Why I (Sometimes) Envy 9-to-5ers

I envy people who like their day jobs.

There, I said it. I envy people who have “figured it out”. I mean, it’s hard not to envy someone who is content, right?

Sometimes.

It’s easy to get caught up in the entrepreneurial world and say things like “I’m so much better off now because I figured out that I wasn’t a 9-to-5er”. It’s easy to say those types of things because it helps justify why you took the leap to go out on your own in the first place. You’re supposed to know exactly what you’re doing and where you’re going.

Except… I don’t.

I didn’t choose this path just because I was bored. I did it because there was something about the standard day-to-day of my previous job(s) that wasn’t fulfilling for me. I liked it enough, and still do (and, I never worked 9-5, but I think this is the nature of working on the supplier side). I just didn’t love it. And for me, I need to love what I do. This desire has led me to make decisions that my previous self would have gawked at. I’m happy that I’m at least a little more aware, but that doesn’t mean I wish I could have been content.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being content. I have a lot of friends who are genuinely happy with their careers and love the fact that they can leave their work at the office. They enjoy their evenings and weekends and pursue side hobbies in their spare time. It sounds like a pretty fantastic life to me.

But I’m not one of them. And sometimes? Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I were. Sometimes this different path feels lonely, and I find myself wishing I could kick back and stay up all night dancing with my friends.

For now, however, I’m going to keep navigating off-road until I stop loving what I’m doing.