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Ask HN: How to optimize your career for happiness?

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Re: Ask HN: How to optimize your career for happiness?

#291

Post by blakesley »

bluishgreen wrote: post #170

I will just add one point regarding health and sedentarism. Going completely remote saved about 2 hours a day from commute. This is big. This is not just 2 hours, but at the end of those 2 hours you won't be in a mood to do pretty much anything. I ended up working out for 30 mins and going on a long 90 min walk everyday. People tend to think 2 hours of physical activity is a lot and 'too much', but given how sitting…

I made a similar adjustment when fully remote! I actually prefer to do other forms of exercise, but at the end of each day, if I haven't done any exercise, I just go for at least a 30 min walk. It's been surprisingly enjoyable and beneficial.

Re: Ask HN: How to optimize your career for happiness?

#292

Post by bckr »

emodendroket wrote: post #286
bckr wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for expressing this. I think it gets left out of the conversation due to stigma. People are expected to say how happy they are to have disabled children because anything less is, I suppose, considered inhumane. However, it's very humane to bring to other people's attention that their prospective children might not be healthy.

They might not, but is there any way you can live where you're free from the risk of terrible calamity? If you become close to another person, you don't know if they'll get hit by a car tomorrow and suddenly leave you grieving in a way you'd never be if you never met them in the first place.

> is there any way you can live where you're free from the risk of terrible calamity?

No.

> and suddenly leave you grieving in a way you'd never be

And we should consider that when deciding to enter a relationship.

Re: Ask HN: How to optimize your career for happiness?

#293

Post by thanatos519 »

bboylen wrote: post #211
thanatos519 wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did that, and I agree in principle, but I regret that my child will experience the collapse of civilization before he knows what it means. I don't think it's a good idea to make more humans right now, because they will not have a very good life.

A child born today in the west has a better life expectancy than any other period in human history. Despite all the global challenges, we still live in the most prosperous age ever

Whoever calculates those life expectancy numbers needs to update their methods.

Re: Ask HN: How to optimize your career for happiness?

#294

Post by emodendroket »

bckr wrote: post #292
emodendroket wrote: post #286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They might not, but is there any way you can live where you're free from the risk of terrible calamity? If you become close to another person, you don't know if they'll get hit by a car tomorrow and suddenly leave you grieving in a way you'd never be if you never met them in the first place.

> is there any way you can live where you're free from the risk of terrible calamity? No. > and suddenly leave you grieving in a way you'd never be And we should consider that when deciding to enter a relationship.

The notion of a life lived without any relationships with other people seems too grim to contemplate.

Re: Ask HN: How to optimize your career for happiness?

#295

Post by herbst »

At one point my life turned upside down, imposter syndrome wasn't bearable anymore and trying to find motivation again directly pulled me into burnout.

I was working with a super small team, in my favourite coding languages, was earning really well, very low stress on job and I never witnessed a better company culture. It didn't help.

I quit everything and went travelling, I learned that making some money as a coder is kinda easy so I just did just enough of that to have food and some luxury on the table.

Over time I would just invest more and more time into things I care most about and managed to earn more and more money with it.

It took a while but today I work when I want to and earn enough to don't worry and be able to execute new ideas whenever I want. This is where I found happiness in my life. Less in form of being happy all day, but rather so low stress that I enjoy every moment. May I start farming this spring? Because why not :)

That said my partner isn't there (yet?) She needs validation for her doings, for her low stress means high security also in forms of income. Everyone is different I guess

Edit:// I still code, sometimes sell what I created. But I don't code for others anymore.

Re: Ask HN: How to optimize your career for happiness?

#296

Post by bjoli »

bluishgreen wrote: post #170

I will just add one point regarding health and sedentarism. Going completely remote saved about 2 hours a day from commute. This is big. This is not just 2 hours, but at the end of those 2 hours you won't be in a mood to do pretty much anything. I ended up working out for 30 mins and going on a long 90 min walk everyday. People tend to think 2 hours of physical activity is a lot and 'too much', but given how sitting…

I moved closer to my job during the pandemic, meaning I got 25 minutes of biking every day to get to and from work (this is in a small-ish Swedish town). I also live a lot closer to just about the only workout I can tolerate: swimming.

My son goes to a preschool about 4 minutes away instead of 10 minutes in the wrong direction (meaning I had to drive 10 minutes in the wrong direction, and then 20 minutes to work).

It has made me value one thing: simplicity. For me, I lack the inner drive of some people. I NEED the simplicity of the life I have now. Especially since I am getting a new kid. I have colleagues that commute for 3h every day. For me that feels like a waste of life - but everyone is different. For them that might be the simple solution.

Re: Ask HN: How to optimize your career for happiness?

#297

Post by jwmoz »

16mb wrote: post #285
jwmoz wrote: post #264

Work contract. You can pick and choose the projects you want to work on. You are paid day rate and much higher than permanent staff. You can choose when to work. Spend the free time working on other things or travelling, relaxing. Much higher levels of independence and freedom. I spent a decade contracting and it was fantastic. I had the best life-work balance out of any one I know.

How did you find contracts? And any advice for someone looking to get started without much of a network

Initially CV sites, spam it out. Then linkedin-there are millions of recruiters on there it's crazy, feels like my network is over 50% recruiters. The more you connect the more jobs you will get spammed, then just set up filters on your email, ignore most things select what you want. Some websites like indeed.co.uk let you filter for contract work.

Add your profile to decent job sites, HN jobs, stackoverflow etc. Make sure you have an attractive profile or cv. Once you get a contract or connect with recruiters it's pretty easy the jobs just come to you. As you build a real network over the years friends and ex contacts can help.

Re: Ask HN: How to optimize your career for happiness?

#298

Post by [deleted] »

physicles wrote: post #279
stayux wrote: post #60

In 2019 I closed my company, middle size web-dev shop. I used the pandemic situation to reevaluate and rearrange my life. Turns out that I want to do product design and development. And all the experience as a business owner, product manager, etc, is coming handy when crafting new products. I have survived several burnouts in those years of pushing myself harder. Learned my lessons. Balance is the key. Physical and m…

May I ask, what kinds of things do you rely on to check the fulfillment / meaning box?

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: How to optimize your career for happiness?

#299

Post by stocknoob »

bitlax wrote: post #59
thanatos519 wrote: post #35

Use your career/job to support your life, then get a life. Become an artist, author, clown, or build some awesome technical system because you want it to exist. GPL it. Don't ask for anything, especially not happiness, from your "career". I put it in quotes because it's conceptually bankrupt. https://www.roystonguest.com/blog/why-happiness-is-not-a-des...

And for those who are able, getting married and having children will tend to bring even more fulfillment than becoming a clown.

I know you don’t mean it this way, but this general attitude sees life as a Ponzi scheme. For your kids to find meaning, they are forced to have kids too? And if they can’t? Suckers holding the bag.

Fulfillment must be discoverable outside of that specific path, otherwise it’s cruel to bring someone into existence as a means for your end.

Re: Ask HN: How to optimize your career for happiness?

#300

Post by roeles »

beaker52 wrote: post #176
toddm wrote: post #111

For me, the special part is truly viewing any job as just that: a job. I no longer assess my worth as a person as a function of job title, salary, or anything else. I take contracting work primarily and expect absolutely nothing more than a paycheck. Work is a transaction and I deliver what I can and am not a jerk. Almost every disposable penny goes toward physical fitness. My spouse happens to be cut from the same c…

I've always thought that a job worth doing was a job worth doing well. It's put me through a lot of pain and stress because almost no-one else feels the same way. I'm coming to terms with the realisation that for most people, a job is just a job. To others, a job is a ladder to climb in the pursuit of wealth. Neither of those are me, but I need to find a way to be content in an environment full of people like that. I…

> I've always thought that a job worth doing was a job worth doing well.

I think you were right, and I am learning that it doesn't have to be painful if you consider "your job" to be the best you can in the moment and given the circumstances (including co-workers that don't feel the same way).

As Lao-Tzu put it: "Do your job, then step back. The only path to serenity."

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