I think this is important. Someone else mentioned that this isn't helpful for what he asked, but I think it is - I think it's important that we understand that

I think this is important. Someone else mentioned that this isn't helpful for what he asked, but I think it is - I think it's important that we understand that working is not passive. If you're working 40 (or in some of our cases, 50, 60, 70) hours a week, you are devoting a significant portion of your life to creation. I agree with the points others made about how to avoid burnout, find things you're passionate about etc... but I hope the question asker understands that what they're doing does have value. The value may be labor - which, indeed, is undervalued in society compared to actually being the controller/owner of the product on which work is being performed - but it is creating value just the same. Now, if you reach a point where you want all of that value to be creating to be yours and not mostly someone else's, or if you find you have energy to spare to start working on side projects, then you may be ready to move from putting labor into other people's products to putting labor into your own. But there's no shame in working hard and earning a paycheck, and devoting the other time in your life to doing whatever it is that makes you happy. (and if what makes you happy ends up being creating a side project that turns into something where you control your own product, that's great!)