This is a quote from Mr. Money Mustache and it sounds like the most obvious thing in the world. But is it?
Talking with my friends lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of comments about the “rat race” and how they’re convinced there is no escape.
The general idea of the rat race is akin to forced servitude for 40+ years in a job that brings no joy. The job becomes just a way to make ends meet financially and the daily goal is to run down the clock, waiting for Friday to arrive.
For about two years now, I’m very disturbed by the idea of the rat race and I know that there is a way out. It comes down to mindset.
If you’re not able to find purpose in your work, you need to re-evaluate the reason you’re there. Ask yourself, if you didn’t need the money, what would you do?
A common answer is nothing. But almost everyone that retires, finds lounging and doing “nothing” for an extended period of time to be boring. Most will eventually find hobbies to not just fill their time, but to find joy.
So the question is why not do what you want before you retire. And make a living doing it?
Lots of people will say that it is outright impossible. But the reason we think it is impossible is because we’re taught to be a cog in the rat race. We’re told you need to take the “safe” route, and work a job you hate. Keep your head down until you hit 65 or longer. Stay in your lane.
What a depressing way to live.
We need to be teaching about providing value to others. Every business makes money by providing a product or service that is desired by the market place. They solve a problem that people have.
But when it filters down to the employee, this problem solving and value providing is often lost. Employees are looking at the dollars being paid per hour and the hours of time they must suffer until they clock out.
The concept of value is lost.
Coming full circle on the quote from Mr. Money Mustache, removing the money factor really enables workers to focus on the purpose and value provided by the work itself.