There has to be a better system than this.
Have you heard of the five stages of grief? That’s probably the best first way to deal with it. No capitalist/socialist/fascist/technocratic/authoritarian utopia will be able to fix that. I don’t believe there is a better system yet than what the western world already has. Maybe one day UBI will exist and everyone will have more freedom to enjoy their passions but even then it you’ll still have to work most of your life.
Best you can do is figure out what you want out of your life and take the steps to do it. Like what most people have said, living below your means helps with funding your goals and protecting yourself against accidents. Find ways to do what you want now but know there’s always a trade off. It isn’t fair but I don’t think it ever has been, except for a very privileged class of people.
Don’t hold on to things you haven’t done before you retire… It is a waste of time and regretting not doing stuff, which lasts for moments, is the folly of youth.
Also what/who you want to do changes as you get older…
/sauce greybeard who is 10 years off retirement.
Yep, your priorities will change, those big plans you had 15 years ago might not seem so important now, and that’s perfectly OK.
Thank you HorseChandelier
Living with disability like I do means that process has sped up significantly.
The answer is: do a job you like and do the things you like. I’m due to retire in ten years and won’t be doing so. I won’t work as much but I will work
It’s easier in some countries than others. But the key is not wasting time on things that you feel pressured to do because of societal norms or because you’re too lazy to do anything different.
I can’t imagine stopping to work. If I retire, I’ll have no money. I cannot count on pension either.
But I have an IT job, it’s just sitting in front of the computer all day; it’s not like a physical job I wouldn’t be able to do at old age.
If you work IT and can’t envision having enough money saved to retire then you’re doing something wrong.
Shit, the 2nd paragraph hit much earlier than that. It hit me even before my 30th bday
I’d rather pick that, than starve to death.
I’m not planning on being able to have an IT job in my old age. Seems likely that ageism or economic factors will conspire to make sure I can’t. I’m planning on possibly involuntary retirement in my 50s.
I love my job. I have crippling depression, so I won’t live to retirement.
I found a job with a career track that I can retire from in 25 years max and I already have 5 years of service. The system you envision doesn’t really exist yet.
Plan the things you want to do into your life. Drop the notion “when I retire I will…” If you can fit the stuff you want to do into your Annual Leave then that’s a big win. If not then you’ll need unpaid leave. One good time is between jobs.
I don’t just work it’s not like nothing else happens. I get it’s tough and frustrating but life is good even if work sucks sometimes
Hate to say it, but I actually enjoy my job. Would I rather be playing video games and vacationing with friends in the mountains? Of course. But I’d also like to eat potato chips and pizza every day, which would get boring. I work in oil and gas, in environmental, and the money is decent and everyone is just trying really hard to do the right thing and meet government regulatory requirements at every step–regardless of mainstream anti-O&G sentiments. I deal with technical challenges, engineering complexity, and social diversity every day and my brain is better off for it than if I were just cozy on my couch instead. I do consider becoming self employed though–not because I hate my job, but because I would appreciate more control over my own life.
Don’t wait until retirement. Balance your life now. It’s going to be a long slog.
You don’t need to find an amazing career that you’ll love doing until you die. People who get that are extremely lucky, and it’s not the norm. You just need a job that will support you while still giving you time to do the things you enjoy.
Follow this: https://youtu.be/YHxwY3Fz2gU?feature=shared
As I tell my kids repeatedly. I am the exception not the rule!
It’s so bloody annoying a 13 year old is supposed to know what they want to do with their life. I fell into my career in IT at 25 after dropping out of college twice, running my own business unsuccessfully and generally doing my best to survive. Now I make 150k which is both too much and not enough money.
Point being, do what’s right for you and only you.
I slack. Oh boy do I slack. I’d work so harder if I thought I would actually get something for it. In fact, when I started my latest job, I was doing just that, because it seemed this company was different, and it’s something I’m naturally good at. Got commended by my boss about how much I was doing, how quickly I was learning, how in a year I had already surpassed the next most recent hire that had been there for 2 years… Then time came for my review, and it was a “meets expectations”. Like wtf do I have to do to exceed expectations? Then not long after, they started denying me time off, saying I had taken too much. Supposedly we had unlimited PTO, of which I had taken 2 weeks so far that year (1 week in March, the rest just single days here and there), and my request was for a week in July… Anywho long story short, I’ve pretty much figured out exactly how much I have to fake being busy to not get negative attention, and I do that. I milk cases for all they’re worth. And I’m still getting more done than half my colleagues. I hate it, but it pays decently, so I have a hard time throwing it away for something that might be more fulfilling, but doesn’t pay as well…
I hate it. I started learning about FIRE, Financial Independence, Retire Early. The great part is that you can do what you want, you just have to match your spending to your income.
I hope for a better system for my kids’ friends. (My kids will have me guiding them.)
The chase to grind up from Proletarian to Petite Bourgeoisie to eventually Bourgeoisie just to escape the Capitalist hellhole is downright dystopian.
Don’t think about it.
