When I had a job that didn’t pay enough, I did side work. For me, for a long time, that was reffing mens hockey.
Another time I was struggling I approached my boss and said I know I’m not your best employee right now, but I want to turn it around and get into a higher paying position. What do you need me to do? Then I did it, and moved up.
5 yrs ago we moved to anew city and I started over in a new thing. I took a job that didn’t really cover our bills, and my wife and I had to make some cuts.
But I wanted certain freedoms like the freedom to do my hobbies or take a vacation, so identified ways to earn additional income through the job I had (in my case it was handling little repairs like replacing smoke detector batteries and light bulbs, installing missing door stops and changing deadbolts). I’ve kept grinding until I took over for my boss, and I continue to handle repairs also. Effectively I work a job and side job at the same time 6 days a week. I work fucking hard, but I had nice vacations with my fam this summer, live in a good house and drive a good vehicle.
So honestly - and while I don’t think this is how it should be - in the system we have, I just grind harder. I am amazed at my ability to do this now in my 30s and now 40s compared to how lazy (in hindsight) I was in my 20s.
By the way! I’m also pretty happy now because my job is (mostly) ok, I don’t dread Mondays or anything most weeks.
I make this copycat ravioli from a restaurant I love.
Find some butternut squash or pumpkin stuffed ravioli. Fresh sage. Aleppo chili spice, some jumbo shrimp, and garlic mince or chopped fresh (like 3-4 bulbs).
Melt butter in your pan, fry up the sage. Set aside.
Boil your water for pasta. More butter to pan, cook the shrimp. When both sides are pink it’s done, don’t turn them to rubber by over cooking. Set aside and rinse out your pan.
Boil the pasta and when it’s half done, more butter in the pan. Medium to high heat, it’s called brown butter sauce. You stir and let the butter fry until frothy. Add garlic and Aleppo at the end. I sometimes add a dab of truffle oil at the end too, depending on taste and if I have it.
Drain pasta and stir in sauce. Plate, and top with shrimp and sage. Tiny pinch of truffle salt on top if you’ve got it, or pink salt if not.
It’s fucking delicious.
I didn’t mean stop living with parents I meant stop failing.
Shit, I failed for most of my 20s and then it got worse. Waaaaay fucking worse, like, I Mean it when I say worst than for most people. I don’t really want to get into it here, but bad.
And then I learned some lessons and worked my ass off and here we are.