Motivation, humor, and honesty from a man actively dodging a midlife crisis so you can too.
Sometimes I miss the 9 to 5
That probably sounds strange coming from someone who left it years ago.
But there’s something specific I miss.
The structure.
You showed up at a certain time.
You left at a certain time.
Everyone understood the boundaries.
If you were at the office from 7:30 to 6, that was the day.
No one questioned it.
No one expected you to be available outside of it.
Your time off actually felt like time off.
When you work for yourself, that can go away.
There’s no clear start. No clear finish.
Your schedule moves.
Your phone is always there.
And because you’re not in an office, people assume you’re available.
Last week I turned on a European soccer match late in the morning.
Felt guilty immediately.
If I were in an office, I’d be grabbing coffee, scrolling, or talking at the water cooler.
No one would question it.
But I’m at home. Watching soccer at 11am.
So it feels like I’m doing something wrong.
Even though I’d been up since 4:30.
Already worked for hours. And I’d work more later.
No one sees the edges of your day when you work for yourself.
Which means you have to create them.
That’s something I didn’t fully appreciate.
Freedom sounds good until you realize the discipline it demands.
I’m not going back to the 9 to 5.
But I understand why people miss it.
Antonio
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