upvote
I do agree that working for your career isn't the only options. Sometimes it's just to earn a living.

The things that both of them have in common is that they're sustainable. If you do not like your current position, make it sustainable for the time being. I was unable to do that, twice, so I think I'm at a point where I cannot do what I need to do.

Even the fun work (FOSS) is something I cannot sustain for 40 hrs a week, despite how much I enjoy it.

Time will tell, though

reply
> stop assigning your self worth to the quality of your work

my personal riff on that is 'stop assigning self worth to the quality that others assign to your work'. being able to internally generate self-worth through the act of producing high quality work is a super power.

reply
Good refinement.

I like Paul Graham's "keep your identity small" piece: https://www.paulgraham.com/identity.html

When you're not personally identified with your work, it stings a whole lot less when someone rips it up. And keep in mind we're imperfect people working with other (often very) imperfect people. It's a mess, and always will be.

reply