A common argument against FIRE I’ve heard goes like this:
“Why not just get a job you love?”
Well, there are a number of issues with this idea.
And I’ll break them down today.
Keep in mind, this comes from the perspective of someone who’s had dozens of jobs over the course of his life. I picked up my first job at eight years old.
So I have plenty of experience with jobs, yet I was never able to find one that I loved.
It’s pretty easy to understand why.
A Job Is Not The Same As Work
First, there’s a mental framework I operate with regarding this subject.
That framework is this: a job is not the same as work.
A job is simply a place you go to for many hours per day so that you can exchange your time, effort, and skills for money.
Clock in. Clock out. Make money. Go home.
Very straightforward stuff here.
But work is something altogether different.
Work is something you do because you’re passionate about it.
Work, when done correctly, allows you to be productive and progress forward as a person.
A job is usually (but not always) not fun. Most people don’t like their jobs.
Work, on the other hand, is almost always highly enjoyable.
There’s a big reason for this.
On Your Terms
That reason is pretty obvious.
Work is something you do on your terms. Work usually allows for almost complete autonomy.
A job is not something you do on your terms. A job usually allows for very little autonomy.
That makes for a world of difference. It’s huge.
I always saw my job like being in prison.
I’m told when to show up, what to do, when to eat, when to wake up, when I should go to bed, etc. I had a couple hours per day of “free time”. My boss was akin to a warden. That totally sucks.
But the work I do these days is all on my terms.
I do what I want, when I want, where I want, with whom I want.
I work on projects that fill me with joy. And I work with people I love working with. Plus, I do all of it when and and how I prefer to do it.
A job cannot provide that kind of flexibility, which inherently limits the enjoyment one can find in it.
Just imagine other relationships in your life working this way.
If someone loves me, they should want me to be free to do things as I wish them to be done.
I couldn’t imagine being with a partner who told me they loved me, only to then command me to do the things they want done at times that work best for them.
But my partner pays me money to do what she wants…
That’s not love. That’s control.
I honestly don’t know how I could love something if it doesn’t love me back.
A Unicorn Job
I’ll use a real-life example to illustrate this lack of control for you.
I love working out. Exercise, for me, is a huge passion in my life.
I’m in the gym six days per week, at about 45 minutes per session. It’s a source of real satisfaction in my life. I consider it hard work that keeps me grounded. And it offers me a ton of ancillary benefits across the rest of my life.
Now let’s play pretend for a moment and convert this passionate work of mine into a “job”:
- I now have to show up to the gym at 7:00 a.m., lift a certain amount of tonnage throughout the day, fulfill quotas, attend meetings, make sure my co-workers are happy with my productivity without making them look bad, deal with gym drama, eat within a 30-minute break around noon, and clock out at around 6:00 p.m.
- I have to repeat this process five days per week. Maybe even an occasional Saturday, too.
- Oh, and I have to do this 50 weeks per year, until I’m in my early 60s.
How long do you think it’d take until I got sick of working out?
I’d be burned out within a week!
Jobbing up a passion would turn something I love into something I loathe.
The problem is, there’s no such thing as a unicorn job that you’ll love. That’s because a job will never be something you do totally on your terms. You’ll never love it, because it’ll never love you.
You might like your job well enough to do it for a very long time. That’s if you’re really lucky about it and plan things out just right.
But if you honestly ask yourself if you feel a deep sense of purpose and passion from your job – would you continue to do it if you had unlimited money? – I doubt you’d like the answer.
FIRE
This is why FIRE remains so critical to one’s long-term happiness and meaning.
You “sacrifice” for a few years of your life in order to live the rest of your life on your terms.
Yes, you’ll almost certainly continue to work past the point of financial necessity. That’s the paradox of FIRE.
But it’ll be work – not a job.
And it’ll be on your terms.
Conclusion
“FIRE is dumb. Why not just get a job you’ll love?”
People who ask this question are myopic and unable to see the difference between work and a job.
Even if you gave me a job that was based around something I genuinely enjoy, it wouldn’t be long before I despised it.
So get busy achieving FIRE so that you can fire your boss. Then hire yourself as your own boss and get busy working on productive passions that keep you progressing forward in your life.
What do you think? Is this question valid? Should people just get a job they love?
Thanks for reading.
Image courtesy of: Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
P.S. If you’re ready to achieve FIRE and do work that you love to do, make sure to check out some amazing products and services I personally used on my way to becoming financially free at 33.
Hey Jason,
I’m lucky enough now to have a job that I enjoy. It feels as if it’s 70% love and 30% control (as least that’s how I approach it). And if I could find a job that I did love, I’m not so sure it would pay the bills or help me reach FIRE at the earliest possible time. So maybe just get a job that isn’t so bad and you enjoy?
3P,
Hey, that’s great. But you’re anecdotally one of the lucky few. The surveys and studies show that most people don’t like their jobs too much. They certainly don’t “love” them. I linked to one of those studies in the article. It’s not necessarily a thing where people hate their jobs, but there’s a big leap from that to “enjoy”. Of course, they might lie to themselves or others and pretend like they enjoy it more than they do. Cognitive dissonance. It’s easier to just talk yourself into liking something. Like I noted above, there’s no JOB out there that I’d enjoy. Some people just need that autonomy and sovereignty. Others don’t mind (or even need) a boss and taking direction, which is OK:
https://www.mrfreeat33.com/fire-might-not-be-for-you-and-thats-okay/
“So maybe just get a job that isn’t so bad and you enjoy?”
Again, like I noted, there’s no job in the world that I’d enjoy. I’d rather have FIRE, avoid the need for a job at all, and WORK on what I love/enjoy. 🙂
Cheers!
Right on! As I’ve gotten older, I’ve also tended to notice that things I used to enjoy doing in my 20s at my job, I no longer have as much passion for in my late 30s. People change, and that “job you loved” may not be as fulfilling 5-10 years from now. I’ve always felt I needed a backup plan for that inevitable day when I’m finally burnt out to the point that I can no longer force myself to continue at a job I may have loved at one time.
Scott,
Right. We change. We grow. At least, we should. Some people want to continue to act as they did when they were 22. But FIRE has almost unlimited expansion potential. Gives you breathing room. As you grow, so does that passive income. I really love that aspect of it. 🙂
Thanks for dropping by!
Best regards.
Hi Jason.
I have a job that I enjoy and feel like I would still work even if I had enough money to retire. I only work 4 days as it is now but would take a step back and work 2 days.
But I totally agree with you. It’s not always about the job.
Thanks
BHL,
That’s really interesting. I wonder if you’d still feel that way if you suddenly had substantially more wealth. I remember having a co-worker who used to complain endlessly about her job in the back office. Then when she found out I was retiring from the auto biz, she couldn’t understand. She honestly didn’t know what I would do all day without a job. She then went on about how she actually quite enjoyed the job. It was too funny to watch her totally change her tune after discovering that someone was getting out. But I think she’s just one of those people who aren’t equipped to operate without a job. It’s a love/hate relationship for her. I don’t think she’d do too well if she had all that time on her hands.
I always ask myself what I’d do if I had unlimited money. And if I have unlimited money – which is kind of the situation I’m in now, for all intents and purposes as they relate to what I love to do – I’m certainly not picking up a job application. 😂
Cheers.
I totally agree. What I would actually really love to do… if money wasn’t an issue… is run a charity to help feed homeless people or something of value rather than trading my time for money. But, unless I win the lottery I don’t see that happening anytime soon.
Jason,
There is a job out there you would have loved to have. It satisfies many of your “work” requirements, as well as all the benefits of a “job”. There is an educational barrier to entry though. You need to have a PhD. I am talking about a “Tenured College Professor”! First and foremost, this job gives you a strong sense of satisfaction by educating tomorrow’s young minds. Once you receive the Tenure, you can’t get fired from the job anymore and its a lifetime job guarantee. Your schedule is not dictated by anyone else outside of your class times, which are at the most 10-12 hours dispersed through the week. You also have a say in when your classes will be scheduled. You only work 8 months in a year, which is awesome! You get one month Winter break and three months summer break. During the rest of the year, you always get weekends off, some long weekends, thanksgiving break, etc. Additionally, during the weeks in which you do work, you get to decide how you spend your days on which there are no classes. You can work from home, maybe write a book, work a grant, work on a research project, do external consulting, basically do whatever you like if you don’t care about your next promotion or salary raise! But if you have a “FIRE” personality anyways, then it is almost guaranteed that you won’t sit idle and continue to be a productive person.
Also being a job, it has other benefits such as good salary, health insurance, contributions to social security, medicare,life insurance, etc., etc.! What’s not to like?
NJ,
Yeah, that’s pretty interesting. I actually studied secondary education in college before I dropped out right around my 21st birthday. Teaching in general is pretty neat from many angles, but I decided way back then that it wasn’t for me. At least, not in a traditional sense. But I’ve been fortunate to kind of stumble into what I do now, which features some similar elements to it. How I do what I do, though, is way more flexible than even what you’re talking about. Showing up to the coffee shop around 12:30 or so and then doing what I love to do until about 3:30 or so is a very nice schedule. It’d be tough to give that up for anything, especially if it would involve a decade or more of schooling. 🙂
I honestly can’t think of any job that I’d enjoy. Not what you’re talking about. Not even a “blog job” (if such a thing existed). I much prefer being an entrepreneur and investor. Anything with a W-2 attached to it is, in my opinion, about the worst way in the world to earn money.
Best regards.
Ten years ago I had that job that I loved. There were weeks that I worked 7 days a week and didn’t care. Well 5 years ago my boss had a personality change. It was pretty minor at first, but it grew to be much worse. It got so bad that I quit this January. Called my clients telling them that I had left and had started my own business. By chasing FIRE even when I loved my job, I would have been able to go 10 years without any money coming in if none of my clients followed me. Thankfully enough are following me to where I didn’t have to touch my fire fund. And I should be doubling my previous salary in about 5 years or less. So like you said, the job you love could turn into one you hate.
Chad,
Yeah, I hear you. I would say I didn’t mind the dealership job for, say, the first six months. I actually talked about that in a podcast episode I did not too long ago. But there was no way I could see myself doing that for decades on end. I’m not even sure I see myself still writing a decade or two from now. We change. Situations change. Everything changes. Having flexibility is key. To put your head in the sand about FIRE and just try to find a “job you love” is very myopic, in my view. That said, it doesn’t behoove me to convince anyone to achieve FIRE. Frankly, I’m financially better off if everyone has jobs and buys my products and/or services. I write about this and try to inspire because I have a real passion for it.
Thanks for adding that. Glad it all worked out for you in the end. 🙂
Best wishes.
Its a grey area for most people. Many people enjoy parts of their jobs, but not all. I find getting a balance is important. And the lovely part of being FI is that I know I can leave any time I choose, which makes the job more enjoyable. I think most jobs that don’t require a specific degree or specialized training are going to be somewhat repetitive and unfulfilling. For me working in a restaurant, car dealer, or retailer would just be work.
happy,
Totally agree with you on balance. You have to have balance in all aspects of your life, especially when it comes to leisure and work:
https://www.mrfreeat33.com/work-makes-leisure-more-enjoyable-and-vice-versa/
That’s really the thing about FIRE. It can allow you that incredible balance because it’s all on your terms. I don’t have to worry about working too much because I only do it when I want to do it. Very different from how just about every job in the US is structured.
As for what you’re talking about at the end, the jobs you’re talking about being repetitive and unfulfilling are the jobs most Americans do:
https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/area_emp_chart/area_emp_chart.htm
And if you’re doing one of those jobs (which is where most people are at), it’s not easy to just pick up and go “find a job you love”. Also, most people aren’t in the situation you’re in – they can’t just leave the job at any time with financial independence acting as this huge tailwind in their life. Sometimes people in the FIRE space forget how tiny this bubble really is.
But I do agree that FIRE makes a job more tolerable. Still, there’s no job in this entire world that I’d enjoy doing for 40-50 hours per week. Dealing with quotas, co-workers, meetings, schedules, etc. I can’t be bothered.
Cheers!
Thanks for your great article, Jason.
Made my day 😀
route2fi,
Thanks for the kind comment. Made my day. 🙂
Best regards.
I agree wholeheartedly! I remember changing professions from marketing to HR; thinking I would enjoy it much more. Only to find after a Masters Degree and a year in HR, I had exactly the same amount of job dissatisfaction.
That said, I do think some people enjoy the game of their job more than others. I have a friend in Sales who thrives off of its excitement & networking opportunities. She loves the action her job provides.
Myself, I like to call the shots as you mention above. Being in any job where I’m at the constant whim of a many people expecting service, along with already assigned tasks to be completed, feels like prison.
I think those persuing FIRE have a very independent nature, preferring thoughtful deep work, rather than the type of work most jobs create. Hence why there are so many FIRE blogs, we ❤️ Reading, writing & deep conversations.
Nicki,
Thanks for sharing!
Yeah, I agree with you. I’ve written about the differences between all of us pretty extensively. Some – perhaps even many – of us are meant to have a job, a boss, the structure, etc. I don’t think the majority of people would be able to cope with having unlimited freedom. Likewise, however, I couldn’t cope with having extremely limited freedom. It made me miserable. I felt like I was in prison. It was detrimental to my happiness and quality of life. I used to wonder if it was just me (would I always be unhappy, no matter what?), but I’ve obviously learned over time that it wasn’t me at all. It was the system I was in. I’m now blissfully and unabashedly happy every day. 🙂
Agree with you on that last part, too. That’s why I think FIRE is a paradox. Those who pursue this lifestyle are driven to live life on their terms and do some really cool things. As such, they’ll probably continue to make some money well after they pull the trigger and quit the job.
Best wishes!
Hi Jason,
I would like to share something with you. Three and a half years ago, my brother-in-law introduced me to your blog. I started to read your work, and I was immediately inspired. Your investment method and approach to life made me realize it was possible to live life on one’s own terms. I then began a new chapter in my life.
Up to that point, I had been an English teacher, a job which could have been amazing because I had wonderful students. However, I had meddling colleagues who made my life miserable. Fortunately, right at the time I started reading your blog, I was transferred to another department, and nobody there bothered me at all. I subsequently found a way to work on my own terms and I started to invest my money. Now, my job is great, and I am well on my way to FIRE.
I agree with you, and I think a passion may not work as a job. My current job situation is positive, but it is far from ideal. I hope to achieve FIRE so that I can pursue my passions. If I can teach in a way that allows it to remain a passion, I will do it. If not, I will use my independence to grow in the way that I want.
Thank you very much for your work. It has really helped me.
David (Toronto)
David,
Hey, I’m really happy to hear that I had that kind of impact on you. Inspiring others is why I do all of this. That’s wonderful! 🙂
Yeah, I think it’s tough to be passionate about a job. I don’t think passions make for good jobs. But there’s no reason why most passions can’t be work. It’s this “job mentality” that gets people in trouble, as if the only way to make reliable money is to get a degree, fill out a job application, have a boss, show up to a job, etc. That’s just not true.
If I had a passion for teaching (which is akin to what I do now, really), I’d simply make work out of it. I’d work on it and do it on my terms. But even if there were some “blog job” out there, I wouldn’t take it up. That’s because it would have job-like features that would eventually cause me to develop job-like loathing for it. It’s really simple for me.
Keep it up over there!
Cheers.
I had a job I loved, but it turned into a job I hated after 16 years. I enjoyed being a computer engineer when I was young. I worked on technical stuff and didn’t have to deal with much corporate BS. As I advance in my career, the BS became worse and worse. Eventually, I couldn’t handle it anymore.
If I could just do the technical work and avoid everything else, I’d probably still be an engineer.
Working on your own term makes a huge difference. I could work on what I want at my own pace. That’s freedom.
Maybe if you have your own gym, pick your own clients, and dictate the hours. Would that be more appealing?
Joe,
“Working on your own term makes a huge difference. I could work on what I want at my own pace. That’s freedom.”
Couldn’t agree more. If all jobs had that unlimited freedom, they wouldn’t be so bad. But they’re inherently limited in that way. Even if some “blog job” existed, I wouldn’t want it. I think this job mentality gets a lot of people in trouble. Having a job is about the worst possible way to make money. That’s in terms of earnings potential, enjoyment, taxation, etc.
“Maybe if you have your own gym, pick your own clients, and dictate the hours. Would that be more appealing?”
Well, sure. That would be more appealing. But that wouldn’t be a job. That would be my own business. I wouldn’t have a boss because I’d be my own boss. That’s called work. 🙂
Thanks for dropping by!
Best wishes.
“I’m told when to show up, what to do, when to eat, when to wake up, when I should go to bed, etc” . Told when you are able to use the washroom.. I worked in a few jobs when you were not allowed to go the bathroom unless it was lunch break or “coffee” breaks.
I do not understand how anyone could like a job even if they say they love their job. Regardless of the job itself, you can be put down by coworkers and bosses and plus having to deal with a boss when they are cranky as hell.
Anonymous,
Right. I’m with you. Even if the job-related tasks aren’t that bad, I still can’t have a job. It’s because of all of the ancillary problems it comes attached with. As I noted in other comments, I wouldn’t even want a “blog job” (if such a thing existed). A lot of people have this job mentality where they’re convinced that the only way you can make money is to have a job. That’s false. In fact, it’s probably the worst way in the whole world to make money.
Cheers!
Our priorities and interests do change with time. You have a real gift for analyzing and writing about varied subjects. I hope you continue to write for decades. The subjects may change (“why I Never Oil my Lark Scooter”) but the gifted analysis will make for thoughtful reading. I agree with 99% of your views. The other 1% I respect your right to be a no good, mangy, varmint that disagrees with me.
Fred,
Thanks for that. Appreciate it. My mind is a bit of a gift and a curse. It’s always working, thinking, analyzing, contemplating. That’s just the way I am. It’s done wonders for me in terms of being able to almost bend reality. I mean, I don’t think many kids are going to go from a crack house in Detroit to retired in their 30s and living in Thailand. In terms of mindset, financial capabilities, and location, I’m incredibly far from where I started. And I feel like, in many ways, I’m just getting warmed up. But it’s also a curse because the machine never wants to power down. 😂
Cheers.
I am 46 and could almost FIRE.However instead i decided to go part time.I didnt mind working,i hated working all the time.So i work 16 hours a week,two 8 hour shifts,that and my FIRE dividends give me a nice income and 5 days off out of 7.It also is enough to still save some.So every week full fire is closer if i want it.I could go back full time and FIRE in 3 years,but i like this way.I also have a pension at 57 from an old employer and with my FIRE fund can easily go at 57.Thats the great thing with a FIRE fund.Its flexible.Whatever percentage of your income it makes up,10% to 100% offers options.Its that reason why nobody should be put off starting the journey.If you never get 100% FIRE for whatever reason,50% is still very nice indeed.When you only need 16 hours instead of 40 it makes for a much nicer life and options.
John,
That’s great stuff. Your situation, in my opinion, is actually pretty ideal for most people. I believe the most realistic outcome for most people is to get to 50% (or so) FI, then just do something they enjoy doing. If the inevitable outcome is that one is going to continue working and making some active income anyway, there’s no need to delay FIRE until a full 100% is reached. One may as well start living something closer to their best life as soon as possible. Time is slipping away from all of us.
I long ago wrote about how freedom exists along a spectrum:
https://www.dividendmantra.com/2015/02/freedom-exists-on-a-spectrum/
It’s not only 100% or 0%. It’s not binary. If you can find part-time work (or even – gasp! – a part-time job) that suits you really well, I say just do that and use the passive income as a buffer to cover you the rest of the way.
Thanks for sharing!
Best regards.
Hi Jason. Im coming up on 58 and though I stopped ” working” iny early 40s I really only had 3 jobs my whole life and I enjoyed every single day until one day I woke up and said what am I doing ??? Then I didnt have a JOB 🙂 on my terms. Having the financial ability to control your life is very important. I could have jumped the job ship much earlier but I liked my career and the people very much … Till I didn’t and to stay on when I knew it was time to move on would have been bad for my soul. Kind of like staying in a crappy relationship just because ?
Im happy with my decision ( which is key ) and would not change what I did. However were I am going in the future ? One day I will wake up and know that answer as well.
All the best, enjoy 🙂
Bob,
Having that kind of flexibility to leave when something no longer serves you is awesome. That’s what this stuff is all about. FIRE should be about living your best life and being as free and happy as possible. If that involves a job, go for it. If it’s instead some kind of passionate work you enjoy and make money at, even better. If it’s nothing but leisure, so be it (but I don’t think that’ll last long).
We change. The people around us change. Our situations change. Everything is constantly changing. To stick your head in the sand about this stuff is dumb, in my view. Having the flexibility to adapt to change is a wonderful position to be in. 🙂
Cheers!
I was looking the list of malaysian bilionaires and their stories, I found Ananda Krishnan, worth 6 bilions dollars and top 5 richest man in malaysia, have just one son, who is monk in a very remote area in thailand on border with Myanmar.
So just think when your family have bilions of dollars in southest asia, what kind of life possibilities you can have, instead you choose a very retired life as a forest monk. I really admire his choice.
This means really that happiness is a very personal path.
Jason have you ever been thinking of some kind of meditation retreat in the mountains? You already have the monk haircut. Joking..
Enjoy FIRE:-)
praya,
A meditation retreat? That’s called going to the gym. I pay my penance there and go to my happy place. 😂
That’s pretty interesting, though. Reminds me in some ways of Buffett. The guy could go anywhere, do anything, and buy everything. But he’s happy living in Omaha and showing up to BRK headquarters every day. Having more pieces of paper to buy more stuff you don’t need isn’t gonna do it for you.
Likewise, I wouldn’t change much about my life now if I suddenly came into a lot more money. I wouldn’t move back to the States, buy a car, get a house, etc. My everyday life would change very little.
Best wishes!
I actually think there are a lot of great jobs out there. I used to be a chip designer, and I worked at several different companies over the years. All of the companies had great benefits, great salary, flexible work hours (as long as you completed projects on time), you could turn your ideas into products, and you worked with really smart people. Most of the designs went into production and sold large volumes, so you could see what kind of difference you were making to the world. These chips were used in all kinds of applications like medical, energy exploration, financial, supercomputers, gaming, artificial intelligence, deep learning, etc.
Joe,
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying nobody enjoys their job. You can see the research I linked to above. The number of people who are engaged at work is around 15%. The majority of people don’t enjoy their jobs, however. And that’s probably because the most common jobs in the US are pretty crummy. Not everyone is a chip designer:
https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/area_emp_chart/area_emp_chart.htm
Anecdotally, it seems like a lot of people in the FIRE space are engineers. Not sure if it’s because they don’t like the job or they just see FIRE as a problem to solve. But that’s very common.
In the end, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to people or life. Those who argue against FIRE with the “just get a job you love” motif are just as wrong as some myopic entrepreneur out there pounding the table about how “everyone should just start a business they love”. Not everyone is cut out for a job (including me). Likewise, we’re not all cut out for any one particular thing. Not everyone is cut out for FIRE, too.
I will say, though, that FIRE is accessible for most. I couldn’t have been a chip designer (nor would I have wanted to become one). But I easily could be a FIRE chaser (and achiever).
Moreover, you might love your job, but your job might not always love you. A lot of unprepared people find that out the hard way.
Cheers!