I Took A Year Off.. And I Was Miserable

Summary

• I once took a year off from work, but I realized I was miserable when I wasn't working. This taught me the importance of having work I find meaningful.
• Being busy and productive is what gives my life purpose and joy. So, not working led to a sense of loss and confusion about my purpose.
• I came to understand that hard work is my goal. For me, the aim is to "empty the tank" each day, meaning I should give everything my all.
• At times, working hard makes me feel tired and bored. I might not want to continue, but pushing through these feelings is essential for fulfillment.
• You don’t know if you have more to give until you push yourself to the limit. Keep going until you genuinely can't anymore.
• The days that I push hard and give my all are the ones I remember fondly and feel the most fulfilled by.

Video

How To Take Action

I suggest embracing the idea that meaningful work is crucial for fulfillment. Even if you feel tired or bored, push through those feelings. Focus on tasks that make you feel most engaged and purposeful, even if they require effort to complete.

A good way of doing this is by setting daily goals to "empty the tank." Utilize each day to its fullest by committing to tasks that stretch your limits. This doesn’t mean overworking yourself to exhaustion, but rather challenging yourself to give a bit more than you think you can.

To start, identify tasks you find meaningful and fulfilling. Prioritize these tasks each day. Even when it's tough, remind yourself how accomplished and content you'll feel once you’ve pushed through.

When you encounter moments of doubt or fatigue, take short, intentional breaks to recharge. This can help refresh your mind while maintaining momentum.

Another key strategy is to frequently evaluate and adjust your workload to ensure it aligns with your purpose. Reflect on days when you feel particularly fulfilled and use them as a benchmark for future efforts.

Finally, cultivate resilience by reminding yourself that every extra effort is a step towards a greater purpose. Over time, you'll find fulfillment not only in the end results but in the process of giving it your all.

Full Transcript

there was a year that I more or less took off I had all these kind of existential crises that I was going through because all I had been doing is just working and working working then I hadn't like put my head up to like look around and and smell the roses the problem that I had was that when I was smelling the Roses I was miserable the thing that I had that was most reinforcing my life was the work that I was doing that was the thing that I enjoyed the most and so not having that actually created a huge loss for me and so then I had to create like what am I doing like why am I here for me that was when I created the hypothesis or at least the thesis I have for my life was that hard work is the goal emptying the tank every day is the point because for me those are the days that when I look back are the days that I feel the most fulfilled on in the moment you feel tired you feel exhausted you feel like you're bored you feel like you don't want to do another repetition you don't want to do another two hours but another two hours another repetition another edit is what is required not what you want but is what is required and if you have a little bit left in the tank and you don't know if you have a little bit left in the tank until you empty it until you physically can