The Question That Haunts Me

[Read in your browser here.]() ​ Why do so many people spend their lives doing things they don't like doing? This question has haunted me for years. Growing up, it seemed obvious that work could serve my highest ends. Dreading Monday morning is no way to live. I knew that work wouldn't always be "fun," but it would be meaningful because it’d let me serve others and express my unique gifts. Sure, call me starry-eyed. Maybe it was the California boy in me. People have always moved to the West Coast to make something of themselves. Think of the 49ers in the gold rush, actors in the golden age of Hollywood, or entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. I was super confused when, after college, the children of wealthy people flocked to the same few industries: finance, law, banking, and strangest of all... management consulting. When I asked my peers about their jobs, they’d say something to the effect of: "Yeah, it sucks now, but it'll get better in the future." But that so-called “future” gets postponed every year. "As soon as I can pay my rent…" becomes "After I get promoted…" which becomes "When I make partner…" which becomes "Once my kids leave the house…" until you eventually retire, become an AARP member, and find yourself wondering how all the time slipped away. Work culture isn’t the only thing that has me scratching my head. There’s also our media culture. Just as we do work we don’t like doing, we consume content that we don’t like consuming. The architecture of the Internet preys on our animalistic instincts, and has us trapped in a Never-Ending Now of trash content, where nearly everything we consume was made in the past 24 hours. We prioritize what was created today over the greatest writers and ideas of all time. Swipe, click. Swipe, click. Swipe, click. Ask yourself: Are you using the Internet, or is the Internet using you? Here’s the good news: Although the Internet has problems, it doubles as the solution. The trick is to become a creator, rather than just a consumer. The mainstream media has lost its monopoly on attention. The means of distribution have changed. No longer do you need a printing press or a snazzy recording studio to spread your message. On the Internet, anybody can write. The Internet goes to work for you whenever you publish a quality piece of writing, and if your words are worth reading, your audience will grow. First, hundreds of fans. Then, thousands. Writing online isn’t about becoming famous though. It’s about communicating who you are, how you think, and what you can do to serve others. And you don’t need a giant audience to raise your income, do the work you’re meant to be doing, and attract people who ignite your intellectual curiosity. Instead of going to others, others will come to you. I think of the story of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. For years, Tolkien slaved away on a secret little project that he was too scared to tell anybody about, until one day, his friend C.S. Lewis saw the potential in Tolkien's writing and encouraged him to publish it. One push, one word of encouragement was all that Tolkien needed to turn his secret little project into one of the best-selling books of the 20th century: The Lord of The Rings. This short film is for 9-to-5’ers who are tired of waiting until the sun goes down to do something that matters; it’s for people who are tired of being intellectually isolated and trapped in their careers; it’s for people with domain expertise who aren’t being rewarded for their valuable knowledge; and it’s for people who are suppressing the creative fire that burns within them. It’s for people who look in the mirror and say: “I was made for more than this.” [[video preview]​]( [Watch on YouTube](=) ​ Start Writing Yourself If the video above has you giddy to start writing online, I’m hosting a free workshop tomorrow (September 21st) for aspiring writers who face two mental barriers: - Is my writing too boring? - Who should I write for? I’ll show you how the POP Writing framework can breathe life into your writing and how to attract an audience that turns you into a magnet for life-changing opportunities (and has your friends wondering how writing on the Internet could lead to such significant outcomes). Come with questions, bring a notepad, and see what this online writing thing is all about. [Sign Me Up](=) ​ ​ P.S. My friend [Jeremy Giffon]() has a great riff on the why people spend their lives doing things they don't like doing in his interview with Patrick O'Shaughnessy. (Listen on [Spotify]( or [Apple](=)) Elsewhere, he [says](=): "The problem I am most interested in is understanding why, with their basic needs met, most people spend most of their lives on things they don’t like doing. My best answer is somewhere between people not actually having an idea of what it is they like doing and being terrified of losing status (their friends, lifestyle, where they live, etc) if they stop." Have a creative week, [David Perell Logo 2x] Thanks for reading! If you’re serious about learning to write, [sign up for my 50 days of writing series.]() I’ll send you a series of emails about every aspect of the craft, from finding new ideas, to editing your writing, to building an email list. If you'd like to update your email settings, choose one of the options below. 1. [Click here](=) to unsubscribe from Monday Musings only. 2. [Unsubscribe]( to be removed from all future mailings. That'll make me sad. But hey... I get it. You're busy. Just know that once you click this link you won't receive any more emails from me. If you want to opt-out of Monday Musings and don't see a link above to do so, just hit reply and let me know. I'll take care of it for you personally. 3. If you're interested in subscribing to my other emails, [click here](). In particular, I recommend my weekly [Friday Finds]() email. In it, I share my favorite books, articles, videos, and podcasts every week. 10900 Research Blvd Ste 160C PMB 3016, Austin, Texas 78759