Why Nobody Wants To Work Anymore

Some people are calling it “The Great Resignation.”

You can see it everywhere. On your YouTube recommended tab.

In studies citing that mental health and work-related distress topics disproportionally increased among quit-related posts since the onset of the pandemic.

And in the ever-increasing amount of people living at home in their 20s.

It’s not just the lack of purpose that modern society tends to induce. Yes, secularism, social media, and the dissolution of traditional family structures plays a role.

It’s that, put quite simply, the juice is no longer worth the squeeze.

Look, I’m not a historian. I have no doubt some of these young people are a bit unrealistic with what they think they should be getting paid, and young people during the great depression were willing to do a lot more for a lot less.

But at least doing more meant you were guaranteed at least a decent reward for your efforts.

Think about why video games are addicting—the progress and effort pays off.

The randomized possibility of getting a rare drop from a monster you kill is enough to keep you grinding the game until you receive it. So long as you keep going, you will eventually get that drop. On top of that, you can only gain levels, not lose them.

Life doesn’t come with that sort of guarantee. You could put in years of work, but still have nothing to show for it.

An obvious solution exists—paying people livable wages, even if they work jobs that require no experience or skills. Money helps you feel like you’re progressing in life. It’s something tangible worth pursuing (though you probably shouldn’t base your entire life around it forever.)

But more than that, I hope this Great Resignation makes more people seek a career and lifestyle that is intrisically rewarding before it can become extrinsically rewarding.

If you have no solid prospects for the future, find a way to make working hard fun. Do it for no one else but your own personal enjoyment. Find the one thing you’re willing to eat shit for, that produces purpose from the struggle and difficulty of that experience.

If you combine that with building something lucrative and understanding how money works, something will come out of it. You will have progressed—perhaps in the way you hoped, perhaps not. But at least you enjoyed the effort.

It's far better than waiting for the government to take action or giving up entirely just because life’s rewards don’t meet your expectations.

Action is almost always the solution. Do it for the sake of doing it—no grand purpose needed. Only then can you start to discover the kind of apartment, partner, or friends you truly want, along with life's other pressing questions.

That being said, having a group of people who hold you accountable can make a huge difference, easing the loneliness that might come with pursuing that lifestyle.

And that is why I created my Self Mastery School.

Self Mastery School is a place for those who want to actualize their greatest potential, strengthen their self awareness, and connect with like-minded, down-to-earth humans.

When you join the school, you’ll get access to:

• Full length courses/eBooks (including my Ultimate Self Mastery Course)

• Weekly coaching calls and lectures (related to self-awareness, making money online, social skills, fitness, etc.)

• An exclusive community of ambitious, open-minded people

It’s a place for those who feel like they can’t talk to anyone about self-improvement in real life, and are trying to find their tribe.

The friendships in there feel genuine.

And I have a feeling you’re going to find your tribe in there, too.

Here's some wins from our community:

Hope to see you in there.

Book Chronicles #3

As promised, I’m here to give you updates on my upcoming novel, Fractured Worlds. (That name is not official yet.)

This week featured much more progress. Got to add in a painful experience the main character had on the Hinge dating app (which many of you might relate to.) The end of Chapter 3 also introduced a new character—the main character’s best friend.

I like the vibe that’s coming out of writing him. He’s an eclectic, unforgiving sort of person, making him a good complement to the main character (who is still struggling with his loss.)

One of the most rewarding aspects of writing is the way the world unfolds for you. For some reason, my mind pictured the main character’s best friend wearing a trapper hat (check it out on google if you aren’t familiar) and having long blond hair the first time we meet him. I couldn’t tell you why my mind went there, but it fits.

I’ve now started Chapter 4, which might involve the main character going back to his college classes, or the “big moment” in the story that causes his mind to fracture (hah) and enables him to see a paralell reality. We will see what happens.

Oh, by the way, I still haven’t thought of a name for the main character yet. Any suggestions? Reply to this newsletter.

See you next week.

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Quote of The Week

Thanks for reading, everyone. Hope you enjoy your weekend.

-Cole