So, I just hit the ripe age of 30 yesterday which in itself can be depressing, but I feel robbed. I spent so much of my 20s trying to follow the rules and go to school and do things right, but I only ended up with no degree and more student debt. When I wasn't in school, I've been working full time. My 20s has been lost to the wheel of capitalism, and I'm over it.
Now, at 30, I'm unmotivated, depressed, feel like no time is my own, and like I have no control over my life. I've “quiet quit” on and off for many years now, even before the pandemic. I've decided to stop languishing and start looking into practical ways to reclaim my time, because it's my time dammit and my time is not worth what I'm paid by my employer. I'm done with 40 hour work weeks.
I've been considering this for a while, but I think I'm ready to “soft-retire” so to speak. I don't want to work full time anymore, I'd much rather have a part time job so I can spend more time at home, and try to live within those means. I have no mortgage or rent to worry about thankfully…
Theres many drawbacks of course: no health insurance benefits, less income, joblessness is often frowned upon, utility bills… but The 9-5 life is soul sucking, I have never been more miserable. And I'm 90% sure this societal lifestyle is responsible for most of my depression and anxiety. Like, I've tried rationalizing to myself that it would get better, but it hasn't. People are starting to fall back in line with the workforce as they were before the pandemic, wages have not gone up, and healthcare is still expensive.
Up to now, I was holding out for things to change. I'm done waiting. I'm getting older. I'm making a goal: save up and prepare to soft retire in the next five years so that I can actually enjoy my life. Obviously I won't be able to live large, but at least it would be on my terms.
While this plan feels impossible, I don't see another way. I have tried reframing the situation too many times. I am not willing to spend my life working.