This post is all about if you should work hard, play later.
We’ve all heard the saying to work hard, play later, right? Do you follow this saying? Do you brush it off as a myth? Here is an insight into what I think about what it means to work now and play later.
I am constantly evaluating my every action, my every decision because I am afraid that one day I will look back on my life and say that I did wrong.
One of my fears is that I won’t do enough now to set my future up for success. Instead of doing what a responsible person would do, I am deciding to take lots of trips to Universal Orlando Resort. Am I wrong?
I was always told to work hard now and play later. This mainly meant that I should stay in school, study hard, don’t worry about having amazing social circles and social experiences while I’m young.
But then, I read about the regrets of people that are dying and one of them was that they wish they hadn’t worked so hard. So what do I do now?
This post is all about if you should work hard, play later.
Disclaimer
I am not a professional whatsoever in how to live your life. We are all different and have different goals for our future. This post is 100% my personal opinion and should be used for informational purposes only. This post is not intended to offend anyone. I speak from my experiences and opinions only.
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Let’s begin.
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Is It A Myth To Work Hard, Play Later?
What Does It Mean To Work Hard, Play Later
To work hard now and play later means (to me) that while you’re young, you should spend all of your time doing the best you can in school, making as much money as you can with work, and gaining lots of life skills. Obviously, you can follow this saying at any age but I am young so I am referring to what I know.
In the process of working hard, you’ll be sacrificing your social life. You’ll be sacrificing going out every single week when you’re invited and you’ll be sacrificing those vacations that all your friends are going on.
You were told that you should save as much money now, be as frugal as possible now and that you shouldn’t do or buy anything that you currently do not need. Everything sounds right, doesn’t it?
It all makes sense. If you work hard now, it will make it easier for you to live comfortably later.
If you saved the money that would’ve been spent on meals out and instead invested that money, you could’ve tripled its original value and had more money to pay for more important things such as rent and insurance. But is this really the best way to live?
Why do people tell you to work hard, play later?
They tell you to work hard play later because they think back to their younger days and think about how if they just worked a little harder and accomplished more, they would’ve been in a better place now.
An example that someone told me was that if they had just tried a little harder in school to get a better GPA, they could’ve been offered a higher-salary job. Now they are making $10,000 less than they could’ve been if they had a higher GPA.
Another example is that if they had just set aside $10 a day into a retirement account or an emergency fund, they could’ve had triple the amount that they invested by the time they reached 65. Now, they are scrambling to save every little extra dollar they have to retire at 50 years old because they didn’t plan for retirement ahead of time.
Everyone is telling you to work hard now and play later because they don’t want you making the same mistakes that they did. They are only trying to help you.
What Happens When You Work Hard, Play Later
Since I have been following the mindset of working hard, playing later, I sacrificed a lot of time with my friends and with myself to maintain my sanity. I was taught to only do and buy what is considered an investment in my future.
Whenever I had vacations planned over the holiday breaks with friends, I had family members telling me that I am wasting my money and that I should be working more to add money to my savings.
They also tell me that I will have plenty of time in my future to go on vacation when I finish school, get a real job, make more money, and have more time.
Because I was following this mindset, I started dreading my life and getting sad. I hear about how everyone else is able to go out, meet with their friends and gain so many new experiences while I am at home doing homework all the time.
Don’t get me wrong, I have saved so much money and made had better long-term results based on how frugal my decisions were. But when I look back, I think about how no matter whether I decided to do that thing or not do that thing, I would’ve ended up where I am right now anyway.
You WIll burn out
When you’re working too hard and not giving yourself the much-needed breaks in between, you will burn out. You will lose all motivation to be productive. You will have a hard time making the best decisions.
I know that when I go on my vacations, I try to leave all of my stress and obligations behind. When I come back from the trip, I have a clearer mind. I also feel refreshed and I am ready to face my stressors head-on again.
You absolutely need breaks between your sessions of hard work.
Why You Need To Work Hard, Player Later In Moderation
I agree that knowing the mindset of working hard and playing later is important but there is a point in time where you have to realize that the present only happens once.
I am currently 21, am only going to be 21 for a year. Everyone is only getting older from here. Right now, I am young, healthy, and have the energy to go on adventures.
Going back to how some of the dying regret working too hard, I don’t want to be one of those people that regret not doing more with their life.
Obviously, I can’t go out every night and do whatever I want with no plan, no budgeting, and no responsibility. However, I have to realize that it is possible to have fun while being responsible.
If you were to work hard all the time and didn’t give yourself some time to let loose and have some fun, you’ll be jeopardizing your mental health and sanity. As people, we love being social, we love learning, and being exposed to new adventures. Work hard, but make sure that you aren’t wasting your years only thinking about the future.
It’s honestly very unrealistic to work hard now and have fun later. Your life will probably suck and you’re going to regret working so hard the first 30-40 years of your life.
But of course, there may be the few of you that somehow make it so big and successful in your future that you see those 30-40 years of hard work worth it.
I’m just saying, you’ll probably miss out on your youth even if you don’t realize it.
What I Do
Instead of spending my breaks working my part-time job and living every day waiting for the next day to come, I will spend my free time doing exactly what I want. I am working to live my life. I am not living to work.
To be responsible with my choices, I will only go on big adventures once or twice every so often and make them the most lively and eventful experiences I could ever have. In between these adventures, I will continue going to work and make more money.
Forgetting how you got to where you are in the first place is the biggest mistake you can make.
Working gives me money to pay for these trips. Therefore, I have to keep working when I come back if I want to go on more. (This mindset can be applied to any area of your life such as you have clean clothes because you wash them every week or you get good grades because you study efficiently.)
I will plan my adventures in advance. I will save up my money in advance.
Planning ahead allows me to control my time. Doing life this way makes me look forward to my future while also knowing that I won’t be hurt in the long run.
If I were to go on adventures on a whim because an opportunity was given to me, I can honestly say that I would be in debt right now. My moderation mindset lets me enjoy my fun and appreciate what I do have.
How You Can Have Fun While Being Responsible
Know Your Limits
Do you have enough money to go out every night? Are you making this decision on a whim? Will you regret your decision later? Did you earn your fun?
I am a firm believer in everyone needing to earn their success. It’s more of me saying I don’t want you relying on luck for your life to be where you want it to be. Life is what you make it. If you want a happy and successful life, you need to take those steps that will get you there.
Make good choices, don’t do anything impulsively. Do everything intentionally.
Set Boundaries
Learn to say no to events that are not part of your lifestyle. Don’t give in to peer pressure. This is your life. You do what you need to do. Have fun but make sure you are doing it for yourself.
Always Think Long Term
Is what you’re about to do or spend on part of your future goals? Are you investing in yourself? Are you sure that you will be happy if you make this decision right now?
Put Yourself First
No matter what you decide to do, no matter where you decide to go in your life, make sure that you are always keeping yourself in mind. Is this good for your lifestyle? Is this good for your future? Will you be happy?
Don’t ever let other people pressure you into doing anything that doesn’t align with your values or future goals.
Ending Note
This post was a little different than what I normally put out but I find it to be really important that we all know how important it is for us to know how we should be spending our time.
I want to reach old age and not regret anything. I don’t want to look back on my life with any wondering.
“What if I had done this instead?” “I should’ve done that one thing I always wanted to do and now it’s too late.”
Try living your life the way you want and live with no regrets. Don’t listen to other people when they say that you’re wasting your time.
If you evaluated your life, did your research, and know for sure that what you’re about to do will benefit you, then do it. The only person holding you back from living your best life is you.
Let me know in the comments below what you think about working hard and playing later. Have a good day!
This post was all about if you should work hard, play later.
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