My 9 to 5 Job is Killing Me!

Being a writer, a creator of words that help enlighten, educate, entertain, is all I’ve ever wanted to be for as long as I can remember.

I’ve spent most of my life pursuing this goal to various degrees of success.

In terms of the successes, I wrote for a living for some pretty big companies as a technical writer, but this didn’t fuel my passion.

Yes, I got to educate through training manuals, help articles, how-tos and the like, but I didn’t get to help people enrich their lives in any meaningful way outside of their corporate job.

I was doing great monetarily, though, and it typically allowed me a lot of time to pursue passion projects that did fuel my passion.

Many I failed at, but they educated me every step of the way.

However, things took a turn for the worse.

In 2023, I was laid off from the best paying job I’d ever had due to business downsizing and I had to take whatever job I could in order to make ends meet.

The past year I’ve done jobs like pizzeria manager, factory worker, and now I manage a retail store for a big franchise.

I absolutely hate it.

It’s killing my drive and it’s taking every bit of energy I have just to keep my head above water.

It’s making it very hard for me to write as I have little to no spare time, and what little time I do have I try to spend with my family.

It reminds me very much of my time in the military when I was constantly under pressure to perform.

Much like then, I have had to learn to dive deep into that wellspring of willpower, adapt, and overcome.

It’s not easy, and I know a lot of you out there reading this are probably in a similar situation.

But both my father and my time in the military put something inside of me that won’t allow me to quit on my dreams.

So, I keep pushing forward, slowly but surely.

I’ve finally hit on a model that seems to be working for me.

I run my newsletter, Niche of One, and try to help others with writing tips. It’s growing and people seem to be getting value from it, which makes me tremendously happy.

I write here on Medium and I get a lot of good feedback and encouragement. Again, I seem to be helping people so that really excites me.

I’ve written a couple of eBooks that are generating a modest amount of income. The reviews I’ve gotten have been pretty amazing.

I’m part of a group that encourages me to continue doing what I’m doing in the hopes that I can escape the circular prison that is living paycheck to paycheck.

I’m not going to lie, though. It’s been hard.

My typical day starts at 4AM, when I try to get up a little early to write a bit or get an email ready.

Then I head into work where I have to deal with the nightmares of retail work — employees that don’t want to do their job, customers who make entitled children look like saints, and corporate managers who expect way too much for way too little pay.

By the time I get home, eat, and spend a bit of time with the family, it’s usually time for bed and getting right back at it the next day.

I’m lucky if I get one day off a week to relax, and I spend a lot of that sleeping.

But this is how I’m trying to survive it all and still pursue the outcome I want:

• I forgive myself when I don’t meet the high standards I have set for myself. I personally expect to excel in everything I put my mind to doing, but I know and have accepted that I’m doing a lot and pushing myself. It’s important to give myself a break when it comes to my own expectations.
• I’ve learned that I need breaks. Yes, this means I won’t get done what I want to get done in the timeline I’ve set for myself, but it also means that when I do get it done it will meet that high standard I mentioned.
• I still do my best to be consistent. While I might not be putting out as much work as I’d like, I try to keep a schedule that still gets work done.
• I won’t give up. Because, above all else, the only real failure I’ve ever faced in life is when I quit. I don’t just quit doing whatever project I’m pursuing. I quit on myself. And I can’t imagine a more demoralizing thing.
• I know there will be a better day when this goal is accomplished. I keep my eyes on the prize and, while it may be tough going in the moment, I know forward momentum will carry me across the finish line.

If you’re facing something similar, I implore you to keep moving forward.

Don’t listen to all the gurus out there. Listen to that voice inside your head.

Do what you can but realize that you need to also take care of yourself.

If you’re hitting a wall, do what I always told my troops to do. Go over it, under it, or through it. Because there’s nothing that can stop you but you.

You will get to that finish line, and I’ll be there with you if I have to drag you myself.

Let’s go!

Thanks for reading!

Hi, I'm Joe. I help creators share their unique voices simply and effectively. Here's how I can help you:

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