Between Workaholism and Procrastination (2015) • Hacker News Board

Re: Between Workaholism and Procrastination (2015)

#41

Post by specialist » Thu, Jul 09, 2020, 5:46 PM UTC

digitalhobo33 wrote: post #25

zozin wrote: post #8

I get the sense that digital nomadism is akin to a multi-level marketing scam; the only people making actual money are the ones recruiting others to the "lifestyle" by advertising their blogs, books and guides (see OP).

Years ago I sort of did the digital nomad thing for about 8 years in Western Europe, but I managed to spend a good amount of time in every continent but Antarctica. I earned between $25k and $100k a year working about 10 to 20 hours a week and spent most of the money on alcohol and women. I had to work pretty hard the first couple years just to kick-start the whole thing though. The final year was a total blowout and…

"...and spent most of the money on alcohol and women."

"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds [women] and fast cars – the rest I just squandered" -- George Best

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Best#cite_note-10

Re: Between Workaholism and Procrastination (2015)

#42

Post by ghaff » Thu, Jul 09, 2020, 5:58 PM UTC

steveklabnik wrote: post #40

ghaff wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I actually did this for someone who was basically living on the road for an aerospace company for a number of years. They shifted most bills etc. online and I kept my eye out for anything critical such as drivers license renewals and forwarded that kind of thing to her company's mail forwarding PO Box.

Yeah. Some of it I was only able to make work because a partner was willing to work with me on the money side. In the long term it wasn’t fair, though.

It's almost certainly easier than it used to be because you can do so much online, everyone has a mobile number, etc. There are even basically "address as a service" services for mail forwarding and the like. Still, there's probably more peace of mind (and it's probably somewhat more legit) to be officially living somewhere with someone reliable even if you just happen to almost never be there.

When I was doing it for my friend, it was never that big a deal. But stuff did come up every now and then that needed to be handled.

Re: Between Workaholism and Procrastination (2015)

#43

Post by ghaff » Thu, Jul 09, 2020, 6:32 PM UTC

stronglikedan wrote: post #19

fizixer wrote: post #18

I have this idea where I can work my neck off for 4-6 months (including weekends; essentially eat, sleep, restroom, and work 24x7). And then I need the rest of the year off. I'm not sure how to find this kind of work. Some have advised that I should seek contract work. But contract work is hell, no thanks.

Aside from contract work, I think you've pretty much limited your choices to consultant or commercial fisherman.

Even consultant is tough. You have a business that you need to run and typically can't just disappear for 6 months at a time and largely ignore everything going on in the industry.

It's actually almost certainly easier to consult part-time (whether you intend it to be part-time or not!) than it is to go 120% for 6 months and then rapidly ratchet it to zero for another 6.

I think the only person I know who has done something like this was a lawyer who worked as a contract lawyer for some big finance company (I think) for about half the year. Which doesn't sound like a bad gig. But it's hard for most white collar jobs.

Re: Between Workaholism and Procrastination (2015)

#44

Post by pizza234 » Fri, Jul 10, 2020, 10:46 AM UTC

Chris2048 wrote: post #27

pizza234 wrote: post #13

This seems to me the idea(s) of a young person who's working (no pun intended) on the small picture, but missing the big one. In short, somebody who doesn't know yet what to do in life, however, not what to do in the planning or business sense (which is what described in the post), but more precisely, what they _want_ to do. To me, rather the conceptualization(s) proposed, the words of John Carmack are immensely more…

TBH though, Carmack gets to choose what work he does in virtue of being wealthy.

I don't really get this, but Carmack's wealth has been, and is, completely disconnected from his software career.

I can take that he may not have founded his aerospace company without plenty of money, but that's not what he's mostly known for, or even better, what he represents (one of the greatest software engineers).

Re: Between Workaholism and Procrastination (2015)

#45

Post by jamalx31 » Fri, Jul 10, 2020, 2:46 PM UTC

pantalaimon wrote: post #23

> I wake up around 6 am, go to the gym with my buddy, come back to my room to take a shower, eat a bowl of salad and then leave for work. I get to work around 9 am, leave around 5 to meet friends, hang out, or do whatever activity I was planning for that evening. Where do people get that energy?

This will sound wired. But the days I wake up early I usually have more energy (ofc I need to get enough sleep).

Re: Between Workaholism and Procrastination (2015)

#46

Post by mxmzb » Mon, Jul 13, 2020, 1:50 PM UTC

battery423 wrote: post #20

jamalx31 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it wasn't meat as an ad, just for context. In some places I say "this chapter.." which doesn't make since in a blog post without context. also appreciate your honest feedback. Any personal thoughts on how to deal with procrastination without turning to a workaholic

It simplifies procrastination and throws in happiness with procrastination and workaholic. You also assume your worldview. When i hear your digital nomade lifestyle i'm not envy it and i'm not connecting to your worldview. Procrastination doesn't mean 'not working'. Workaholic doesn't mean 'unhappy'.

Workoholic doesn't mean 'unhappy', yes, but how does procrastination not mean 'not working'? In this context, it litterally means 'postponing the work'.