Had a chat with a retired freelancer yesterday that shook me up

He told me he burned out after 15 years because he never took real breaks, just worked through weekends and called it 'hustle'. Said he wishes someone had warned him that grinding nonstop actually shortens your career. Has anyone else heard similar warnings from older freelancers?

3 comments

3 Comments

morganl717d ago

Oh man, this hits hard. I see this pattern everywhere now, not just with freelancers but with people in regular jobs too. My neighbor was a teacher who retired early and he told me the same thing - he worked summers and weekends grading papers, thought he was being dedicated. Ended up with heart issues at 55 and missed his kids growing up. It's like society trained us to think rest is wasted time when really it's what keeps you going long term.

faith277d ago

Wow, my uncle called that same kind of life "the golden handcuffs" before he crashed hard at 50.

sullivan.quinn6d ago

Not to nitpick, but "golden handcuffs" usually means you're stuck in a high-paying job because you can't afford to leave with the lifestyle and bills you've built up. What your uncle was describing sounds more like what people call "hustle culture burnout" or just being a workaholic. The golden handcuffs thing is more about being trapped by the money, not by the grind itself. But either way, it's all the same trap at the end of the day - you give up your time and health for something that doesn't actually set you free.