5 Harsh Truths About the 9-to-5 Life
Most of us end up with a 9-to-5 job. And most of us eventually make an uneasy peace with it. But we shouldn't. Here is why.
I.
Nobody is happy with their 9 to 5s, but few people dare to admit it. They pretend to themselves and others that they like their job. Everything else would feel too much like defeat.
This might confuse you. You might think to yourself, "Am I really the only one despising my work?"
You are not. You are just one of the few people who can admit it to themselves.
II.
This is a list of constraints you sign up for as a working drone:
"I must wake up to an alarm."
"I must waste 1.5 hours commuting."
"I must do work that I didn't choose for myself."
"I must take orders from incompetent people."
"I must attend meetings that should never have taken place."
"I must endure office gossip and politics."
That is the essence of having a job — for eight hours a day, you are a prisoner.
III.
It is easy to grow bitter over this. But the problem is not with the "system." The problem is with us.
We don't want to take responsibility for our lives. We don't want to develop a vision for ourselves and then relentlessly execute on that vision for a couple of years. That feels way too scary and sounds like way too much work.
Instead, we take the easy way out. We do what everybody does. We go to college, get a degree, and enter the workforce. We consume too much and amass debt. We start costly families when we don't have our own lives together yet.
The "system" would collapse tomorrow if we dared to deviate. But we don't. So, we get what we deserve.
IV.
What's the way out then? The answer — you must provide value. And you must actively communicate that value.
If you can offer something of value to people, you will get paid. If you are the best chef in town, people will pay to eat at your restaurant. If you are the best yoga teacher, people will pay to take classes with you. If you are the best accountant, people will pay you to keep their books.
They will even pay the second-best and third-best person, especially if these providers are somewhat cheaper. But the value still needs to be there. You can't fake it.
It takes time to develop this value. And then it takes some more time to communicate this value, i.e., learn how to do marketing. That's why people are reluctant to leave their 9 to 5s. They don't want to scale that mountain.
V.
For things to get better, they first have to get worse. Turning your passion into your job is a privilege that you must pay for.
The first rule is you must cut your costs. You must make do with the bare minimum for a while and reinvest everything you can into the business.
The second rule is you must miss out on the fun. If you think you can still watch Netflix each night or party with your friends on the weekends, think again.
The third rule is you must find the sweet spot between what you want and what the market wants. The latter still matters. You can't just ignore it, or you will go hungry.
The reward is that in three to five years from now, you will have a business that you deeply enjoy. Your passion business will blossom like a beautiful flower. Where it was hard work at first, you can now ride the momentum. While everybody is dreading Monday morning, you are looking forward to it.
If you need help along the way — I offer coaching for free spirits like you. You don't have to be a corporate slave. You can start your own thing and enjoy (almost) every second of it.
A little bit of a rant today! But it was fun to write; the time flew by. Will buy fresh fruits now, mangoes are in season. I hate cutting them, but boy, do they taste good. I always get these mini bananas with them that they have here in Thailand, and some plain yogurt. The only thing I am missing is some cinnamon. Okay, enough food porn.
Until next week,
Niels