Oops, I Almost Got a Job

The past few months have been busy, thanks to an early spring rush in the rental real estate market. But last week, as my schedule lightened and I found myself with more time on my hands, my mind began to wander… With my spring semester of classes wrapping up, I imagined I’d have even more free time this summer. And as someone who loves being time-efficient, I started brainstorming ways to make the most of it. One prominent idea? Getting a part-time job… dun dun dun.

This idea lasted all of a day, but in that day, I was convinced it was a smart move. I had the time, I liked the flexibility of part-time work, and who couldn’t use a few extra bucks? I did a quick search for jobs near me and entertained the idea of being a barista, athletic coach, tutor, retail associate—among others. The pay was low (especially by SF standards), but the jobs seemed easy and at-will. I put the idea on the back burner and figured I’d revisit it after classes ended.

But the next day, I checked myself. Why was I so ready to trade away my hard-earned freedom to work for someone else? The pay wasn’t enticing, and deep down, I realized I was distracting myself. The moment I sensed more space in my schedule, my instinct was to fill it with some “productive” activity and my first thought was a job (years of programming!!!). As I unpacked that, I remembered the famous Businessman and Fisherman story.

I asked myself: if I already had it all, how would I want to spend my time? 

I made a list of about seven things (not far off from my Bucket List), and six of them I could start doing today. No job required. So why was I entertaining the idea of a part-time job? To avoid the discomfort of slowing down. To distract myself from living that life now. Just like the Businessman in the story.

So it was settled. No job. Just keep living this life I’ve worked hard to create and start incorporating those dream activities, one by one. In hindsight, I can’t believe I almost fell for it! The corporate pull. Even now, with all the autonomy I’ve earned, I still have to remind myself of what matters most in life.

Time, not money.

Peace, not productivity.

For the record, I still work in real estate and continue to do that. But I don’t consider it a job, because I own my schedule, workload, vacations, and it’s fun!