It’s funny, no? So much of life feels like a one-time punishment.
You grind for exams so you don’t have to grind again.
You endure a soul-sucking job so you can one day avoid soul-sucking jobs.
You drag yourself to the doctor so you don’t have to drag yourself again.
Our entire culture—even FIRE bros with their spreadsheets—is built on this neat little bargain: suffer now so you won’t have to suffer later.
It’s all about doing things so you don’t have to do them again.
But what about the things that don’t fit into this category? What about the things you would do again and again? What are those hidden gems buried under the pile of all the “have-to-do” tasks? What are those things you’d happily get lost in, where time simply melts away, and you don’t need a reminder, a threat of a fine, or the fear of what your colony aunty will say?
These are the things you’d do for the sheer joy of it. The things that make you feel alive.
Maybe for you, it’s knitting a woolen masterpiece. Maybe it’s planting seeds and watching them grow, tending to them every day.
For me, I’m trying to figure out if writing these blog posts is one of them. It’s a journey of discovery, and the first step is just to try it. To see if it belongs on that list.
Maybe for you it’s creating music, shooting videos, or making quirky reels about obscure topics that nobody else cares about but you. It might not be possible to do these things full-time right now. Life has a way of throwing a million things at you that you have to sort through. But it’s crucial to at least note them down.
Why? Because when you finally reach that stage in life where you have the time, the resources, and the freedom, you should at least know what to do with yourself. You should know what your heart truly loves.
Don’t wait until you’re a tired, retired human with a big bank balance but no idea how to fill your days. Start building that list now. And better yet, start incorporating just one of those things into your life every day. Even for just a few minutes.
Because, as Naval Ravikant says, “The ultimate game is the game where you’re trying to get yourself to not have to play any games.”
He also said, “Retirement is when you stop sacrificing today for an imaginary tomorrow. When today is complete, in and of itself, you’re retired.”
The real goal isn’t to stop working, but to find a way to work on the things you love, so it doesn’t feel like work at all.
So, what are you going to do again and again?
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