I'm intrigued to ask this question because last weekend, me and a friend were having a catch-up after several months of not seeing each other. After our usual small talk, one of the topics turned to how the majority of people live so-called "mediocre" lives, which my friend described as "working a 9-5 job Monday to Friday, chilling (with or without Netflix!) with your partner every evening and spending the weekend down the pub with mates". The issue is that mediocre is a very subjective term, and this is someone with a business mindset who believes that you should "work as many hours as you possibly can, and if you don't feel like doing extra, then tough, do it anyway". His thinking is that if you work extra hard and miss out on the good things in life now, you'll feel much more fulfilled and less stressed later in life. This might be a rewarding lifestyle for a lot of people but it absolutely isn't for everyone. The thing is, there is the risk of burnout, missing important life events and the possibility that you may develop a condition and thus not be able to enjoy retirement as much as you thought you would. Thinking ahead to the future and setting goals is good but you also need to consider your mental wellbeing in the present. It's unfortunate that in a previous conversation we had, my friend used the DJ Avicii as an example of someone who worked extra hard to achieve the success he did. My friend never mentioned the fact that the pressure he was under to achieve this success was what led him to tragically take his own life at just 28.
I can understand the logic behind this mindset. Modern developed countries need high skilled, ambitious workers to maximise economic output. There is the assumption that absolutely everybody needs to be doctors, lawyers, scientists, engineers, businesspeople etc in today's world, but this overlooks the fact that other jobs which aren't as economically productive but are still important to society, such as that of cleaners, stock assistants, bus drivers and carers, still need to be done. It is not sustainable for everybody to become an entrepreneur when there are many people that could quite happily live a "mediocre" life within their means while still contributing to society in a meaningful and fulfilling way. Using myself as an example, I currently work a full time job which is way below my level of study, but it really gives me a sense of purpose and allows me to earn enough to afford the basics while having enough left over to do purposeful, enjoyable activities at the weekend. I feel that there is no point going through the stress of keeping up with the joneses (buying a car, getting a mortgage, starting a family etc) as quickly as possible when you can live life at a much slower pace and enjoy being young while you can. Those years of your life you will never get back so please try not to feel bad if somebody calls you "mediocre" for wanting to travel around England on a budget instead of working 80-hour weeks to future-fund a supposedly lavish lifestyle you may not even find satisfying.
TLDR: There are many people who naturally thrive on dreaming big and realising big ambitions, but it needs to be accepted that there are equally as many people who would be quite fulfilled just living an ordinary lifestyle if it means less stress and more time to undertake enjoyable hobbies. There is no right or wrong way to live your life as long as you aren't doing anything illegal.
I can understand the logic behind this mindset. Modern developed countries need high skilled, ambitious workers to maximise economic output. There is the assumption that absolutely everybody needs to be doctors, lawyers, scientists, engineers, businesspeople etc in today's world, but this overlooks the fact that other jobs which aren't as economically productive but are still important to society, such as that of cleaners, stock assistants, bus drivers and carers, still need to be done. It is not sustainable for everybody to become an entrepreneur when there are many people that could quite happily live a "mediocre" life within their means while still contributing to society in a meaningful and fulfilling way. Using myself as an example, I currently work a full time job which is way below my level of study, but it really gives me a sense of purpose and allows me to earn enough to afford the basics while having enough left over to do purposeful, enjoyable activities at the weekend. I feel that there is no point going through the stress of keeping up with the joneses (buying a car, getting a mortgage, starting a family etc) as quickly as possible when you can live life at a much slower pace and enjoy being young while you can. Those years of your life you will never get back so please try not to feel bad if somebody calls you "mediocre" for wanting to travel around England on a budget instead of working 80-hour weeks to future-fund a supposedly lavish lifestyle you may not even find satisfying.
TLDR: There are many people who naturally thrive on dreaming big and realising big ambitions, but it needs to be accepted that there are equally as many people who would be quite fulfilled just living an ordinary lifestyle if it means less stress and more time to undertake enjoyable hobbies. There is no right or wrong way to live your life as long as you aren't doing anything illegal.
