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Let& #39;s be honest here, people do not understand the concept of side projects. People often asked me about perks during my volunteer work with Mozilla or different internships, projects, programs, or about the swags I got, the travel to generate outreach for somebody else.
They loved what I got, they wanted it - they did not want to work for it, give time for it. It& #39;s very common to try and do something in a bookish manner, that& #39;s one way to do things and everybody does it.
Not everybody does more than what& #39;s required. I mean, who doesn& #39;t finish high school to go for a degree for an industry where you may or may not get a job? High-paying or low. You live with it, start your journey there, and move forward.
That& #39;s not easy, but that is nothing more than an illusion of security for millions of people. The ones who get into an amazing school, university, get in and fill most places.
Out of the others, a lot of them will start looking for something that may or may not pan out. Some people have referrals and some have hope from the system, it& #39;s very uncertain.
What most people miss out on, due to the sense of false security is, side projects. Something that people have a genuine interest in and can do for a living. Pandemic has brought out a lot of these gems only after they& #39;ve lost their jobs.
People forget this, more often than not. People don& #39;t dare to bet on themselves and are hoping that others might? How does that make sense? Bet on yourself!
As I said, people were interested in the perks I got but failed to see the amazing things I did. The genuine interest I had in building communities, relationships, sharing knowledge and that& #39;s what made me today.
The effort I put in to do more than what I was required, to get a degree has me here. Nobody even asked me for my marks or the assignment I submitted late, or how many backlogs I had. It& #39;s sheer hard work and talent!
When did I do it? At the same time when my peers were chilling with friends, I was attending calls to get an opportunity to do something. Moving is the only option, nobody stays and learns more. You move, make mistakes, and learn. Simple.
Growing up, I had no option but to help my mother cater for other& #39;s home events, tutor kids, teach choreography, host food stalls at fun fairs just to make ends meet. The extra effort just comes when you don& #39;t have other options.
Now, that things are better, my mother still continues to do other things, pursue other interests. Not for the extra buck, only because she of the genuine interest in what she does. She continues to wow me with her expansion projects and more.
That is where I learned this from, I have always been a lazy kid - but I never miss an opportunity. I never slack off work, and I make sure I continue pursuing other projects because I need to grow in life. Do more, do better, and keep on working until I can.
While you are kidding yourself that you don& #39;t have time to work on side projects, you still have weekends. If your weekends are also covered with work, quit and find a new job.
Maybe take a sabbatical, to work on yourself and new habits. Maybe just a week off? Whatever works for you.
Maybe quit to try and find yourself and do something that you always wanted to.
You really, only live once.
Maybe quit to try and find yourself and do something that you always wanted to.
You really, only live once.
