Hello!
So, what's this about? I've always been passionate about finding a way to be free and living the way I wanted. I've collected a decent amount of wisdom over the years through many experiences. I feel I am successfully on my way and would like to share my tips on who I did it or am doing it, so that I can help you help yourself too. So we can all live in this awesome life we all want together, because the more the merrier.
This post is a bit longer, but I encourage you read through if you are really stuck somehow, I'm willing to take a bet it's gonna be worth your time. I plan to write more articles with tips to help you dig yourself out of the shit hole you've somehow ended up in.
Here we go..
So, I imagine some of the folks over here are well off, maybe they earn lots of money here on Steemit, maybe they trade cryptocurrency or just do whatever. This post is likely not for them, though if they feel like it might help somebody they know, I'd be really glad if you shared it with them. Thanks, if you do so. If not, thanks anyways:)
BUT! I also imagine there is tons of us, who aren't quite that happy with the way our life is (yet) and I can tell you one thing that is fairly obvious but has to be said out loud - your job is standing in the way of it. One way or another. Either you struggle to make a living, or you are financially sort of ok but have no time to do anything you want or some unfortunate mix of both.
Luckily, I have 3 different strategies, that will all work for a slightly different type of people/situations/mindsets, so don't worry, there is decent chance you will find something that works here for you.
(If not, you can ask me through comments and I will do my best to figure out something that works for you.)
I will do a little intro here, so you know where I'm coming from, if that's too boring/long for you, you have a short attention span, lack of time and/or desire to dive into full reading, you can skip straight to the tips, which are under this part, but I suggest you do read it, it explains some important things you maybe don't understand (well enough).
So my background - I've always been passionate about helping people, fixing things, understanding how they work and have a gift to actually figure out how to do that. It took me more then 10 years of dedicated immersion in all kinds of crazy life situations, problems (health, finance, relationships, psyche... yep basically all you can think of) and I believe it was all there for a reason, as things are becoming more and more clear to me now. Like Steve Jobs once said "You can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards." And it's just so true, because until you emerge on the other end of the dark tunnel all you can see is darkness and all turns you make seem random and unlikely to get you, where you want to be. But lose not faith my friend. You are on the right path, even if it totally doesn't seem like it, feel like it, look like it. Believe me, I have been "so wrong" by that mean, that I've been so off course it made me sick physically. And trust me when I say this - if you are sick in some way, it is because you are "off course". And what you need to do is find your way back to yourself. And you are actually doing that, by being lost. And it's actually not a bad thing. How come ??! Well, to see something you have to be far enough from it to comprehend the whole picture. Be changing this perspective you give yourself the ability to observe yourself in such fashion that it simulates somebody else's point of view. And that means you have to become sort of somebody else. By "going out of yourself" you get this perspective, and the price for it is the suffering of feeling you've lost yourself, feelings of not being whole/right/you and very often also healthy.
(In case you are an athlete and you've suffered some serious injury and feel like your life is over I suggest you either read this book: https://books.google.cz/books/about/Coming_Back_Stronger.html?id=lez8urgN7IsC&source=kp_cover&redir_esc=y
or at least watch this video: https://www.ted.com/talks/janine_shepherd_a_broken_body_isn_t_a_broken_person
although they are both great even if you are not an athlete, check it out if you feel like it.)
Some people are lucky enough to not have to go through this and know themselves right away or just go about it in some mild way or don't need to experience this. Well, this guide is not for them really, but be my guest, read it, maybe you find something there. Maybe not. Moving on. Us others we have to go through some kind of struggle like this. Some heavy shit that makes you ask at least at some point "Why? Why the fuck I?", well I just explained why a moment ago. So stop whining on the inside, nothing is lost. You can get out of that shit, cuz you've gotten yourself into it! .. and you kind of left the breadcrumbs in the dark. Trust me, they are there. And I will show you what to do, if you are at that part of the tunnel, where you are ready to finally get out of it and kiss it bye bye.
*One more thing I'd like to mention, that explains the mechanism of being stuck where you are ans that is a triangle. What? A triangle, yes. Imagine a triangle. One side represents TIME. One represents MONEY. Last one represents SELF-REALIZATION/PASSION. It can be seen as a holy trinity and it creates harmony. But, most likely if you don't have a perfectly set life for some reason, you will always struggle to have one of those three (worst case you only have one or perhaps none of them) and will never feel really satisfied and in harmony. *
Disclaimer: And yes, I use the word fuck a lot here - cuz why the fuck not. If you're fed up with your situation it might resonate well with you.
So here are my 3 strategies for three types/situations/mindsets:
1) So if you have a relatively well payed job(s), you work a lot, but don't have much free time and it seems to never end. Or you are a type of person that wouldn't mind taking this turn on your lost journey and/or is capable/in situation of getting such a job. You don't have that much of a problem doing what you are doing or finding any kind of job you are skilled to do as long as it pays well.
You can get out of this race if you take as large amount of your monthly income and put it aside into some money making machine. Your most scarce commodity is TIME (energy), so you most likely just don't have where to squeeze this time and attention from and that is something you most take into consideration. That is why, I recommend you invest as much money possible, by reducing your expenses on unnecessary things, you only tell yourself you need and put that into some index funds or similar type of investment, where the money works for you and in time it will give you that extra energy you didn't have before, to do what you want to do and rebuild your life in the way that more suits your desires. After the money multiplies there will be enough to take away the pressure of needing to go to work because of the money and giving you time you can use to figure out what you need. Or you can simply just use this strategy, if you want to keep working like you are and then just retire sooner a be well off for the rest of your life.
If this is you I highly recommend you check out this blog : https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/ , I don't need to reinvent the wheel, this guy has figured the shit out of it.
2) Ok, so this one is more for those that just can't fucking find any decent job, cuz you kind of are good at some things, but somehow don't know how to sell it, or you're scared, lost, just don't know how to put yourself to use for some reason or you had to change careers for some reasons and can't do what you have spent a lot of time on and now you have to start over while being too old to get financial help from your parents, or a single parent stuck with a kid an athlete that suffered a career ending injury or just unexpected shit happened to you, that put you in a compromising situation that is tight at both ends.
This one is for you:
So whatever your situation is of those I've mentioned or something similar. Try to take these guidelines and adjust them to your situation, but the principle is more or less the same. Most likely now you don't have that much time and have so so money or vice versa or you kind of don't have both. And perhaps you are also a person that just can't do some jobs cuz you are repulsed by them or just really want to be doing something you don't know how to do or can't do. You were walking towards your goal on the rope bridge that suddenly collapsed right under you and now you are somewhere you really don't want to be and don't know how to get out. You kind of know what you want, where you want to be, but now you cannot possibly find a way to get there, because you are in the hole, with broken leg and the walls are fucking slippery like somebody just pourd oil over the glass. You maybe feel are too much this, not enough that, you lack that thing or this skill, or experience, means or whatever the heck. Either way, you knew what you wanted, but now you can't do it or find a way to it. Maybe you have some talent(s) you don't know how to put to use, but they create this inner pressure, that is forcing you to do it and thus making it harder to do something you dislike. Basically you have the PASSION/direction but somehow you are stuck.
What I suggest you do is go find yourself a job that gives you the most time and money for the least amount of attention.
What?
That's your magical advice? eh...Wait! It sounds obvious, but if you didn't get it the first time, please go back to the beginning of the paragraph and read again. Aha! If you get it, move along. Attention. Please. That is what you need as an asset to invest over a period of TIME to build (again) /accumulate something that you can use as a stepping stone a bridge, rope or a trampoline to get out of the abyss and on the other side. How do you do that? Do that by finding a way to maximize your income with focus on saving the most time you possibly can. For example, you could try to find a job as a waiter on some god forgotten cafe where few customers come during the whole day and no one is constantly on your back, cuz the boss is chill/not there/not gives a fuck and you can read books there, or something useful on your phone or watch some educational videos on some free online course website (or find a friend who has a payed account and would give you access). Or if you need connections, then go work at some place, where people from your field come or interesting/wealthy/inspiring/successful people come and try to copy cat their tricks, make connections, talk to them, be nice, be genuine, be eager and persistent (sometimes you just have to ask a million and one person to get the opportunity you need, so just keep asking and trying, it will work out one of those times.
It can be anything you can do, where you need to be the least mentally present to still accomplish your tasks. Think about what is easy for you/can learn quickly and easily and you can get payed for it.
It most likely is not going to be payed overly well, but probably will give you enough money to somehow get by while giving you space to build your skills/look for ways to get out/find people that could help you (whatever you think you need the most for you to succeed) - usually some good mix of all of those is a safe pick. If you need more time, but would cut your budget even thinner, then try to ask for more free days/change up the shifts somehow so you can work less and sell some stuff. What stuff? Well, anything you can sell. If you feel you have no idea, think hard. Try to look at everything you have access to (I mean stuff that is yours or you can get while it being ok, I don't encourage you to steal! It's a bad thing and it doesn't work anyways, just to know I'm not saying some moralistic bullshit - I was pretty desperate and angry at one time and worked at the gallery of a guy who had tons of money and didn't give shit or was too interested and grateful in general and some people talked me into giving them a discount if I just take the money and don't record their entry and let them pass - I did. Of course what goes around, comes around - the karma hit me back. One day I was working there and after the 10h shift I got my money, put it in my pocket, went home and discovered there is no money in my pocket. I worked 10h for free. It was about the same amount of money I got "for free" some time ago.) But look around your flat or house or wherever you are living. Do you have some old electronics that still work or some clothes you don't wear but are relatively new/nice or some books/CDs/vinyl records/comic books/paintings/collectible items like trading cards/ stamps/ coins/ postcards/ some toy figures/ antiquities pretty much anything somebody is willing to buy because it has value to them. Organize a yard sale or find some things you can buy cheaply and sell for more money. And try to repeat that as often as you can. Be creative, use that stuck passion of yours. You could just order some cheap accessories from china and sell them for higher price. Look for things that are maybe cheap in some nearby area but you can sell them for more in your hometown or vice versa. There are many ways, you just have to be determined to find them.
This strategy should give you the TIME/opportunity and space to find/create your way and get back on track of find a new track.
I don't have a blog link for this, I will write this one myself (here).
3) Finally no.3 strategy - you cannot stay one more fucking day stuck in your job and are all or nothing, pull the plaster fast and hard, to get over with it. You are determined as hell and know what you want to do and are willing to succeed no matter what. It's this or might as well be nothing. Fuck it. Well in that case I suggest the strategy of one awesome blogger I came across some time ago - Mark Manson. Mark will tell you how he got from zero to hero in a very honest way, that really shows the way, but you have to be willing to sacrifice a lot of comfort to make it happen. Mark quit his job, moved back in with his parents (no he wasn't a teenager at that time) and sold all the shit he owned to have something to live off of and kept writing day and night like a crazy person shitting his pants every night, that he's not gonna make it and persisting through his fear. You can do this, if your fear of not doing it and not living the way you want is bigger than going for it. Even a 51:49 scenario is enough but, you will be shitting your pants. Read the story over here https://markmanson.net/kill-your-day-job and definitely check out the rest of his blog, he's awesome. (oh btw, I think he has inspired me with the f word :p )
So this it this time....pfff....that seems to be a bit longer than I expected, but I hope you managed to get on the other side of the tunnel of this post and came out a bit smarter/better or whatever positive. If you have some questions I will try answering them in the comments. I will add more self-help articles in near future, so stay tuned, follow me, resteem, vote and stay tuned.
And remember - 
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Yeah. I am trying to get free from this 9 to 5 prison but usually it's not that easy until you have an alternate plan which is showing some decent outcome. So until you have a decent job try to contribute some time to extra quality activities so that you could be your own boss. Let's see, crypto space has shown some hopes for us. I hope everyone could do some good to the community and help each other to achieve the goals.
Yeah, I know. It took me about 4 years to figure out some way to make it happen and cryptos definitely played a role there, but not big enough to blame it on "eh, I was stuck but just got lucky with cryptos and it saved me". It was more about a change of heart a new perspective. I simply ran out of paths I could take, except the one I was supposed to. I got side tracked from my planned path and couldn't find my way back and had lots of mental, physical and financial problems and I was totally alone in it. I've found a way to turn it around, but the way comes from the inside. I know it sounds like a cliche, but the trick is to stay firm inside in your conviction and keep pushing towards the outside. Not the other way around, which tends to happen often when we fail and get some sort of mind set like " Ok, so I guess I'm not as good as thought and probably can't make it, so I will adjust somehow and not risk too much" but that doesn't work. I've spent several years trying this safe strategy, I was really miserable, It was giving me some sort of mental comfort, but actually it was a much worse torment than really going for it, which is what I ended up doing in the end. There is one zen proverb that says "A mountain is a mountain, a mountain is not a mountain, a mountain is a mountain." This "stuck"phase is the "mountain is not a mountain" part. You have to try considering that mountain isn't a mountain, if you have doubts in order to confirm, that it was a silly thing to thing, because mountain cannot be anything other than what it is. But those of us who are not so brilliant to know right away have to go check out for themselves.
Nice, article. Will share it! Thanks
Thanks, that's motivating mate. Commitment and discipline is all it takes but we often get side track by distractions. Let's do this...
Really glad I could make some positive impact on somebody :) Yes, but it's really about knowing deep down that you are 100% in this (whatever that is for you) and not give yourself a choice. If you give yourself a way out, you will fail, because it will always get hard at some point, at that time, you just have to keep looking at how you can do it and forget about where it wasn't working, just keep pushing where it's working and keep at it. It will work out. I've already had success like this before, only I have chickened out of this mindset before, because I got scared and started to give myself a way out, that's where it started going down the hill. Just have a firm conviction that success is your only option. Easier said than done (like everything), but if you truly feel it, it's all you really need.
P.S.: I just remembered this book a friend told me about and it is a little bit what I am talking about, maybe you find it useful https://www.amazon.com/Be-Obsessed-Average-Grant-Cardone/dp/1469095181