Escaping the nine to five

[vervex]

Lovely topic Spaced! I totally understand what you're talking about: most people are stuck in the 9-5 routine and when they get home, they are so tired they don't have the motivation to do anything. Most jobs will squeeze out from their employees all their energy and it takes extra motivation and ambition to get anything done at home. That is how (and why) this system was built and it's been working splendidly since the industrial revolution. It's a masterpiece of control and limitation

That being said, I completely agree about the "follow your passion" advice. We were not made to spend 40 hours/week doing something we dislike and too often something that doesn't serve anyone but the wealthy CEO of company (unless that's what makes our heart sing, of course - there are exceptions). The advice "follow your passion" means the following:

1. Find what you like to do most. Ask yourself these questions: What are your hobbies? If you could be doing anything right now, what would you be doing? If you had to help people around you, how would you choose to do it? And what are your skills?
2. Write down your answers on paper and contemplate them. Circle the ones that resonate most. Which make your heart tingle?
3. Ask yourself, can I make a living out of this? And how?

Now part 3 is tricky because most people will be fearful when it comes to thinking outside the box. They are scared of the unknown, and working on your own as a self-employed person means embracing some level of unknown. It also means embracing freedom and empowerment though. Almost all freelancers and independent workers will tell you it's worth it and they usually don't look back. Here are some examples of how part 3 can go:

- I like cooking a lot, and experimenting with food. Possibilities: Taking a cooking class, joining a cooking club, opening a restaurant or joining a cooking project that motivates you.
- I like skiing a lot and I also enjoy doing acrobatics. Possibilities: Becoming an athlete, beginning a video project online where you display your prowesses, participating to contests, becoming a skiing instructor.
- I love decorating my house and giving personality to each room. Possibilities: Taking an interior design class, becoming a design consultant, becoming an interior designer.

To make it work, to get out of the 9-5 world, we have to be willing to make the first step. It's not easy, but the alternative is remaining miserable for the rest of your life. That alone should be a great motivator to get you going and embracing your dreams

In case you're interested, I wrote an article on my blog a few weeks ago about that exact topic, right here: http://veo.li/11sMHrn


And in case you wonder about my own experience, I'm a freelancer and co-founder of my own little design studio. We're two people, my fiancé and I, and we make a living. There were some rough patches, but we always get through. There is work, but we love what we do. There are deadlines, but our schedule is very flexible. And there are contracts, but we can always say "no" to a project we don't want. Basically, everything is great! I'm an illustrator, graphic designer and web designer, he's a programmer and web developer. We built our dream together because that's what makes us happy. We're creative and we love to help people, and this is a way to do both. Prior to this, I worked part-time jobs since I was 15 years old, and the total of jobs I had is around 12-13, the last and best "hired" job being at Apple Retail, working as a one to one teacher and iPhone/iPad/iPod tech person. When I graduated from university however at age 22 and finally had my diploma in hand, I gave my goodbyes to the hired world and dedicated myself fully to our company. I'm 24 now, very happy and the company's doing well.

Hope you can realize your dreams too Spaced, and everyone who's in the same place as you Have the guts to follow your dreams and make them real It's worth it!

Edit: edited some typos.