How I Created a Life That Doesn’t Revolve Around Work

Do you want to live a life that doesn’t revolve around work? For most of my life, I followed the normal plan. Go to school. Get good grades. Find a job. Put away a little money each month. Maybe one day, after decades of hard work, I’d finally get to enjoy life. That was the…

Do you want to live a life that doesn’t revolve around work?

For most of my life, I followed the normal plan.

Go to school. Get good grades. Find a job. Put away a little money each month. Maybe one day, after decades of hard work, I’d finally get to enjoy life.

That was the dream, right?

However, even when I was doing everything “right,” I felt burned out. I was always on. I’d come home at the end of the day tired, still thinking about work and deadlines. Weekends were short and didn’t feel like real freedom.

I also did not enjoy my day job at all or the work that I did.

That’s when I realized something had to change.

Why I Didn’t Want Work To Be the Center of My Life

We all get the same 168 hours each week, but when you add up a full-time job (40 to 50 hours), commuting, sleeping, and other responsibilities, it doesn’t leave much left over. For a lot of people, the majority of their hours are spent at work, and life outside of that is squeezed into evenings and weekends.

So, no wonder so many people feel like they’re always waiting for Friday or counting down to their next vacation – it often feels like there’s barely any time left for the things that make life truly enjoyable.

For me, I wasn’t just tired, I was unfulfilled and also bored and stressed by the work at the same time.

I started noticing other things like:

I was constantly looking at the time.
I absolutely dreaded Sundays (because it meant the start of the workweek was right around the corner).
I had no energy for hobbies or travel, and I always felt so tired.

I started to question the idea that we’re supposed to work 40+ hours a week for 40+ years and then finally enjoy retirement.

I thought: What if I could enjoy life now? What if I didn’t have to wait decades to feel free?

That’s when I made a decision – I didn’t want to build a life around my work. I wanted to build my work around the life I actually wanted.

The Steps That Changed Everything

This change didn’t happen all at once. I didn’t inherit money or win the lottery.

Here’s what I did, and you can do it too.

1. I started side hustles

One of the best decisions I ever made was starting side hustling.

At the time, I didn’t think it would turn into anything big. I just wanted a little extra money to pay off student loans and maybe build some savings.

I started many, many side hustles, like selling items online, mystery shopping, freelance writing, and more, which you can read about at I’ve Done Over 20 Side Hustles in My Life: Here’s What I Think of Each. I also started blogging, but when I first started, I didn’t actually know that you could make money with it. I wrote about what I was already learning, like budgeting, saving, and paying off debt. I didn’t have any expensive equipment or experience – I just got started.

Soon, I was earning from affiliate marketing, freelance writing, sponsored posts, and display ads.

Eventually, those small side gigs added up to real income, and then, enough income that I could leave my day job completely.

Even if blogging hadn’t turned into a full-time job, it still gave me breathing room. It gave me choices. And that’s something I wish more people realized – side hustles aren’t just about money. They can help you pay off debt and stop living paycheck to paycheck.

Note: Blogging was one of the biggest steps I made toward creating a life that didn’t revolve around a 9-5 job (or 8-5, like I had). If you’re thinking of starting your own blog, I have a free email course that teaches you exactly how to do it and how to start making money from it. You can sign up for it here: Free Blogging Course

Recommended reading: 14 Side Hustles You Can Start With No Money

Here's a screenshot I took back when I was paying off my student loans. As soon as I received income, I would put it towards my debt so that I would not miss it. I was also working a lot - many weeks were around 100 hours of working between my day job and all of my side hustles. Also, the smaller amounts like $1.00 or $0.29 were from what was leftover after a debt was paid off (but I still owed interest for that day). — Here’s a screenshot I took back when I was paying off my student loans. As soon as I received income, I would put it toward my debt so that I would not miss it. I was also working a lot – many weeks were around 100 hours of work between my day job and all of my side hustles. Also, the smaller amounts like $1.00 or $0.29 were from what was left over after a debt was paid off (but I still owed interest for that day).

2. I paid off my debt

Debt was a huge stress for me.

Every month, I was living paycheck to paycheck. Even when I was earning more, most of it went right back out the door. It felt like I was working just to stay afloat.

So I got serious and I created a plan. I cut expenses, picked up a lot of freelance work and side hustles, and put every extra penny toward debt.

The day I made my final student loan payment was one of the most freeing days of my life.

Without debt, I didn’t feel trapped. I could finally focus on building a life that made me happy and not just a life that paid the bills.

Recommended reading: How I Paid Off $40,000 In Student Loans in 7 Months

3. I lived below my means

Even as my income grew, I didn’t change my lifestyle to match it.

I skipped the upgrades, I meal-planned, I ate leftovers, I used coupons, I said no to things that didn’t align with my long-term goals, and more (I still do all of these things, too).

By living below my means, I was able to save and invest more. There were many months when I was saving 90% of my income, in fact.

Keeping expenses low helped me feel more secure and less dependent on any one job or client. Plus, I knew spending more money wasn’t my dream life anyway, or what I truly cared about.

4. I focused on building semi-passive income streams

Semi-passive and passive income streams are my favorite way to earn a living. So, I’m always asking myself what kind of work I could do that doesn’t require me to actually work every single day.

That’s when I worked hard on semi-passive income – things like:

These income streams still required at least some effort to get started, but they weren’t tied directly to my time. I could earn while I was traveling, sleeping, or spending time with my family.

Recommended reading: 18 Passive Income Ideas To Earn $1,000+ Each Month

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5. I found work that fit the life I wanted

Not everyone wants to start a blog or become self-employed, and that’s completely fine. That’s not what this article is about.

Another way to build a life that feels better is by finding a job that gives you more freedom outside of work. That might mean switching to a position with:

Flexible hours
Better pay
Less stress
A better work-life balance
The ability to work remotely
Coworkers or a work environment that you enjoy
A job or company that you are passionate about
Or even just a job where you leave work at work (so that when you’re off from work, you’re not thinking about it the whole time!)

You don’t have to love every second of your job, but I do think it helps when your work doesn’t completely drain you. For me, work used to shape everything else in my life.

Now, I’ve built a career that gives me the kind of life I want to live, not one that takes over every hour of the day. I also love what I do and look forward to working, so that’s a huge plus as well.

Even if you’re not ready to quit your job or start a business, you can still look for work that gives you more energy and time for the things you care about.

A recent trip we took to the Exumas. I took the week off from work :) — *A recent trip we took to the Exumas. I took the week off from work 🙂*

What My Life Looks Like Today

These small steps added up to me being able to live my dream life.

Today, I have a flexible schedule (it’s very, very flexible and I LOVE it), I work fewer hours and take more time off, I travel when I want, I spend slow mornings with my family – and I’ve built a business that supports my lifestyle, not the other way around.

I’m not waiting until retirement to enjoy life. I’m doing it now.

That’s the real reward – not just the income, but the freedom it brings.

I really love my life right now, and I am so grateful for being able to live it! I never would have imagined this for myself just 10 years ago.

How You Can Start Building a Life Around What You Want

Here’s what I recommend if you want to start building the life you really want.

Note: Keep in mind that the steps will look different for every person! For example, some people may not need to cut expenses or make extra income, and for others, those may be the main actions they need to take.

1. Design your ideal day, and reverse engineer it

Ask yourself: What do you actually want your daily life to feel like?

Maybe it’s:

Quiet mornings with no alarm
Not bringing your work home with you
Time outside
Enjoying time with loved ones, whether it’s playing with your kids, eating dinner with your family, or calling a friend
Pursuing your passion
Picking your child up from school and actually having energy to play with them
Having flexible work hours so you can take a midday hike or long lunch
A shorter workweek
Saying “yes” to spontaneous plans because your schedule allows for it
Having time to cook a real meal, read a book, or take a long shower without feeling guilty

Once you know what your ideal day looks like, you can start building your life around that.

It gives your decisions purpose, whether that’s choosing a job with more flexibility, setting boundaries with your time, or letting go of things that you don’t want anymore.

You don’t have to wait until retirement to live the way you want. You can start building it now, one choice at a time.

2. Start with one small side hustle

If you feel stuck at a job that drains you, or you just want to make more money so that you can save more, a side hustle can be a great way to change things. It might help you work fewer hours, pay off debt faster, or even take that first step toward something new.

You don’t need to build a huge business, but starting a small side hustle can give you more options in life.

When I started blogging on the side, I had no idea it would grow into a full-time income. I just wanted to make some extra money to pay off my student loans and give myself more breathing room.

And, by starting as a side hustle, I didn’t have to risk everything. I could test it out, build it slowly, and figure out what worked without the pressure.

Recommended reading:

3. Track where your money goes

Knowing your numbers is one of the most important steps you can take toward creating a life that actually feels good day to day.

So, look at your monthly expenses. Think about questions like:

Where can you cut back or redirect money toward your goals?
Are there subscriptions or monthly expenses you no longer use?
Are you spending money on things that don’t actually make you happy?

When you understand where your money is going, you can make smarter decisions that help you reach your goals, like working less, traveling more, or finally having time for the things that matter most to you.

For example, starting a side hustle, paying off debt, cutting expenses, and living below your means can all give you freedom. When you’re not constantly stressed about money or relying on one job to make ends meet, you can start making choices based on what actually makes you happy and not just what pays the bills.

Note: If you’re wondering how much you need to make or save to reach your goals, I highly recommend trying out ProjectionLab. You can plug in your different income sources, expenses, and future plans to see how everything adds up over time. It’s a helpful way to plan and stay motivated.

4. Find work that fits your life

You don’t have to start a business or quit your job tomorrow to have a better life.

Sometimes the best next step is finding work that gives you the lifestyle you actually want. That might mean a job with more flexible hours, remote work, less stress, or even just a healthier work culture.

You don’t have to love every second of your job, but it’s a lot easier to enjoy life when your work isn’t draining you every day. Whether that means switching to a new job, asking for more flexibility, or just having better boundaries, your job should work for you, not the other way around.

I do want to say that sometimes you may not be able to find your ideal job right away. And that is why I think that #2 “Start with one small side hustle” and #3 “Track where your money goes” are so important. This is because they give you more flexibility and control over your situation. A side hustle can help you earn extra income, and tracking your spending shows you exactly where your money is going – both of which can reduce financial stress and give you more options (such as by being able to retire earlier or switch to a different job). These steps can make it easier to eventually transition into work that better fits your life because you’ll be in a stronger, more prepared place to make that change.

5. Protect your time like it matters

Even if you’re not in your dream job right now or if you feel stuck, you can still take small steps to reclaim your time.

That might look like waking up 30 minutes earlier for quiet time to yourself, setting boundaries with work emails after hours (for example, don’t answer any and don’t even check your email after work ends!), or making sure that you have one day a week that’s just for rest or something fun.

You don’t have to change your whole life overnight.

But when you start treating your time like it matters, you begin to build a life that feels more peaceful, more present, and more yours. Sometimes, it’s not about quitting your job – it’s about slowly taking back the parts of your day that make life feel happy again.

Recommended reading: 12 Simple Habits for Living a Happy Life