. I don’t like working. When I say working, I mean any kind of job including owning your own business and side hustles. I don’t like it all. If I were given the choice, I would never work again. The idea of working for another 20-30 years is soul-destroying.
This really shouldn’t be a surprise since the whole point of this blog is that I am working towards FIRE. I started this whole thing when I realized that having to work sucked. At the time, I wasn’t a fan of having to work to live. So, if I became FIRE, I may have still worked, but doing something I actually liked. Now, we have moved beyond that. The next stage if you will. As of today, I simply have no interest in working period.
This is a difficult opinion to have in America since we are founded on a culture of “always be hustling/working/etc.”. You are defined by your job and, according to some, don’t have a purpose if you do not have one. It’s an idiotic viewpoint, but it is what we are raised believing. It has lead to lots of people being overworked and other countries think we are just insane for it. It’s an exhausting place to be.
Even a lot of the people who have managed to FIRE and actually quit “working” end up becoming public speakers, writing books, or selling courses. Nothing wrong with any of this either. It’s their time, and they should use it as they see fit. I just don’t care to.
Of course, currently, I have to keep working in order to live. I don’t hate my job, and I don’t love it either. It pays well. I’m good at it. However, I live for my time off and vacations (hahaha…remember those?). Work is simply a means of funding life. Funding hobbies (mainly D&D and MOTW currently) that I have and favorite pastimes (Mass Effect: Legendary Edition just came out. 😍). Once we hit our FIRE goal, I am bowing out for sure. That’s 45-50 hours a week I could be spending doing something I actually want to do.
How many things do we not do simply because we don’t have the mental energy due to working?
Going for FIRE has made some really difficult days at work all the more bearable. It gives me this great relief at the low points that I’m setting myself up for much better lifestyle options I couldn’t otherwise afford. Which is all to say I 100% feel you on this — work can be fulfilling/high paying/give a good work-life balance, but almost never gives you all three.
I agree. There are days when I just realize that others will be here for 20 years and I will not. Still sucks to be there for sure, but there is an end. Thanks for reading. 🙂
I think I identify with every word you wrote here…as well as the picture! (And I identify even more with the later scene of Bob Parr in his tiny little car, sitting in traffic.)
Ugh. I cannot handle the traffic. I had an hour commute covering for someone and I turned into a different person. Never doing that again. lol Thanks for reading. 🙂
FINALLY, someone who says exactly how I feel! I do not want to work and hope that I can FIRE and never have to work again. I don’t want a part time job or a side hustle. But whenever I admit that I feel like I’m being judged as lazy and a drain on society.
The opposite of lazy to me. You contributed everything you needed to. You were just smarter about it and had the means to make it work for you. Plus, you’re paying for yourself. How is that a drain? I don’t get other people. lol
Thanks for reading. 🙂
I’ve been funemployed for a little of 8 years. The right offer (part time, work from home, highly compensated, working for a great guy) came along. I officially started in mid May. I think of it more as a side hustle than a job. But I don’t think I’ll do even this forever.
That is the perfect job for sure. Congrats on it!
Thanks for reading! 🙂
Even with a really decent job, I feel the same way. I have tons of projects I do little bits of now that I’ll want to do when I don’t work but none of my ideas involve making money. They’re all revolving around doing nothing or spending money 😅 (Granted, spending for other people but still). My biggest goals involve spending a lot for good causes. But I no longer dream about labor, aka “the dream job”. There is no such thing.
Same. The dream job is a lie they make so we keep trying to work to find it. I am opting out of that. 😂
Thanks for reading! 🙂