4 ms·

But don't you feel like there are things out there, things you truly enjoy so much that you will do them more than others and you will naturally start to excel

But don't you feel like there are things out there, things you truly enjoy so much that you will do them more than others and you will naturally start to excel at them and someone might even pay you for it? Maybe not now or tomorrow or next year, but there must be parts of your job that are not only tolerable but actually nice... would it hurt you to try to get more if the nice and less of the tolerable, year over year?

Zelmor 8y ago
You suggest making my hobby my work. Think about that for a second.
- teekert 8y ago
  I thought about it a lot, It's what I strive for, I'm liking it. It's more like: I'm suggesting you get paid for doing your hobby.
  - joyeuse6701 8y ago
    I think what makes a hobby a hobby is the lack of obligation... at least compared to work.
    - teekert 8y ago
      I think a hobby is intrinsically motivating and work can be as well.
  - csa 8y ago
    I suggest you try to have a frank conversation with any video gamer who makes their living off of twitch and/or YT not named Ninja or Imaqtpie (and even maybe these two. These folks love video games, but grow to dislike the game they play for money. It’s not as easy as it sounds to turn a hobby into a business and have it still be fun. The only real time that happens is if the hobby is building businesses (it happens).
    - teekert 8y ago
      Games are made to keep you occupied, to keep you engaged to give you a sense of accomplishment without any real accomplishment. It's a bit of a hack if you ask me. What really makes you feel accomplishment? What aspect in those games? What do you enjoy? I get that a twitch channel has entertainment value and can be work but in that sense (a source of income). But expecting to be paid for pure, passive entertainment is pretty unrealistic. Still, there must be a component of your work that you like. If not, there must be some work out there that has such an element? I can not believe there are humans that really only want to sit on a couch with a controller playing a game. I think the situation is pretty troubling in that case. In that case you are only consuming, that has never worked. Same goes for eating.
  - mikestew 8y ago
    My hobby says, “implement a solution to control HVAC in a recreational vehicle using a Raspberry Pi.” I work on it when I feel like it, and if I get bored with it I repurpose the Pi for something else. My job says I have to implement a CSV parser for a customer’s unique idea of “CSV”, and by the end of the week whether I find it interesting or not. (Well, not my job, thank $DEITY. But for many.)
    - teekert 8y ago
      So.. Have you ever looked for jobs in home automation or contacted your hvac producer?
      - mikestew 8y ago
        I currently work on embedded industrial control systems, I get enough of a fix there. :-) The HVAC application is so niche that it could only be a hobby project. Basically, I don't want to dogs to fry in the RV in the summer. Some temp sensors, a few relays, and the GPIO pins on the Pi, and when it gets too hot it can kick on the generator and turn the A/C on for happy dogs. While I'm there, I might as well program in the algorithm I do in my head to tell the wife whether or not she needs the generator to make supper. "Lessee, if we've got two hours of daylight for solar that is currently putting out 221W, and the battery is at 74%, using a 1200W griddle...". Let the Pi do that math, and turn the generator on or not.
  - fphhotchips 8y ago
    This is one way to do it, but as others point out, that's potentially going to lead to you being burned out on your work and your hobby, and where does that leave you? My way is very simple - I have a job that gives me moments I enjoy (adrenaline rush and connection with broad and interesting groups of people), but I would never do it on the weekend - I find it far too mentally draining. On the weekend I do things that are completely different. Whether they be sports, video games, social events or whatever, by being diverse in my work-hobby mix, I make sure that I don't burn out on just one thing. This does not make me one of the cool kids at programming conferences, does not land me a spot on the olympic team, does not get me 10,000 viewers on Twitch and does not make me a member of the social elite, but it does make me happy, so I guess it's working out.
  - itnAAnti 8y ago
    My observation: Have you ever been convinced to re-read a horrible book you were forced to read in school, and discover that it's /brilliant/? Have you ever been forced to re-read one of your favorite books on a strict deadline, and discover that it's a slog? I've been paid for doing my hobby a couple times, and it quickly becomes work; I don't even enjoy those hobbies anymore. My 2 cents: Anything, when forced, is less enjoyable than when you're doing it just for enjoyment. Don't kill a hobby by turning it into work. Find tasks, types of work, etc. that you enjoy, and find a job that lets you do those things. It's still work, but most of the time you don't really notice it, and you don't kill a fun hobby.
- mirimir 8y ago
  I've done that at least five times. got BS, and worked in industry got bored, and read a lot about [cool basic-science stuff] started grad school re [cool basic-science stuff] got PhD and did a couple postdocs in [cool basic-science stuff] got horrified by academic rat race, and got interested in [cool NGO stuff] [almost went to law school, to do patent law] got a job doing [cool NGO stuff] got frustrated by slow progress, and tired of being poor [almost did another postdoc] got a job doing [well-paid litigation stuff] got tired of the pressure, and started playing more re privacy-related stuff And so, here I am. What I get is that basically I like to play. I've rarely managed to be well paid for it, however.
paulcole 8y ago
> But don't you feel like there are things out there, things you truly enjoy so much that you will do them more than others and you will naturally start to excel at them and someone might even pay you for it? I’ve been alive nearly 40 years and everyday become more confident that the answer is no.
- mirimir 8y ago
  I agree that much of the "do what you love, and the money will follow" stuff is bullshit. But on the other hand, that's pretty similar to picking a major that you enjoy, getting a degree, and getting a job based on that degree. It's arguably an unworkable plan for most hobbies, I admit. And it depends on how much you need to be paid. For example, when I started NGO work, I basically got warned that it'd never pay much, and that most people who did it long-term had trust funds. Or didn't mind being poor.
mikestew 8y ago
I don’t believe that anymore than I believe in soul mates. You are seeking contentment from external sources. I argue that that is not how it works. As a sibling commentor said, chop wood, carry water.
quickthrower2 8y ago
I agree with you. There are a lot of "zen" comments flying around, which is good. But I think why be stuck in a groove that you decided on probably about age 14 (when you choose which subjects to study, whether to go to uni and then what job to do). Based on what you know now it is good to make a change. On the other hand "chop wood" to me means don't get too caught up in the results. Don't beat up yourself because you are next the next Elon.

Zelmor 8y ago

You suggest making my hobby my work. Think about that for a second.

teekert 8y ago
I thought about it a lot, It's what I strive for, I'm liking it. It's more like: I'm suggesting you get paid for doing your hobby.
- joyeuse6701 8y ago
  I think what makes a hobby a hobby is the lack of obligation... at least compared to work.
  - teekert 8y ago
    I think a hobby is intrinsically motivating and work can be as well.
- csa 8y ago
  I suggest you try to have a frank conversation with any video gamer who makes their living off of twitch and/or YT not named Ninja or Imaqtpie (and even maybe these two. These folks love video games, but grow to dislike the game they play for money. It’s not as easy as it sounds to turn a hobby into a business and have it still be fun. The only real time that happens is if the hobby is building businesses (it happens).
  - teekert 8y ago
    Games are made to keep you occupied, to keep you engaged to give you a sense of accomplishment without any real accomplishment. It's a bit of a hack if you ask me. What really makes you feel accomplishment? What aspect in those games? What do you enjoy? I get that a twitch channel has entertainment value and can be work but in that sense (a source of income). But expecting to be paid for pure, passive entertainment is pretty unrealistic. Still, there must be a component of your work that you like. If not, there must be some work out there that has such an element? I can not believe there are humans that really only want to sit on a couch with a controller playing a game. I think the situation is pretty troubling in that case. In that case you are only consuming, that has never worked. Same goes for eating.
- mikestew 8y ago
  My hobby says, “implement a solution to control HVAC in a recreational vehicle using a Raspberry Pi.” I work on it when I feel like it, and if I get bored with it I repurpose the Pi for something else. My job says I have to implement a CSV parser for a customer’s unique idea of “CSV”, and by the end of the week whether I find it interesting or not. (Well, not my job, thank $DEITY. But for many.)
  - teekert 8y ago
    So.. Have you ever looked for jobs in home automation or contacted your hvac producer?
    - mikestew 8y ago
      I currently work on embedded industrial control systems, I get enough of a fix there. :-) The HVAC application is so niche that it could only be a hobby project. Basically, I don't want to dogs to fry in the RV in the summer. Some temp sensors, a few relays, and the GPIO pins on the Pi, and when it gets too hot it can kick on the generator and turn the A/C on for happy dogs. While I'm there, I might as well program in the algorithm I do in my head to tell the wife whether or not she needs the generator to make supper. "Lessee, if we've got two hours of daylight for solar that is currently putting out 221W, and the battery is at 74%, using a 1200W griddle...". Let the Pi do that math, and turn the generator on or not.
- fphhotchips 8y ago
  This is one way to do it, but as others point out, that's potentially going to lead to you being burned out on your work and your hobby, and where does that leave you? My way is very simple - I have a job that gives me moments I enjoy (adrenaline rush and connection with broad and interesting groups of people), but I would never do it on the weekend - I find it far too mentally draining. On the weekend I do things that are completely different. Whether they be sports, video games, social events or whatever, by being diverse in my work-hobby mix, I make sure that I don't burn out on just one thing. This does not make me one of the cool kids at programming conferences, does not land me a spot on the olympic team, does not get me 10,000 viewers on Twitch and does not make me a member of the social elite, but it does make me happy, so I guess it's working out.
- itnAAnti 8y ago
  My observation: Have you ever been convinced to re-read a horrible book you were forced to read in school, and discover that it's /brilliant/? Have you ever been forced to re-read one of your favorite books on a strict deadline, and discover that it's a slog? I've been paid for doing my hobby a couple times, and it quickly becomes work; I don't even enjoy those hobbies anymore. My 2 cents: Anything, when forced, is less enjoyable than when you're doing it just for enjoyment. Don't kill a hobby by turning it into work. Find tasks, types of work, etc. that you enjoy, and find a job that lets you do those things. It's still work, but most of the time you don't really notice it, and you don't kill a fun hobby.
mirimir 8y ago
I've done that at least five times. got BS, and worked in industry got bored, and read a lot about [cool basic-science stuff] started grad school re [cool basic-science stuff] got PhD and did a couple postdocs in [cool basic-science stuff] got horrified by academic rat race, and got interested in [cool NGO stuff] [almost went to law school, to do patent law] got a job doing [cool NGO stuff] got frustrated by slow progress, and tired of being poor [almost did another postdoc] got a job doing [well-paid litigation stuff] got tired of the pressure, and started playing more re privacy-related stuff And so, here I am. What I get is that basically I like to play. I've rarely managed to be well paid for it, however.

paulcole 8y ago

> But don't you feel like there are things out there, things you truly enjoy so much that you will do them more than others and you will naturally start to excel at them and someone might even pay you for it? I’ve been alive nearly 40 years and everyday become more confident that the answer is no.

mirimir 8y ago
I agree that much of the "do what you love, and the money will follow" stuff is bullshit. But on the other hand, that's pretty similar to picking a major that you enjoy, getting a degree, and getting a job based on that degree. It's arguably an unworkable plan for most hobbies, I admit. And it depends on how much you need to be paid. For example, when I started NGO work, I basically got warned that it'd never pay much, and that most people who did it long-term had trust funds. Or didn't mind being poor.

mikestew 8y ago

I don’t believe that anymore than I believe in soul mates. You are seeking contentment from external sources. I argue that that is not how it works. As a sibling commentor said, chop wood, carry water.

quickthrower2 8y ago

I agree with you. There are a lot of "zen" comments flying around, which is good. But I think why be stuck in a groove that you decided on probably about age 14 (when you choose which subjects to study, whether to go to uni and then what job to do). Based on what you know now it is good to make a change. On the other hand "chop wood" to me means don't get too caught up in the results. Don't beat up yourself because you are next the next Elon.