#BreakingThe9to5 #EscapeTheRatRace #WorkLifeBalance
How did I Get out of the conventional 9 to 5 lifestyle? 🌟
Let’s be honest, the traditional 9 to 5 lifestyle is not for everyone. Many people, like myself, have felt the draining and soul-sucking effects of working in a corporate environment. The good news is that there are alternative paths to take that don’t involve being stuck in a monotonous job that leaves you feeling unfulfilled. In this article, we will explore how you can break free from the conventional 9 to 5 lifestyle and carve out a path that truly brings you joy and fulfillment.
1. Recognizing the dissatisfaction
When I was in my early 20s, I found myself in a similar position. I had been working in a corporate job for a few years and I was feeling the same sense of dissatisfaction and lack of fulfillment that you are currently experiencing. It was a combination of feeling isolated, overworked, and underappreciated that pushed me to reevaluate my life and career choices.
2. Exploring alternative options
The first step in breaking free from the 9 to 5 grind is to explore alternative options. This could mean freelancing, starting your own business, or finding a job that allows for more flexibility and freedom. It’s important to think outside the box and consider what truly brings you joy and fulfillment.
3. Overcoming the fear of the unknown
One of the biggest obstacles to breaking out of the conventional 9 to 5 lifestyle is the fear of the unknown. It’s completely normal to feel hesitant about making a major change in your career, especially when it comes to financial stability. However, it’s important to remember that staying in a job that makes you unhappy is not a sustainable solution. Take the time to assess your skills, strengths, and passions, and consider how you can leverage them to create a career that brings you joy.
4. Finding a balance
Finding a balance between financial stability and personal fulfillment is key to breaking free from the 9 to 5 lifestyle. This may involve taking some risks, investing in yourself, and being open to new opportunities. It’s also important to have a clear plan in place and to be prepared for the challenges that may arise along the way.
5. My personal experience
After much contemplation and soul-searching, I made the decision to leave my corporate job and pursue a career as a freelance writer. It was a scary leap to take, but it has been incredibly rewarding. I now have the freedom to work on projects that I am passionate about, and I have a much healthier work-life balance. It hasn’t been without its challenges, but I can confidently say that making the switch was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
In conclusion, breaking out of the conventional 9 to 5 lifestyle is possible, but it requires courage, determination, and a willingness to explore alternative paths. It’s important to remember that your happiness and fulfillment are worth pursuing, even if it means stepping outside of your comfort zone. I hope that my story and the tips provided here have given you the inspiration you need to make a change in your own life. Good luck on your journey to breaking free from the 9 to 5 grind!
Be a software engineer. I just work then I have work to do. And I work from home.
If I finish early, not one really cares what I do with the extra time.
Accept it but no more.
40 hours a week is fine. It’s the expectation that you’re obviously down for more that bothers me.
Got married, had two kids, became stay at home dad that runs professional dnd games on the side
I got very, very ill.
Moved into IT management. I can work as many hours as I want due to being salaried! /s
Look for work that allows most if not all days to be work from home. Usually, you get shit done much quicker and instead of wasting time at your work place you can do it in the comfort of your home.
Idk, I grew up in a business-oriented family. DEADASS is stressful as hell. I’d rather get that 9-5 workload, if it meant I could stop working once 5 PM approaches. Having a business is a 24/7 thing.
I became a truck driver. It’s a very rewarding experience
Switched from primarily engineering desk work to mostly construction and inspection. It changed my schedule from 9-5 to 6:30-2:30 most days. Im usually home by 3:30pm so i still got a lot of day left.
Start your own business… work on your terms. Hustle and grow it so you can eventually sell it and be 100% financially free and then you can do what you want. What I did because I was so sick of the rat race and slaving away at a job….
I kind of took the opposite approach. I decided to get extremely good at my 9-5 job that I don’t really like so I get paid more. That way I could retire early and enjoy hobbies and traveling during my free time.
I went from making 50k a year to 500k. I still dislike working, but I’ll get to retire in my 40’s and have the funds to enjoy life comfortably and provide for others.
I bought a company and dove into the 7am-6pm life.
Be a musician.
Trust me, even though it’s totally worth it, there are *a lot* of times where I’d love to go back to a ‘boring’ 9 to 5 job. Leave at 8, home by 6, have the weekend to yourself, no extra work in the evenings, no work to prepare work, no monthly/quarterly/yearly financial administration…
Bought a sailboat. Physically left the 9 to 5, and the continent.
Sounds like you are not getting personal fulfillment from whatever job or industry you are in. Maybe time for a shift in paradigm? Are you in n industry you could switch jobs? What is your degree in? What kind of networking are you doing?
I used to work Monday through Friday, 8-hour shifts, in a hospital.
Then I discovered that the same hospital, as well as others, will offer 3-12 hour shifts.
Never went back. I refuse to work more than three days again. It is a complete game changer.
What are you passionate about? I volunteered doing what I loved, until I had enough experience to be employed full-time doing it. I understand how a job you hate can ruin your life. I had to hold a few of those until I could work in the area I’m passionate about.
If you want out of the 9-5, you might have to change careers.
Lots of jobs out there do 12 hour shiftwork, and you can get many different schedules.
Find an internet skill. Charge a decent price for that skill on websites like Fiverr or Upwork. Take your client list — yes, Fiverr guarantees 99% of people a client after a month — and use it to do cold outreach to local businesses in your area *for that skill.* Charge by retainer, charge remotely, do the work remotely, and quit your 9-5 after you get 14-15 retainers. Hire out a team of cheap labor on Discord or Instagram. Your margins will be 80-90% with caution in most internet crafts (photoshop, media design, web dev, content creation, SMM, etc.). You got this 🙂
By being forced into the less conventional 8 to 6 lifestyle.
Company downsized me out of a job. I got 10 weeks severance and instead of being a responsible adult and hunting for a new job, I started writing. I always wanted to be an author, so I published a web serial. I guess I must have done something right, because I make enough to live off of now. As long as that continues to be true, I’ll keep publishing new stories.
Long story short, I started a side hustle and worked on it alongside my 9-5 until it made as much money as my 9-5, then I quit.
Everybody likes the idea of getting out of the ratrace and being your own boss BUT the reality is that there is far less security. You can make 100k one year and make 30k the next year. You have to get comfortable with selling and people telling you NO. It gets discouraging and takes thick skin to endure.
By getting a job that has 4 ten hour days. Now I only work 4 days a week.
Chef life has afforded me so many periods in my life where I had money and time to myself. It came at the cost of working in isolated places and long hours but it balances out in the long term.
Working in locations that cover room and board is a game changer and allows me to save almost every penny. Growing up poor and relatively under educated has helped me to appreciate my current situation.
I love to cook and work doesn’t always feel like work. It’s fun and satisfying to have everything in its place and to have a positive impact in the community I’m working in. It’s a very social job.
I have had at least 4 periods of time where I was able to take time off and travel between jobs. I’ve really been able to strike a balance.
Start by opening a small business, then you’ll be doing 9am to 9pm 6 days a week, still better than 9 to 5.
Work nights
Start your own business. Do it your way, no corporate BS. What’s stopping you? You’re young you have some money.
You could fail and start again at 30, no problems.
Got fired.
Watch for my book on getting out of the 9 to 5.
Get a job in tech sales, or programming, working from home really frees up a lot of time. Doesn’t feel like a 9-5 at all
9-5 provides some certainty and provides you with some money to do some sider things outside of work. Embrace it!
Start reading, don’t stop.
If can do into consultancy where you can travel for work and make enough to retire afte working for 3 years. Alternativly if you can speak French you can move to France for something different.
I work 3 days per week. Bought a single wide trailer and converted the 10×12 workshop into a living space. I now live in it and rent out the main building, 650 sq ft, for $1300 a month. Tenant pays my mortgage plus $200 and I can work part-time.
Flexible working hours. 07-11 to 15-19. Officially.
In practice, nobody cares as long as my job gets done.
Worked in a mill, got laid off just before covid hit. For a hobby I had been playing around with foamsmithing. Made and ironman and mandalorian. Had been looking at a cheap laser cutter to cut eva foam with, decided that since I would have a good 3 months before work picked up again I would get the laser. Had been using in for a couple weeks, learning just how much could be done with the technology, and then covid hit. Company decided to terminate my position. My severance package was enough that I was able to buy a bigger laser which I have used to make a business making custom wood signs, wood jewelry and game boards. I don’t make as much, but life is so much better.
Be born into a rich family
Went to medical school 🤷🏻
Healthcare is a grind but if you hate the monotony of 9-5 Monday – Friday there are a variety of well paying jobs with flexible schedules. I work with a guy who stacks all of his shifts up, works 10hr shifts for 16 days in a row, and then just fucks off and goes traveling for the rest of the month. Dude’s got it figured out.
Don’t look at your 9-5 as giving you joy – it’s primary purpose is to provide you an income so you afford the things that bring you joy. Look at your job as the vehicle to all the things that you want – because without it, good luck.
I’m a pencil and paper pusher for the federal government. I’m not doing something that’s going to make a huge difference in the world and I’m just another gear in the machine. Clock in, clock out, repeat… But you know what it *is* rewarding? The life that it pays for. See your job in that light.
If you happen to enjoy your job, bonus. But jobs are simply a means to an end and should be treated as such. Leaving a job “because it doesn’t bring me joy” can be dangerous so be careful.
Given the uncertain economic climate now, I’d suggest anyone leaving a stable 9-5 decently-paying job is foolish… unless they’re taking on another job that pays more.
Airline pilot. I worked 2 days per week in January.
If you are suffering from social isolation, I’m going to guess socializing would help you.
I got fired. Now I have my own business and work 7 to 8. But in trade for the longer hours, I also have debilitating stress and anxiety when I leave!
Tax perks are nice though.
Start a mens group in your area. Get together with other men and do shit. every week.
Get shoved to the 7pm-7am shift. Cures the 9-5 lifestyle immediately.