Well said, your life is your work, your why was there, the "day job" fits inside that and not the other way around, and it sounds like an awesome life, with "a large number of good friends, from all phases of my life, supportive parents, good colleagues, a lady which enjoys going for walks with me and laughs at my silly jokes, people I share hobbies with and so on".
Great piece. I think the "why" in the quote may mean not autonomy, mastery, and purpose as in "I'm my own boss and serve great customers" - but more intrinsic to your soul. What is the thing that brings a burning fire to do it to one's soul? For artists it's painting. For writers it's writing. For musicians, it's making music. If one does those things, they can bear the "how", meaning the bullshit business side of things I guess. I have days where I hate my business and days where I love it and the difference is when I do things that feed my soul, I love it. Incidentally, those things, for me, have changed over time, but the one thing they all have in common is they a creative activities. If I am CREATING, my why is fulfilled and I can bear the how. I don't think this is too different from what you're saying.
Yes, hold on to every micro-victory you can claim against sacrificing yourself to work. I don’t have a balanced life and yet I strive to set boundaries. And little by little I am having small successes.
Two examples: I work at work and don’t work at home. A few exceptions each year but it’s a huge victory for me. This means that I work extra hard during the day and spend less time at the water cooler gossiping with colleagues.
The other thing is a mental shift. I’ve spent years being too invested emotionally in my work. Yes, of course we should care, and I do. But I’m talking about doing a conscious decision to separate my emotions from my work.
I love the idea you propose (if I interpret it correctly) that to live life - that life we want - it must be lived. Focused on. Given attention to. Claimed. If we feed work of course it will grow. If we feed friendship, well...
Well said, your life is your work, your why was there, the "day job" fits inside that and not the other way around, and it sounds like an awesome life, with "a large number of good friends, from all phases of my life, supportive parents, good colleagues, a lady which enjoys going for walks with me and laughs at my silly jokes, people I share hobbies with and so on".
Great piece. I think the "why" in the quote may mean not autonomy, mastery, and purpose as in "I'm my own boss and serve great customers" - but more intrinsic to your soul. What is the thing that brings a burning fire to do it to one's soul? For artists it's painting. For writers it's writing. For musicians, it's making music. If one does those things, they can bear the "how", meaning the bullshit business side of things I guess. I have days where I hate my business and days where I love it and the difference is when I do things that feed my soul, I love it. Incidentally, those things, for me, have changed over time, but the one thing they all have in common is they a creative activities. If I am CREATING, my why is fulfilled and I can bear the how. I don't think this is too different from what you're saying.
I feel seen! And I suspect others will too.
Yes, hold on to every micro-victory you can claim against sacrificing yourself to work. I don’t have a balanced life and yet I strive to set boundaries. And little by little I am having small successes.
Two examples: I work at work and don’t work at home. A few exceptions each year but it’s a huge victory for me. This means that I work extra hard during the day and spend less time at the water cooler gossiping with colleagues.
The other thing is a mental shift. I’ve spent years being too invested emotionally in my work. Yes, of course we should care, and I do. But I’m talking about doing a conscious decision to separate my emotions from my work.
I love the idea you propose (if I interpret it correctly) that to live life - that life we want - it must be lived. Focused on. Given attention to. Claimed. If we feed work of course it will grow. If we feed friendship, well...