It’s as if you took the words right out of my head! I’ve always struggled with the same thing. I fill a page in my notebook daily of all the things I want to do, dream of doing.. whether they be big or small.. and sometimes I accomplish them, and sometimes I don’t. Always because I don’t have the time or the energy to pursue my goals after the 8-12 hours I’ve given to work. I dream of having an endless source of money not because I want to spend it on lavish things, but simply because I want to buy freedom for myself and for the many I love. I want to give something back this world that I can’t while being leashed to an office building 5 days a week. Your post was just what I needed to remind myself I’m not alone in wanting out, so thanks for that :)

If you’re up for a read, you can probably relate to this one. I wrote it awhile back on a day work was especially excruciating lol
Work is for the Bees

I would LOVE to quit a job or two!!! Right now, I work one full-time job, I have two part-time jobs, and I just started a little “side-business” organizing other peoples’ crap. You have no idea how much crap people in the south can store – generations of it!

I have 4 teenagers and a kindergartener, a husband, and two huge dogs. I’m on the go CONSTANTLY. I sleep about three hours a night.

I would LOVE to be able to roll everything that I do for other people into a viable, sustainable business model that I could put to work for myself.

I haven’t worked as a sysadmin for about 10 years, but my friends still call me to come fix their computers. Forget that what I know about most computers now could fit into somebody’s Cliff’s Notes, I still manage to wing it.

Anybody know how to roll together 1) troubleshooting mechanical and electrical systems, 2) writing news and political commentary, 3) DJing at a country radio station, and 4) being a “personal organizer” into one job?

I will SOOO send you a resume – hook me up!

I sit around all day.

Here is an average day, followed by some facts about me.

6am. Wake up, make coffee, check email. Maybe some news
8am. By this time I am working or, more likely, sitting around.
10am. If I am working *and* productive, more coffee. If not productive, no more coffee, because it kills my nerves later in the afternoon. Productivity feels good enough to justify extra coffee at 10.
12pm. If I’m working and productive, then I can go maybe until 5pm or even 8pm.
2pm. Say I’m not working (most likely scenario altogether).. I’ve had lunch, and on twitter, or facebook, reading blogs.
10pm. I’m doing the same things if I didn’t work. If I did work, then I go to sleep. I only stay up past 10pm when I’ve had really good news or something (like now, it’s likely that I will get a new contract.)

facts:

On average, I am in public fewer than 30 minutes per day.
I started doing web design & development at age 27.
Total earned income as a web developer, @ $4,600 (since Jun ’08)
Before June ’08 it was a hobby.
I have a handful of other hobbies.

Well anyways, this comment is making no sense, but the point is that I am jealous of people with active lives who complain about ‘not enough hours in the day’. Half the time, for me, nightfall is never too soon.

But I just may secure another programming gig this week. Hopefully I will be working steady. But that’s what I do, I sit around all day.

Wikke wrote:

They even run a commercial for Euromillions in my country with some random dude who won and does nothing but amuse himself (in an excessive way of course). (I don’t know if that one is shown internationally… Someone?)

They run many of those here in Portugal, when there was the Dakar. Basicly, the guy’s asking his father for the car keys:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEsVZ7qsFug

@ Luke Maciak:

Instilling geeky values is already a given, considering that it’s my kid. Jeff Vogel (of Spiderweb Software) has an interesting post on how he’s educating his daughter and I will probably follow the same concepts.

Understanding (not simply using) that strange entity called a computer will definitely be an aim of mine. I’ve already influenced my younger bro to fix his own PC, and he can DIY himself now. And my wife, who is superbly bored by all things geeky, can name all the parts in a computer now. An impressionable kid will be easy!

@ Mart:

Well, if you can make out a beating heart it is definitely multi-cellular. :)

So… Are you planning to instill some geeky values into your child? I decided that when I spawn a descendant I will do my best to make sure he/she will actually know their way around the computer, whether it is running Windows, Apple, Linux or whatever.

@ Ruler of the Interwebs:

I’m guessing that it’s possible that somewhere in the world there might be a lottery that did draw this exact sequence of numbers, but it is rather unlikely. You have to remember that the odds of winning a typical lottery are astronomical

I wonder if those actually ever were the winning numbers? That guy must be flipping out!

@ Wikke:

But what if your winning number was 4-8-15-16-23-42? You’ll probably end up on an island, but probably not because you bought it.

Ruler of the Interwebs wrote:

The key point is that money is always the limiting factor. Generally, people who have that much time on their hands don’t have money to follow their dreams with. The people that are independently wealthy usually worked for that wealth, and enjoyed doing it (if they didn’t enjoy the work, they probably wouldn’t be wealthy).

I think the people who would do this are the ones that won Euromillions or alother lottery. (We’re talking in the range of winning 100 millions or so).
They even run a commercial for Euromillions in my country with some random dude who won and does nothing but amuse himself (in an excessive way of course). (I don’t know if that one is shown internationally… Someone?)

I would quit my job so hard if I won tomorrow!

Traveling, visiting museums, being the dictator of my own domain :P I would probably buy my own island.

My girlfriend is one of those people who asks: Won’t you get bored after a while?
Well, no! I don’t think so.

The key point is that money is always the limiting factor. Generally, people who have that much time on their hands don’t have money to follow their dreams with. The people that are independently wealthy usually worked for that wealth, and enjoyed doing it (if they didn’t enjoy the work, they probably wouldn’t be wealthy).

Also, you’re assuming everybody has hobbies and/or an open mind to new things. I know people who literally don’t have a hobby. They spend so much of their time doing the daily routine of get up, go to work, eat, sleep, that they never found the time to pursue something they really enjoy. I feel bad for those people, but that’s how it is. I’m completely with you on this one. I’m always looking for free time to just do what I want, without having to stress about responsibility.