A Stress-Free Job
If you’re struggling to find time to:
- Pursue your passions and goals
- Spend time with family and friends
- Work on meaningful projects
- Change careers
This post will show you how to find that time and make the most of it.
I’ve been working at a campground resort as a “doorman” for a year now. It’s been a nice experience, especially considering all the benefits I mentioned in another post of mine: Coworking Office Space for Free.
My days here are quiet and calm. I work alone, enjoy the peace, and have minimal interruptions.
Recently, the hot summer days have made watering the garden at my house/“guardhouse” refreshing. I spray the hose in the air to cool off while tending to the plants, all while listening to the soothing sound of a nearby small waterfall.
As I write this paragraph, the weather has shifted to rainy days, marking the end of summer. I’m cozy in my house that serves as a guardhouse, occasionally pressing the control to open and close the gate.
It’s funny how one can make money in such a manner.
Just the other day, while sitting on a bench and reading on my cell phone, a couple of volunteers and their friend arrived at the gate. I pressed the control to let them in, and we exchanged greetings:
- “Hi, Peter, have a good day at work 👋🏻 :),” she said.
- “Thanks 👋🏼 :),” I replied.
But it struck me as funny—I was just reading a book, not actually working. And, in the original language, her words sounded more like, “May you have a good time doing your work.” HAHAHA
I couldn’t help but laugh, and they knew why.
- “He knows his job is a piece of cake! HAHAHA,” her boyfriend joked.
And that’s how my work routine here is—calm, quiet, and stress-free, with plenty of time to read, workout, grow my skills, learn Russian, write, and do whatever I want. And when my shift ends, I can do it all over again. After all, I don’t have any “homework”—I don’t need to bring work home.
Benefits of a Boring Job
I won’t deny that I was incredibly fortunate to land a job like this with so many benefits—thank God. However, I believe that if you search for it, you can also find a job with plenty of advantages.
And no, I didn’t know my boss before starting here. So I wasn’t given special treatment for being his friend or relative.
But it’s true, I was very lucky, thank God.
“I have a boring job and I absolutely love it. My bosses are so lenient. No one wants to apply for this job because it’s either too boring or overwhelming. They can’t keep people. So they treat us so we won’t leave” (@Loosie_fur)
That makes sense.
- It’s a monotonous job: My replacements on my days off often wonder how I manage to stick with it. It’s so dull, with hardly anything to do, and time drags on. Boredom is a major reason why many people quit.
- It’s a bit remote: My boss mentioned that before I came, someone else hesitated to take the job because of its location. I ended up taking the position during that time.
- It’s not a dream job: Many people leave this job in search of other opportunities—ones that offer higher pay, more respect, or greater status.
Given these factors, retaining employees here is challenging. The employer must continually find replacements, which is inconvenient. Therefore, making the job more attractive might be why I received so many benefits (although my boss treats all the employees well and they compliment him behind his back for it).
Thus, receiving benefits and being treated well are additional perks of boring jobs.
Time to Pursue Your Goals
One day, a certain man was talking to me near the entrance, and when the topic of my job as a doorman came up (like, “Why? You could be looking for better positions”), I explained the concept behind my approach to this job. He found the idea interesting but suggested that I could pursue a job that would make me more money.
However, the kind of job he had in mind would keep me busy for most of my shift and require a commute.
In other words, while I might earn more, I would also have less time for my other activities. And that’s the thing—I don’t want to give those up or even have less time for them.
Although in another post I wrote about the idea of working and making money while basically existing in the workplace of another job, the greatest advantage I see in having a monotonous job like this is that it allows me to make money while engaging in activities that don’t generate a financial return (or at least not an immediate one).
Most of the things I enjoy doing don’t generate money. But working here gives me the freedom to learn Russian, read useful books, write, do calisthenics, grow my skills, tend to my garden at home, and participate in other non-profit activities I enjoy—all without worrying about the fact that I’m not making money because of these activities.
After all, I’m still making money while I simply exist at my workplace.
Anyway, here I enjoy free housing in a pleasant location, along with free water, free energy, free gas, free internet, and other free things. Adding to my salary the money I would otherwise spend on rent (in a good location), water, energy, cooking gas, and internet, it’s clear: I make a good living here.
It feels like I’ve landed in a money-saving paradise, as a reward for all my efforts to save money! HAHAHA
Sometimes, some workers and a farm caretaker from a neighboring farm even bring me free fruits and vegetables as a gesture of gratitude for reading things for them (they’re illiterate). I tell them it’s not necessary—I’m happy to help and it’s not a big deal—but they insist, and, well, I like fruits! HAHAHA
But back to the point—think about all the things you’d love to study, learn, and read but can’t because of your work and study routine. I can do all of them. Yes, working here gives me plenty of time to do so. Why would I give that up just to earn more money?
Working to Live
“Ah, but you should work at something you love. Opening and closing a gate is boring, unfulfilling, and monotonous.”
Well, my job doesn’t have to be a dream job, my passion, or even something I enjoy. I already have my hobbies for that. And if even dream jobs eventually become boring jobs, what’s the difference? Once my shift is over, I can go out, socialize, work in something interesting, and enjoy life. I can do all of this without spending the day worrying about work problems or what needs to be sorted out the next day.
“Ah, but most of the time, boring, monotonous jobs don’t pay well.”
That doesn’t bother me.
I don’t need much, and with my many ways to save money (I haven’t even show all of them here on this blog yet), I can live very comfortably. This is another advantage of a simpler lifestyle and knowing how to use resources efficiently.
At the end of the day, it’s worth earning less if it means being stress-free and having more time for the things I want to do. That’s better than earning more money but dealing with stressful, unhealthy work, possibly surrounded by aggressive, unkind people.
Why would I give all that up just to make more money elsewhere and lose precious time for my activities that don’t generate financial returns?
Idleness is Not the Answer
But I’d like to emphasize something important: Inactivity is not the highlight of this type of job, nor do I wish to encourage idleness in any way. That’s not the message here. As you can see, that’s not what this post is about.
There is no rest in idleness.
I understand how the post-industrial work system, often abusive and exploitative (although I think it has improved), can make workers believe that peace and rest can be found in a life of doing nothing. But this is a misconception. Things don’t work like that in the “secular life” and neither in the “spiritual life.” As it says in Hebrews 4:11, “Let us labor therefore to enter that rest.”
In the first few days of a job where there’s little to do, you might feel like it’s exactly what you need—especially if you’re coming from a highly stressful and demanding role. The initial restfulness of a monotonous job might seem like it was exactly the kind of work you needed. But as days turn into months, you may find yourself feeling depressed, possibly as unhappy as someone overwhelmed by a high-pressure job.
It’s similar to those long school holidays when, after a while, you start longing for classes to resume.
Eventually, you’ll want to move on, take on projects, and create something meaningful.
The chance to do these things, and much more, is what I see as the true benefit of a monotonous job.
Turning Idle Time into Opportunity
I’ve realized that this kind of job can be an opportunity for people to change their lives and provide a better life for their family and friends.
In this type of job, you’ll find more free time than in any other. And if time is money, this type of job offers you an abundance of it, giving you the chance to make more money than you currently do. With so much free time, you can make plans, develop new skills, and even start a new career or business. Your basic needs will be met, and you’ll have the freedom to pursue your ultimate goals.
It doesn’t have to be forever.
Should I Quit My Job If It’s Boring?
I often see people say things like, ‘I quit my job to pursue my dreams and work for myself,’ but is it really necessary to give up everything, including a nine-to-five job, to organize, plan, and execute projects for starting your own business?
I dont think so.
As I said, the biggest advantage of this type of job is that it allows you to earn money while engaging in activities that don’t generate immediate financial returns (which includes starting a business). Instead of quitting, you can stay and use the plenty of free time, which others spend scrolling through social media or watching Netflix, to plan your life, create projects, and see them through.
For example, I’m determined to master the Russian language. Once I do, I’ll take the proficiency test and earn the certificate, just to show how fluent and advanced I’ve become by studying during my “work” hours.
Just to show that it is possible.
boring careers
Comment
by from discussion
inAskReddit
There are tasks that need to be done, no matter how simple they may seem, and someone has to be paid to do them. They are the boring jobs.
I searched through some Reddit posts for ideas on low-stress jobs that don’t take up too much of your time. Here are a few options I found:
- Front desk person at a gym
- Bridge operator
- “Most office jobs (speaking from experience).”
- Most state/city/county jobs
- Parking operator
And if you live with your parents in a gated community, you could consider waiting until the doorman decides to leave and then taking over his job. This way, you’ll be working right near home with no commute. HAHAHA This would give you more time and your own income to make more money.
Others Doing the Same
Many other people are quite content with their ordinary and not at all glamorous jobs. Here are a few examples I found on the internet:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/pernellquilon/people-with-average-jobs-on-their-actual-circumstances
How do I stop being bored at a boring job?
As I’ve been saying throughout this post, I do a lot of personal stuff while I’m at my workplace, so I don’t experience the common issue of boredom that comes with monotonous jobs.
You can avoid feeling bored in a monotonous job by applying the concept I shared in another post—making money by working on something else while getting paid basically to exist at the workplace of another job—or by applying the concept I shared in this post, using your work hours to study, pursue your goals, learn languages, or practice hobbies.
I never feel bored.
I get so absorbed in what I’m doing that I often lose track of time.
Before I know it, my shift is over.
Thanks for reading! 🙂
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Until next time, God willing.
Take care!
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