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I find it hard to do the bullshit company work(now it's more like startup, but corporate was hell too) while daydreaming I was spending my best hours and fuel o
by brbrodude 8y ago
I find it hard to do the bullshit company work(now it's more like startup, but corporate was hell too) while daydreaming I was spending my best hours and fuel on a number of things else that I'd rather do or work or build. But after 8-10 hours, since I only have the leftover fuel and small hours, then the incentives become more twisted.. e.g.: 5 hours left on the day, I've been thinking about working on my project all week, I need to rest a bit, I want to read, movies I'd like to watch, maybe I should skate or workout a bit to get a better mood, or get something to eat, will I get more stamina if I try to work at home or do I go to a coffee? Will it be worth it today to put 2 hours into my project, or will it just stress me out more? Maybe should I meet friends and have beer and hash because I'm already too stressed out?
So it becomes really hard. What I mean is that not having enough space/time to properly do your stuff really seems to matter to me. When I'm free for some days, I have no problem at all focusing on sorting through everything(treating myself, working on my projects, studying, doing physical activities, socializing), and I feel much more complete.
It's funny because what I consider to be for nothing is jobs, the biggest outcome possible out of a job is generally just another job in which you could have more of responsibility/flexibility/learning/money, but still just the same thing(I guess the payoff can be more promising in US or Europe, but I suspect this is an illusion for most). If you leave, they'll just find someone else to do the job, so really it doesn't matter.
- badpun 8y agoIt's the same for me. The answer has been to reduce my spending (incl. a decision to not have kids) and get well-paying fixed-time contract gigs. They require me to move from my (cheap) home town to a city (often in a foreign country) that's hellish for me (like London). I deliberately consider those period of my life as "working on an oil rig". I go to the rig, do the work for 6 or 12 months, am miserable there (from shitty work, no free time, no friends or family, usually substandard housing etc.) and come back with a nice bundle of money that can sustain me for a couple years. I have not managed to find a way to live a satisfactory life while holding a full-time job, and at this point I don't think I'll ever will.
- bigmanwalter 8y agoThis is pretty much the only reproducible solution. Investing in personal brand and networking can bring in remote contracts. Remote still consumes all your energy but it avoids a lot of the unpleasantness of being on contract.
- badpun 8y agoI had some remote contracts as well. All in all, I prefer to move and work at the company's office. Remote software development is IMO much harder and less attractive that the in-person variant, so I prefer the hassle of a move.