What Drives You On This Journey?
I have been insanely busy the last couple of weeks, working on my 9 to 5, working on having the skeleton for my second indie project, preparing for making a baby after a miscarriage, tending to our dog and friends. It feels like there are just not enough hours in the day to get everything done.
I am making nice money for my location (Central EU) and my wife is quite well off (will eventually own 5 apartments) and most of the people that know us keep saying that we should relax because life is easy for us.
That is the thing, I am just not cut out for the 9 to 5 grind and cant imagine doing this for another 31 years (34 now).
I sometimes feel like ultimately I am driven by the fear of being a slave for the rest of my life. It is a powerful motivator but I keep wondering if it is unhealthy. What keeps you putting in those extra hours when all of your friends are scratching their balls in front of the TV?
First project is a rather small one: https://www.studyinholland.fyi/
Stop talking to your friends (about business, at least).
Basically they're trying to shame you down into mediocrity.
Imagine if you tell them:
"Guys you work so hard, why don't you chill out and become homeless?"
Its not their fault or bad will.
It's just how people are wired.
I think you are right but I wouldn't generalize it and put all friends in one bag. There are two types, the ones that have no positive impact on your life (unfortunately there are a lot more of these) and the ones who are above (at least in your mind) you, like having career and so on, this type you want to hang around with just so they tell you how they achieved it.... This alone can have a big impact on how you approach ideas and what you want to do in your life.
Yeah, agreed. Hard to connect though, I have most of my closer friends since elementary school and it is a bit rough to not be able to connect with anyone in person on that level now.
We only have one life... I said it already under another post. You can either sit and watch Netflix or start doing something.
Since I am a programmer, naturally I have to, need to and want to learn stuff all the time and I think this is what keeps driving me. The new things that I learn every day keep getting more interesting...
Agreed, that is a residual motivator for me. I enjoy coding, SEO, everything I learn on the way. But for me it is ultimately the hope that one day I might be able to break free.
Sometimes I ask myself how much freedom one can get. Won't you still need to invest significant time in dealing with customer support, marketing, and other back-office activities?
Break free and do what?
More of the same, I guess? I love creating, imagine the type of things you could do if money was not an issue.
The reason I ask is because the goal is for you to find out what is the thing (or things) you want to keep doing until you no longer can.
That requires experimentation and discovery but intentional one. You don't want to keep experimenting forever.
I can relate to the love of creating. That's what you can strike the balance between providing value and getting paid for it.
I've been thinking about indie hacking/entrepreneur for a long time (my join date) but I never tried (made something live/buyable). After I got a six fig dev job I didn't pay down my debts... Now the job is gone and I'm broke again/lots of debt payments... Limited by whatever a job can give me. So yeah... Want to get out of that and freedom with regard to time, I don't have to work 9-5. I will take it seriously this time.
Argh have to push "Post comment" twice on mobile Firefox.
I love working, but I'm starting to realize that I love working for myself more than for others. I'm confined to living in the US because of my employer but I'm driven to make my own money so that I can finally reunite with my wife in Mexico and buy a second home in Central Europe (what a coincidence!).
It's a simple choice mate. If you wanna scratch your balls - stay on the 9to5.
I watched a video recently where the guy was telling that one of the things he wonders most about life is what it's like to have a 9to5 with stable income. He never had it, he had the freedom and independent life and somehow making it.
So everyone wants what they don't have.
Fear is a good driver but it's not the only thing you need. You need to have some sort of an end goal who you want to be in the next 10, 20, 30 years. Do you want to be a mid-level manager at a corporate structure or a founder of 3 successful and 2 failed businesses?
OR maybe look at it another way and maybe you'd prefer to keep the comfort of the 9to5 and utilize your time in another way, such as exploring different passions that are not tied to money, such as art.
Hey Mike,
Interesting take, I agree that it is a bit of a struggle to strike a balance. For me it is not about the money, it is more about the freedom to create and own my time. I think I am also quite lucky from a location and financial perspective, as an income of around 60K eur could potentially mean that I could quit my 9 to 5 here. Do I really want to do that? I guess time will tell and whether we get to that opportunity.
Well, I'm one of the layoffs and I've been looking for a 9to5 since January. I'd appreciate it for as much as I can if I were you, haha.
For sure man, and I am appreciavite too. I have a nice gig, by all means a great job. Good luck with your job hunt!
Hi buddy, I'm in the same situation as you, or even worse than you. I'm working 8.5 to 7, often working 6 days one week. I feel so upset, but I'm trying to start my own project to pleasure myself. Hope everything will go better.
I feel you, working right now too, only time I can work on my own projects.
The emotion you are experiencing is a common one. One I feel often. From time to time, something occurs that sparks that voice, I can't do this forever, or I want to be in control of my time etc...
As time passes, however, it becomes more complex, not that it's impossible, but just harder.
Essentially you are already asking yourself the right questions. I think the motivation factor is one you must decide on from your personal perspective.
What will bring you happiness?
What type of work would be fulfilling?
The big factor is, at least in my world, income... It's what ultimately drives my decisions to an extent. How can I leave work when others rely on my income? But if you can work simultaneously with your 9-5 and make an income, IMO, your decision to leave the standard 9-5 will be easier.
Goodluck on your journey, whatever you decide!
Thank you for your perspective, Paolo. I agree that it is a complex topic and something all of us need to reflect on periodically.
I think this is the main reason I started being active on this forum in the first place. I love my friends but I do struggle to connect with them these days.
They are tied up in mortgage, kids, bending over backwards to get one level higher in the corporate world so they can make an extra grand. On the other hand, the only thing I can think of is creating, churning out half baked ideas and see What sticks.
I am not a hypocrite, I do understand that the opportunity of not having too worry much about our financial future is something I lucked out on.
In the meantime I’ll keep Walking down this path.
This comment was deleted 2 years ago
Yeah, this.