Fuck Passion, I Will Do 9–5

Now, kill me for dreaming about it

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GenZ influencers are obsessed with quitting their job to earn 1000$ a month. They do it because it works for them. They hate every job they have done in the past.

But ironically, they love to tell people to dwell from place to place, client to client, platform to platform, and company to company in search of a few bucks.

In the 21st century besides ignoring the person’s leadership qualities, “Your Boss” is considered the number one villain in the world after Thanos.

On the internet, motivational speakers drop out of college and earn a few bucks.

That’s the only achievement they have — They sell dreams, hopes, and emotions. They show examples of Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, whose dad was rich enough to buy a McDonald’s Franchise.

But 13-year-olds forget that ‘self-made’ role models had dropped out of some of the top universities in the world.

People don’t even reach there.

So our poor fellas decide to buy courses, boot camps, learn ‘skills,’ and do everything that gives them a dopamine hit.

By the end of their college, when finally their pocket money stops, they realize that the whole time, they were being an asshole.

Solopreneurship, entrepreneurship, side hustle, passive income, ‘passion,’ you name it.

Those 13-year-olds realize the bitter truth when the responsibility of their families with no back support comes into play.

Then, some of them manage to get regular to a low-paying job.

While others, so-called ‘skilled’ gems, weep in silence.

They don’t even get a chance to share their story.

There’s a third category too. It’s called content creator.

They’re the people who’ve finally figured out that to make money, you’ve to tell another thousand people ‘5 easy ways to make money.’

I’m one of them.

Anyways, if you’re doing a 9–5 job, then every day your feed must be filled with these shitty motivational quotes.

Mine too.

They make me feel guilty if I aspire to be a doctor or an engineer.

If I’m happy by what they call ‘trading’ my time for money, who are you to tell me how I should feel?

Not everyone is brought up in a family with iPads and iPhones for dinner.

Everyone has different circumstances. Sometimes it’s better to take a secure path than copy-pasting the same email template to a hundred people.

But it took me a lot of time to figure it out.

In mid of 2020, I was feeling like crap — I didn’t fit up to the standards of being a man and also a ‘normal’ human. I was good at school but ugly in looks. So, I finally decided to become a millionaire and get plastic surgery.

The first thing I knew was to code and read books.

So, I bought one.

Then, learned a programming language. After then, five more.

But it didn’t work for me. No one wanted to hire an 11-year-old ugly duckling.

So, I decided to be a male businessman — Having six-pack abs was the first requirement.

The next day, I woke up at 3:45 am.

Meditated, exercised, read a book, and then went to school.

Came home.

Tomorrow was the exam.

After studying for 2 hours extra for my exams, besides my daily 5 hours studying routine, I programmed the next day in the morning from 3:00–5:00.

Because programming is the future, right?

It didn’t earn for me either.

So, I decided to write a book.

Couldn’t even write a single word, but still had a lot to say.

Finally, I understood my book won’t sell. I’ll have to learn skills for the next five years of school and then start a business in college.

But still, a personal brand is necessary. Right?

So, I set up a youtube channel and uploaded a few programming tutorials.

SHIT! NO VIEWS!

Stuck with demotivation, I quit.

Consequences

Although I don’t regret learning programming and marketing, here are the terrible consequences I faced after being a victim of this toxic hustle culture.

1. Lost another 5 kgs of my 35 kg weight.

2. Always felt an urge to be busy.

3. Guilt tripped others by telling them they were not working hard enough.

4. Wanted everyone around me to join the “productivity” cult.

5. Put others down because they did not read self-help books.

6. Felt guilty when spending time with my family or enjoying myself.

7. Faced chronic worry, clinical depression, and severe panic attacks.

8. Blamed myself for failures and never evaluate my strategies.

9. Disrespected those around me.

10. Lost all my friends and became a ‘crazy nerd.’

What else do you expect me to say afterward? — The glamour of the idea of hustling 24/7 takes over the logic.

I would rather prefer to learn from my teachers and elders than a random person on the internet bragging about their 4 hour-work-week.

I would rather like to study for my exam instead of sitting in front of the computer all day, only to know that 4 hours-work-week sucks more than a 9–5 job.

I would rather not be a millionaire than lose my health and those closest to my heart.

I would rather go for 9–5 than work my ass off only to earn the same amount.

I would rather be one of those motivational influencers than doing this shit myself.

Even after going through this much, I don’t regret it.

And to all those who are made feel like crap for choosing a 9–5 job,

Let me tell you, social media influencers know that to make money you need to tell other thousand people another 10 ways to make money.

So, don’t worry about not being a millionaire in your 30s. My dad isn’t a millionaire. But he’s still happy. You don’t have to be a millionaire to be happy.

Everyone has different standards for success. You’ve no right to shame one for it.

And sometimes, simplicity is the best.

Otherwise, people also live a simple life due to limitations.

And others do the same, but sitting inside a Mercedes.

And call it minimalism.