Why do I do a job?
Confusion in my head
Originally posted on Dec 25, 2021 on Wix.
Frankly speaking, this is one question I never asked till I was 30. Till 30, it was very clear- first study and then secure a good job. That's what everyone does and I too have to do it. I knew what to do but not why to do it.
But this is also a question that I ask myself, almost every day as I turn 35 next year.
Maybe that's a mid-life crisis or the way 2021 turned out to be.
Being in the startup space for the last 6 years, this was the year when I felt maximum wealth creation happened for employees and entrepreneurs. ESOP liquidity event, the IPO of tech companies, and Cash-based acquisitions for smaller companies is happening frequently these days.
This means a lot of folks around me have made a lot of money and if they want, they can leave their job. But they still do a job. Then I thought, let's focus on myself first and let others decide why they do it for themselves.
So a chain of thought started in my head when I was on a treadmill this Thursday. It started like this:
"Why do I do a job?"
To earn Money
"Why do I need Money?"
To pay bills and have a safety net
"Do I have a strong safety net?"
Yes, almost. No debt or big liability
"Then what's the worry? Don't do a job"
No, first buy a house and have a stronger safety net then maybe. Also, life is better with money. So, let's do it for a little while more.
And then this picture starts flashing in my head.
Maybe it is the receding hairline or the message that I can totally relate to this image.
And I am sure, I am not the only one. Most of us do the same. That's why this meme got so popular.
10 minutes into running on the treadmill and with such heavy thoughts. I decided that I would leave the job. I don't want to do it just for money.
All this happening in my head. Never discussed it with anyone- wife, parents, friends.
And then I asked the next question.
What will I do once I quit the job?
Nothing? no way, life would be boring
Start something of your own?
Nope, I have no idea or business where I feel passionate enough to start. Without that, it is again a job just renamed as an entrepreneur
Find a new job?
Pagal hai kya!
Then what?
I guess there is a mistake in my thought process
A mistake that Walter White made in my favorite web series- Breaking Bad.
He kept thinking and saying that he sells Meth to earn money for the family. He didn't. That's what he liked to do.
For me, as I think more, doing a job is an engagement activity.
I like to have a schedule where I get a few limited slots for me to fill as per my own wish. Basically, I am someone who likes coloring a canvas once the outline is done but if you give me an empty canvas then I really don't know what to draw or color.
Also, I like to meet people, crack some jokes, have some arguments, praise some smart folks, and find out how wrong others/I can be.
I like the learning that comes with every job. New business, culture, role, and interactions.
Last year, I worked from home, and after a while, I wasn't enjoying my job as interactions were getting limited to work-related conversations.
It became better when I could meet a few of my colleagues offline. I realized I am not the type of guy who can work from home and needs to start going back to the office.
So, what's the point of this blog?
Nothing, it gave me some clarity on why I do a job.
And maybe helped me build a mental model on how I must assess a job on engagement it provides rather than the monetary benefit it may have.
That's what works for me. May not work for someone else.
Happy by the time this "zero-sum" mental activity happened, my 5k was over and I was ready to come back home as it was time for me to try that Sudoku and get ready to leave for that Job!
Thanks for reading. Here is a good advice I found on Twitter.
