Time and Money
Dec. 10th, 2022 11:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis article talks about time and money. Like most, it's overly focused on affluence and privilege.
In my experience, the most important part of happiness, safety, and success is limiting other people's ability to help themselves to your time without paying your for it. This is especially true when they try to shaft you with work that is unpleasant, draining, and does no good for you personally. So try to arrange your life such that other people cannot easily barge into it and demand free favors. This may entail working for yourself, working at a sufficiently skilled job that few people can push your around, choosing your friends and family carefully, and/or living somewhere that is not too easy to reach. Remember, unless they do as much or more for you as you do for them, you don't owe them anything.
After that, it converges more on the article. Try to get a career that you enjoy and find worthwhile, so you don't feel like you're wasting your time at work. Surround yourself with good friends and family if possible, because family time typically makes people happy. Choose hobbies that you like, and budget time and funds for them. Some hobbies cost little or no cash. Really think about the time, though, because some like writing or knitting or gardening will eat up every spare minute if you let them. Make sure you approve that time investment. Try to minimize pastimes that don't accomplish much, like watching television, unless you can get something from it like education (e.g. a cooking show may give you ideas for recipes to make). Long-lasting accomplishments, like planting oak trees or mentoring youth, have a much higher value than most other activities.
When you pay attention ... be careful what you buy.
In my experience, the most important part of happiness, safety, and success is limiting other people's ability to help themselves to your time without paying your for it. This is especially true when they try to shaft you with work that is unpleasant, draining, and does no good for you personally. So try to arrange your life such that other people cannot easily barge into it and demand free favors. This may entail working for yourself, working at a sufficiently skilled job that few people can push your around, choosing your friends and family carefully, and/or living somewhere that is not too easy to reach. Remember, unless they do as much or more for you as you do for them, you don't owe them anything.
After that, it converges more on the article. Try to get a career that you enjoy and find worthwhile, so you don't feel like you're wasting your time at work. Surround yourself with good friends and family if possible, because family time typically makes people happy. Choose hobbies that you like, and budget time and funds for them. Some hobbies cost little or no cash. Really think about the time, though, because some like writing or knitting or gardening will eat up every spare minute if you let them. Make sure you approve that time investment. Try to minimize pastimes that don't accomplish much, like watching television, unless you can get something from it like education (e.g. a cooking show may give you ideas for recipes to make). Long-lasting accomplishments, like planting oak trees or mentoring youth, have a much higher value than most other activities.
When you pay attention ... be careful what you buy.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-11 06:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-12 05:02 am (UTC)Thoughts
Date: 2022-12-12 11:12 am (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2022-12-13 10:51 am (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2022-12-13 12:37 pm (UTC)* You need a clear understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. There are various ways to explore this. You can look at school performance, or take tests, or use a sorting system like 9 Intelligences, or better yet a combination of things.
https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/guide/strengths-and-weaknesses/
https://www.wikihow.com/Identify-Your-Strengths-and-Weaknesses
https://kongstadstudio.com/blogs/stories/how-are-you-smart-9-types-of-intelligence
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-kind-of-intelligence-do-you-have-3867398
Most people excel in one or a few areas, often a cluster of related talents and skills. Some people have just one big thing, others are more evenly spread out. The type of talents you have will give you an idea of fields, and the pattern will tell you whether you're more of a hyperspecialist or a jack-of-all-trades.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12803450
https://thoughtcatalog.com/ryan-holiday/2013/10/you-can-be-good-at-more-than-one-thing/
* You need a clear understanding of what you enjoy and why. This usually requires exploring a wide range of experiences. It's okay to try things and not like them. But pay attention to which crummy things bother you more or less, because all jobs have parts that suck. It's not just about finding a job you enjoy, but a job whose drawbacks you can tolerate.
https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/7-ways-find-out-what-you-really-want-life.html
https://headspace.org.au/explore-topics/for-young-people/finding-activities-you-enjoy/
https://medium.com/everylibrary/a-librarians-guide-to-choosing-the-right-book-for-you-e918f3209920
https://www.bustle.com/articles/160166-11-ways-to-figure-out-your-style-when-youre-all-over-the-place
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-practice/201809/10-tips-choosing-the-perfect-hobby
https://www.themuse.com/advice/do-what-you-love-how-to-identify-pursue-your-passions
* Consider your limitations. There may be things you can't or won't do, a limit on how many hours or when you're available to work, whether or not you're willing to move for work, and so on. Some people have physical or mental limitations that make certain jobs unsuitable. Nobody should take a job that demands doing a lot of work in their worst area; that wrecks health. Avoid jobs that are notoriously destructive, have a high rate of injury or suicide, etc. Also watch out for jobs with no future. Make a list of dealbreakers that you don't want in a career or a job offer.
https://www.careerlifedirection.com/discuss/talking-about-your-limitations/
https://web.archive.org/web/20190812193222/https://www.arlenetaylor.org/articles-monographs/taylor-articles/adapting/7-prolonged-adaptive-stress-syndrome-pass
https://wealthofgeeks.com/dying-professions-to-avoid/
https://www.thebalancemoney.com/10-reasons-to-turn-down-a-job-offer-4768226
https://www.liveabout.com/what-not-to-do-when-selecting-a-career-525489
https://www.careeraddict.com/worst-jobs
* Now you need to think about how to monetize your talents. This includes looking at the variety of careers and jobs available, but also looking for gaps. Gaps are opportunities. Listen to people complaining. They will complain about needs that are not being met. Many of these will be opportunities to sell goods or services not already saturating the marketplace.
https://www.bestegg.com/blog/how-to-monetize-your-talents/
https://bethebudget.com/how-to-monetize-your-skills/
https://studentloanhero.com/featured/earn-extra-money-talents-30-ways/
https://thesuccessbug.com/ways-to-identify-a-business-opportunity-for-beginners/
https://www.inc.com/ten-ways-to-spot-an-opportunity.html
Then you need to think about what business model you prefer. Do you want to work at a big company with lots of coworkers and benefits? A small company where you form an intimate team? Work for yourself? Deal with products or deal with customers? Work in person or from home? Face to face or by computer? Pay with cash, checks, credit, online transfers, alternative currency, barter, or what?
https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/pros-cons-working-large-companies-v2/
https://content.wisestep.com/top-advantages-disadvantages-self-employment/
https://www.thebalancemoney.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-working-from-home-2951766
Often it is useful to establish your own job security that doesn't depend too much on other people. What jobs don't require someone else's permission to do? What jobs can you do from anywhere? That don't require money to start? That don't require a college degree or other expensive means tests to enter? What jobs can you teach yourself? What things are easy for you to do that other people say are difficult or impossible? What are some good jobs for people with disabilities? And what are accommodations you can use to get around some of your limitations to do more things?
https://thesavvycouple.com/self-employed-jobs/
https://dailyremote.com/remote-work-blog/remote-jobs-to-do-while-travelling/
https://articles.bplans.com/26-businesses-you-can-start-for-free/
https://bestgedclasses.org/jobs-without-diploma-or-ged/
https://careersidekick.com/careers-without-degree/
https://www.trade-schools.net/articles/hands-on-jobs
https://arrestyourdebt.com/high-income-skills/
https://www.gobankingrates.com/money/entrepreneur/money-making-skills-can-learn-less-year/
https://upstackhq.com/blog/the-agile-business-is-now-defined-by-opportunities-and-needs-not-budgets-technical-capability-or-sunk-investment-the-capabilities-efficiencies-cost-control-opportunities-and-competitive-advantage-afforded-to-a-digitally-enabled-business-is-too-great-to-ig
https://incomery.com/jobs-for-diabled/
https://www.talentdesk.com/resources/jobs-for-people-with-disabilities
https://askjan.org/a-to-z.cfm
* You also need to think about what "enough to live on" means to you, how you want to pursue that, and what you're willing -- and unwilling -- to give up in order to get it. Do you want to live alone or in a household with other earners? Can you obtain non-job income sources? What is the cost of living in your area? What are your wants and needs?
https://livingwage.mit.edu/
https://lifeskillsthatmatter.com/how-much-money-you-need/
https://thecollegeinvestor.com/16399/20-passive-income-ideas/
https://www.capablewealth.com/create-passive-income-stop-working/
* Finally, consider why you came to this world. Everyone has a "life list" of things to do, but most modern folks have forgotten this, let alone what's on it. Doing things on your life list makes you feel good and fulfilled; missing them makes you feel empty and unhappy. This doesn't necessarily involve making money, and many people are miserable because they mistake financial success for life success.
https://www.trackinghappiness.com/life-purpose-examples/
https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/life-purpose-online-tests/
https://www.lavendaire.com/how-to-find-your-purpose/
https://www.cleverishmagazine.com/how-i-used-ikigai-to-find-my-lifes-purpose/
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2022-12-15 04:52 pm (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2022-12-15 08:53 pm (UTC)Yeah, PASS is a problem for any situation where someone is trying or forced to be something other than their true self. So most QUILTBAG folks, any dominant personality in an oppressed group, most introverts in a society designed for extroverts, almost all neurovariant folks, etc.
And then society wonders why it has such a poor level of mental health overall. >_