Thread by @ftlsid

almost a year since I quit my tech job

reflections thread

the issue in my life was not my job. it was that I didn't know how to make choices that prioritized my desires, felt powerless and hopeless as a result, and blamed my job for this (since it was the only obvious external factor, and occasionally caused me stress)

I learned a lot from quitting. pushing yourself to quit with no plans is a great experience. it requires overcoming a thousand mental walls that tell you to not make "stupid" decisions. helps you practice beating down the fear that you've been conditioned with.

I think most people, myself included, are trained to ignore their needs in favor of "sensible" or "responsible" actions. over the last year I've started re-learning how to notice the tiny nudges of my mind telling me what it actually wants. this is priceless

making money on your own is almost always much more effort per dollar than having a job, and not worth it unless it's something you love. my current plan is to let 3-4 schemes play out over the next 6 months, and if nothing happens, go back to full time

remote software work is goated. insanely good deal. and if you're like me (mostly enjoy programming/extremely competent) it makes a ton of sense to just write code and not worry about money

travel is great for getting perspective and learning about the world, but I think it's more valuable to have friends who you see regularly and a good routine in a place you like. frequent repotting harms the tree!

the most important things in my life are creating and learning, both of which benefit from a consistent routine. the overhead of travel creates a baseline stress that decreases the clarity of my mind

that's all for now. might add more later!