From the Intro to EVIL PLANS:
“TO UNIFY WORK AND LOVE”
Sigmund Freud once said that in order to be truly happy in life, a human being needed to acquire two things: The capacity to work, and the capacity to love.
An EVIL PLAN is really about being able to do both at the same time.
So how do you do both at the same time?
Easy. You love what you do.
How do you love what you do?
You make the decision to do so.
The earlier in your life you make that decision, the easier your EVIL PLAN will be to pull off.
The easier it will be to actually create something.
The longer you’ve been working, the more you see this: People in their thirties and forties, who have kind of hit the wall in their career trajectory, but somehow need the money more than ever.
You know, to pay for all that “stuff”. Fancy cars, nice houses in the suburbs, golf clubs, that kinda thing.
They hate their work, but they love their “stuff”.
They say they have no choice. They have children, mortgages, responsibilities, that kinda thing.
But they also have a lot of “stuff”, which requires ever more time and money to enjoy properly, to keep the veneer from cracking.
Because the older you get, the more time and energy is needed to compensate for the fact that basically, you hate what you do. That you never liked what you do. That all along, it’s always been about the “stuff”.
Those people always get crucified, eventually. Their bosses always get rid of them, eventually.
So please decide to love what you do, the sooner the better. “Death By Stuff” is really no way to live.
[Bonus Link: Comedian George Carlin’s classic rant about “Stuff”.]
The New Republic
Len Schlesinger
Seth Godin
Brian Clark
True!
I see death by stuff equal to the “Chinese water torture method”. At first it seems like no big deal, but in the long run…
Hugh–
I was a realtor-mortgage broker for years and years. Making six figures, and having an ever increasing set of bills in a job I find joyless.
I was 32. I got rid of my house, Acura RL. (Truth be told, my sinking rental properties helped expedite that).
I hated my job. I was fatter than fat, meaner than mean…and I needed 6 figures to stay afloat in misery.
If anyone reads this: give it up.
My wife and 2 kids moved into a hovel and sold all our stuff to feed the debt monster. We got out, paid debt and the thing is:
giving up all that overhead was the #1 reason we were able to survive.
That overhead would have caused a divorce, the ruination of my family.
If anyone reads this, it’s easy. You don’t need a massive amount of savings to start a business, since you could be fired at any time anyway.
It doesn’t take balls because you are NOT SECURE AS IT IS. You could be fired and you don’t get to control the timing. Have your bills paid, quit at the beginning of the month…and get out there and help people.
The path is well lit, and it’s easier than having to have part of you die in weekly meetings and to eat shit to keep your paycheck.
Chris,
“Hitting the wall” by 32? Wow, that’s young. Still, at least you got it over with early.
And Congrats on making the leap
Chris, thanks for sharing! All the best
Thank you so much for this timely reminder especially with what’s happening here in the UK at the moment and the riots in Greece.
I work in Housing and the increase in elderly people dying in misery, and being literally crushed to death in their sleep with all the “stuff” they’ve hoarded over the years out of fear tells me life is for living.
Every time a group of fearful people gather together, live in mediocre and they tell their generation and future generations to “get real” it amazes me because it is their fear robs them of the opportunity to dream, pursue and accomplish. The road they choose is far harder. i have so much compassion and sympathy for them.
These past two years I’ve been taking the baby steps towards doing what I love, but it took courage to acknowledge what it is I loved doing in the first place because its creative. But whenever I do it I couldn’t be happier I feel like a whole person, and along the way I have been guided to and by people like Hugh o stay on course.
Thanks Hugh for your daily cartoon email for which I am subscribed it keeps me sane and on course.
Karen,
Heh. When I lived in the UK, I had no shortage of people wanting to tell me about how “The American Dream” was just a myth.
No it fucking isn’t…
Last week I met a retired 3-Star Army General. His father was a dirt poor Hispanic silver miner from Shafter, Texas.
You just don’t find that in Europe, the way you do here. Believe me, I’ve looked.
My exhusband and I still own a house that is full of stuff that neither of us want. I mean, seriously, we took a total of about 3% of the possessions.
Whose stuff is that?
It’s the people we thought we were supposed to be. The lawyers, the housewife, the business owners, the power couple, the yuppies, the perfect parents. We looked good.
But we were both slowing dying inside. Thank god we figured it out and broke up and left the stuff and realized we really sucked at those roles.
Bizarrely, as soon as we broke up and moved out and left the stuff, we were able to be friends. And we were both happy. Like, 2 days later.
Nicely said! Thanks.
Hey, Hugh!
I ended up having to take a different road to getting rid of my “stuff.”
Waaay back (at least it feels that way), I developed a chronic pain condition. Then another. Then another. Then another. (Yep, that’s four.)
All that “pain stuff” led to me going on disability (tho now I consider myself “differently abled rather than disabled).
I had to fight to get it, which meant no income for a while. Like, two years. Went thru my savings. Cashed in my supplemental retirement and went thru that.
When I couldn’t pay the rent, I had to move in with my sister. From a large 1-bedroom apartment to an 8’x10’ room.
It was traumatic. Had to get rid of lots of “stuff.” Lost other kinds of “stuff,” like self-definition. And ego. And self-reliance.
10+ years on the other side of it, I can now say I’m much happier, lighter, more free, more real without all that “stuff” to hide behind.
I’m loving it!
Annie
Thanks for the comment on the blog, Hugh!
Your post rang loud for me. You mention the down side of “death by stuff” — middle aged, dissatisfied, surrounded by things — but not the slightly terrifying, risky, and positive alternative. Get rid of the stuff, and lean on savings and friends, while you work towards the thing that you really want to do.
I find myself walking that path right now. From the comments, I see I’m not alone.
I’m 45, recently separated from a long-term relationship, purging stuff, and working like hell to get to the thing that I want to do.
I’ll let you know how it comes out!
This is SO true… I just started a business, and the first thing I did was write down the stuff I love to do and the stuff I have no intention of doing!
And while I do know I have too much stuff… we are in the middle of the cleanup plan. No more unwanted/unneeded stuff!
Great post
I’ve had many jobs. In many of them, I loved what I did. Sadly, what I did and loved (and my customers loved me doing it) wasn’t on the official radar of the managers. It wasn’t an understood job description. So, each time, a clueless boss would get rid of me — usually by trying to force me to do something else, something I didn’t love.
I keep trying and so should you. But understand that loving what you do will not protect you from being one of “those people [who] always get crucified, eventually. Their bosses always get rid of them, eventually.”
Brillant! If you don’t love what you do-stop doing it!
I’ve been reading the posts here for close to a year, and this one hit closest to home for me. I am in a survival job, one that I took just as the economy tanked, and I’m damn glad I’ve got it. But I did learn one very valuable lesson.
Don’t let what you do for money define YOU…let what you do for fun define you. All around me I see people who hate their jobs but can’t divorce themselves from the treadmill. Trying to convince themselves that this bullshit is meaningful when deep down they know it is not.
Eventually, people who live this way will “come to the end of themselves”.…they won’t have the energy to keep faking it. I know, I used to be one of those people! Sometimes you have to step outside the cage to realize you’ve been in the zoo!
Thanks for the post, and keep the faith!
Very interesting post thanks for writing it I just added your blog to my bookmarks and will check back
By the way this is off subject but I really like your blogs layout.
Stuff is a burden. You have to clean it, store it, insure it, worry about it, and use it. Sometimes using it is the part that makes one the most miserable. Growing up my parents had a condo about two hours away. We would go there about once a month. I think my parents felt like they had to go. When they sold it I could see the relief in their faces.
Many people know how little we need to survive but few realize how little we need to be happy.
Yes! About 6 months ago, we sold almost everything we owned (including our house and new car) and feel so much lighter and more liberated than ever before. In fact, not being tied to stuff has enabled us to save more money, and be more mobile. We’re currently living in Costa Rica just for the experience, and loving it here. Stuff just drags you down…
I like the way Hugh think (I swore I’d never make this joke but in this context I feel it’s appropriate).
Loved the cartoon as well as the post!
I have been stuck in a deadbeat (though highly lucrative) banking job for the past 5 years. Very recently i tightened up my balls and quit!
I have loads of plans to pursue, mostly on the creative side, which i’ve been mandatorily sweeping below the carpet till now…
A lot of what i feel is captured in a blog post and a poem, check it out if you get the time:
http://lukewarmbeer.blogspot.com/2009/10/aching-to-break-free.html
“How do you love what you do?
You make the decision to do so.”
Isn’t there a snag here? How do you *decide* to love what you do? I enjoy my work, my colleagues, my office. I really do.
But I don’t love it. I love spending time with my friends and being able to play the host sometimes… I love being able to give people I love a place to stay while they’re in trouble. I love racing down rocky slopes on my mountain bike. I love travelling to weird places. I love driving a car that doesn’t break down regularly — which is something I had to do for a long time.
I don’t have to *decide* to love those things. But I have to sometimes decide to average out the occasional crap at work with the good stuff.
I have a dream .
That’s a nightmare .
This should be taught at school: figuring out what you love to do, what your passions ans your strenghts are!
I think every cartoon or painting has its own story. Your cartoon is really touching us, and furthermore, makes us think deeply about what the most important factors affecting our lives would be.
Thanks for your insight.
Literally no idea what the difference is between ‘the moment’ and ‘the present’. You can live life in the moment, but the present is a distraction?
I made the leap about five years ago, when I quit my cool job at a very successful Internet behemoth and took a year off traveling with the Missus. We both realized that there is more to life than 12+ working days, 2-hr commutes and corporate politics, building other people’s resumes…
Today I’m working on interesting projects, collaborating with cool people and having an awesome life. I’m constantly getting rid of stuff which makes me think twice about acquiring new stuff.
Freedom is not about owning a McMansion and retiring from a deadbeat corporate gig at 50; it’s about working on interesting things you whole life, following your passion. I probably work more now than ever but it’s energized work and well-balanced with family and personal life.
I think of my life like that of the 19th century painter; lots of creativity, problem-solving and bursty work. Free from politics, location and narrow-mindedness. Today I started at 4am and am now getting ready for a bike ride before brunch.
Life is beautiful!
Tried it. You are missing on key point. If you hate it, you hate it — and you have to try to find something else to do for money that you can love. At least until that thing you absolutely love that ur doing on the side pops off into a few wonderful income generators that you can learn to passivle love more than that job you hate.
This is especially difficult in today’s economy. Changing to something you can learn to love, but trying to pretend to love something you hate will keep you teetering on madness and eventually lead to you justifying the slitting of your own throat. I’ve tried it. Got the stitches to prove it.
Just finished ur book. Recommended it a few times. Definitely adds needed reality to a struggling dreamer. Might just get me to blog more consistently again.
Amber.