Question #26
“How do I make my life feel like more than just going to work to pay bills?”
Dear AB,
This is a huge question, and I have several ideas here, which all come down to this: you life is your own. Make it yours.
Find a job that best aligns with the life you want, which might mean making less but with lots of flexibility, or making more but hating the work, or starting your own business, or working from home (or not). You don’t have to feel stuck somewhere just because that’s where you are now.
Find things that you enjoy just because, and not because they bring in a check. It could be as simple as writing for your own pleasure, or making music for the sheer joy of it, or taking on a highly technical hobby so that you can work at something for no other reason than watching yourself improve. Try things out to see which hobbies you enjoy the most — you may surprise yourself with the one that brings you the most joy. And if you need to keep the job to pay for the hobby you love, the job is worth it.
Find a community outside of and/or unrelated to work where you feel seen and known, where you can find common ground with others. It could be a religious community, or a hobby-related group (like a choir, or book club or D&D group), or centered around a cause you are passionate about. The commitment to community will make it meaningful, not necessarily the community itself.
