ikigai Work-Life Balance: Can Passion and Pay Coexist?

[Valeska]

Hello fellow littles/middles and daddies/mommies. Those of you who have a job or are entrepreneurs, do you feel fulfilled and satisfied by it? I'm doing the whole 9-5 thing right now, but I gotta admit, it's just not my jam. Long before i got my currently job, I've already discovered my ikigai, which involves working in the humanitarian field. As it brings me the utmost fulfillment. For those unfamiliar with ikigai, let me share the definition from "https://www.masterclass.com/articles/ikigai-meaning":

 

Quote

The Japanese word “ikigai” means a “life purpose” or “raison d’être.” Ikigai refers to defining your personal meaning of life in relation to your talents, passions, and profession, as well as what you can give to the wider world. Adherents to this philosophy believe that finding such a nuanced and personalized sense of purpose can lead to a more fulfilling life and increased longevity.

 

I love engaging in conversations with people and helping them explore their true selves in a non-judgmental environment. Many of my friends find me wise, and they feel at ease discussing various topics with me, even the seemingly trivial that others may dismiss. I'm thrilled when they can be themselves around me and let their guard down. As a little myself, one aspect that holds immense value for me is embracing vulnerability. From time to time, I realize that I'm here for something bigger and with a greater reason, but I have to find a way to reach there. I know this journey will be hard and filled with challenges along the way.

My family knows about this, but they aren't sure because of how low the pay is. They said it's more suitable in developed countries where the humanitarian field is acknowledged and respected. My other close ones encourage me to pursue a more practical job that provides a sufficient income for living expenses and savings. Well, both sides of the coin give me a strong, solid reason why I should touch some grass and see the reality around me. On top of that, I've got a bunch of money-related responsibilities, so it's kind of impossible to reach my ikigai anytime soon.

In conclusion, how can I fulfill my ikigai while working a 9-5 job? Maybe some of you have faced similar situations or have found ways to integrate your passions into your professional lives. I'd love to hear your perspectives, experiences, and any advice you have to offer.

Xoxo,

Valeska

 

[Little kaiya]

I've worked on a lot of different areas over my career but always in something people centric. I currently work in Anti-Racism and Inclusion work and make a very comfortable salary that allows me to support my Wife and my Boyfriend.

If you can't find a job you love that pays a sustainable wage then consider doing volunteer work. I did 20 years volunteering with crisis intervention services and it is emotional and hard but very rewarding. Those years of volunteering definitely helped me get the job I have today.

[Valeska]

I have thought about volunteering in unicef program. Can you share with me in a big picture, how was your volunteering look like? Is it require you to be on the field?

@Little kaiya

Edited June 16, 2023 by Valeska

[Little kaiya]

I started by volunteering with crisis help lines on the phones. Over time I developed my skills and took courses and went to on-site interventions. For most volunteer positions the organization will train you.

[beanbean]

I mean I guess it comes down to if you can make enough money to live on and if it makes you happy go for it

[Valeska]

17 hours ago, Little kaiya said:

I started by volunteering with crisis help lines on the phones. Over time I developed my skills and took courses and went to on-site interventions. For most volunteer positions the organization will train you.

Thanksies for your feedback ✨️

[Valeska]

16 hours ago, beanbean said:

I mean I guess it comes down to if you can make enough money to live on and if it makes you happy go for it

Im still trying to find the balance. My situation right now only allow me to choose one of the option. Like @Little kaiyasuggested , I'll consider joining volunteer programs or related activities.

[beanbean]

Yes I think volunteering could help a lot going od luck for sure

[MysticSand]

I think something to realize too is that things take time! Being a 9-5 may just be something that's like an early life requirement for you as you build up your skills and network. It's important and definitely shows future partners/employers that you could cut it in that type of environment and at the very least, you're reliable. If you're not yet able to fully realize your ikigai, at the least make sure you're applying elsewhere and moving positions every 2-3 years to prevent plataeuing where you're at and to ensure you have career momentum.

I started in a 9-5 about 5 years ago and thought it was the end of being young as I knew it. However, the 5 years have brought me to a much happier place career-wise and financially. Eventually my 9-5 melded with my passion (education) so it's working out. A lot of skills are transferrable so look for something in at least the field you love even if it's not the direct position. Every dream and organization needs people and skills of every background, so bring your skills to an organization you believe in the mission of! For example, sure UNICEF needs ground people, but they also need accountants, graphic design artists, marketers, IT security, adminstration, and everything else that allows them to function as an organization. If you're able to at least work for an organization you truly believe in the mission of, it makes the 9-5 a lot better. And also then you have your foot in the door which makes it that much easier to move around into the position you actually want to be in!

For the 9-5 years where I wasn't where I wanted to be, I did (and still do) volunteer work by tutoring every Saturday for 2hrs. It's pretty low stakes which fits in great with a full 9-5 and I still get that people/youth connection that I enjoy.

UNICEF is a pretty large organization and if that's where you're interested in, awesome. However, try looking for grassroot local organizations to volunteer/work with too. Positions with smaller orgs tend to allow you to learn a lot more and the impact you have might be far bigger than you would've ever imagined.

[Valeska]

@MysticSand

I am truly grateful for your extensive and detailed explanation, it means a lot to me 🥺

You have made me realize that I need to slow down, take baby steps, and enjoy the process as I move forward. To be honest, I have been comparing myself to my peers who are much more successful than me in various aspects of life. I can't help but wonder how I can reach their level of success.

Over the past couple of years, I've been focusing on unimportant things that do not contribute to my personal growth. How can I maintain consistent learning in a specific skill set? I have already tried diving into programming from scratch, but I stopped midway. I find it complex and requires some serious sharp logic skills. On the other hand, Im determined to dip my toes to the programming world. As you mentioned earlier, bringing your skills to an organization is important, and I believe this will be one of the tickets to my ikigai.

I share the same concern about a 9-5 job stealing my youth, and I can't let that happen in front of me.

I agree with you that starting from the ground and working my way up is the way to go when it comes to joining an organization. I'll try to search for volunteer programs in my local community.

 

 

[lilpincess]

How do you best learn? While I’m smart and can teach myself a lot of things, when it comes to more…technical things, I guess, like programming and other career-related type things,I do much better taking a class rather than teaching myself. Part of this is because I have ADHD, so trying to be “in charge” just doesn’t work for me. So maybe taking a programming class would help you more?

[Valeska]

Im still figuring out my learning style, but programming class might work! 

[StrayKittenNZ]

I'd say it's tough. I worked 9-5 job in software development, and while it was decent for survival, vicious and brutal adult world is just not for me, I'm too wimpy for it. So when I got lucky and had a chance to go on disability due to autism, I jumped on it straight away. And never looked back. Now I feel spoiled since I can finally do actually satisfying stuff, like volunteering at the animal shelter.

But programming can be still good for survival I think, so try it if you enjoy problem solving and "make things work". Is there anything specific you'd like to focus on? Nowadays there are many different branches of software development, like graphics programming, web development, mobile development, "old school" desktop applications, or even some recent weird AI things. No idea what's good money wise though...

BTW, if you enjoy helping others, I found that fixing bugs in software is actually satisfying emotionally, since you very often make someone happy with it. This was actually one of the things that made 9-5 bearable, people coming to me with problems and leaving happy when we managed to solve them 😺

[Valeska]

Ughhh, I feel the exact same way as you! Were you self-taught, or did you attend a specific school for it?

I'm actually interested in making programs, software, websites, and applications, but I read somewhere that these kinds of programming are very hard to master.

I do find joy in helping others. However, I'm not familiar with fixing bugs yet.

How long were you in a programming job anyway?

[StrayKittenNZ]

Both actually. Autism probably helped, since when I was young, I discovered that computers are way nicer and safer than people, not to mention they are so much easier to understand. So I spent a lot of time playing with them, including trying to program (programming is playing to me). Eventually I went to study computer science at university, which helped getting a job after I finished. Worked there for around 6 years before moving to New Zealand, and then randomly on and off with various programming related things.

Are you complete beginner at programming? If you still need to wrap your head around basics (like variables, conditions etc.), you could start learning in your middlespace with scratch, which is made to introduce kids to programming:
https://scratch.mit.edu/

When I was volunteering at codeclub, I was helping kids with it (extremely rewarding actually). Here are some starter projects we've been using:

https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/pathways/scratch-intro

There is also introduction to website development, also for kids. Some more experienced kids have been doing them too. Maybe you could find it easier than boring adult stuff? 😺

https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/pathways/web-intro

 

Heh, codeclub for middles could be so much fun, sadly meatspace one is most likely impractical due to scarcity of nerdy middles 🐱

Edited June 19, 2023 by StrayCatNZ

[Valeska]

@StrayCatNZ

When I was in 8th grade, our comp teacher taught us one of computer subject using Scratch. However, I think the teacher wasn't very familiar with Scratch, and most of the time, they just told us to play around with it. The same confusion applies to Visual Studio Code (VScode), which is included in our textbook curriculum. Many of my friends find it extremely confusing.

I am still learning the basics using the Python programming language. My brain is struggling to comprehend concepts like control flow (for loops, for else, nested loops, while loops, etc.), data structures (lists, finding items, filter function, etc.), and so many more. However, I have managed to create my own first Python project, which is a simple fillable biodata program for users. I still can't believe that I built my own mini-program!

Oi oi oi i am in love with rasberrypi web that you mentioned. I love the illustration and how colorful it is! Definitely suitable for my little brain ><.  Actually, I have built a website before using Dreamweaver. It was a school project, and I discovered that I enjoy building websites. I can add colors, shapes, pictures, and textures to the page.

Well, maybe there are many tech enthusiasts like us here, but they might be hiding somewhere! Overall, thank you so much for your input💖

[StrayKittenNZ]

Oh nice, grats, so you already know plenty of stuff 😺

13 hours ago, Valeska said:

. My brain is struggling to comprehend concepts like control flow (for loops, for else, nested loops, while loops, etc.), data structures (lists, finding items, filter function, etc.)

What exactly do you find confusing with these? I'm wondering how I can explain things like that better to others, so learning what you find confusing would be helpful.

[sighing]

@Valeska

Sounds like web development, specifically the frontend portion could be perfect for you as a career. Web development is usually divided roughly into 2 parts: backend and frontend. Backend deals more with web servers, designing APIs, choice of databases, etc etc. Whereas frontend deals with the UI and UX portions. Frontend developers are responsible for making the app/website look pretty. All the pretty animations, colors, designs are done by frontend developers (in tandem with designers if your company hires them). The job is very high in demand, and pays very well. Pretty much every industry has need for web developers, so you'll likely be able to work at a humanitarian company if that's what you want.

Some technologies you should focus on (after you get introduced to basic programming concepts with scratch) are the following: 

1. Javascript is king in web frontend development. You will be programming with this language 90% of the time as a frontend developer.

2. HTML describes the structure of a webpage.

3. CSS. This is the thing you use to modify the color and animations of a webpage.

4. (Bonus. Don't attempt until you become proficient with the former 3) React. React is a javascript web framework that most modern companies use. 

You can build a simple webpage using just HTML and CSS. However anything even a little more complicated will likely require Javascript. 

Feel free to message me if you have any questions. Good luck.

[Valeska]

@StrayCatNZ

I can understand the theory, like what are they used for and their function. However, when i want to practice it into making a real program ... i can't use it properly. I find it too complex when i want to collaborate them with another code. Does it mean, i have a little understanding of their basic function? Also, how do i remember each code name and its function? The more i learn programming, the more i realize it is too overwhelming for me 😄 

[Valeska]

@sighing

Thank youu, i definitely have questions. Send you a friend request 😸

Edited June 21, 2023 by Valeska

[StrayKittenNZ]

1 hour ago, Valeska said:

I find it too complex when i want to collaborate them with another code.

Do you understand concepts of variables and functions (and objects if you want to move beyond scratch)? If yes, then you might just need more practice making simple stuff, and importantly, dividing the task into simpler steps. For example, how would you make a webpage that draws 100 random rectangles with JavaScript? What would be the biggest roadblock for you here?

1 hour ago, Valeska said:

Also, how do i remember each code name and its function?

I usually don't remember unless I use it a lot. For example, I don't remember how to draw in JavaScript, so if I got the above task, I would start by googling "javascript drawing".

And hey, the first result I got has an actual example how to draw a rectangle, so someone has already done most of the work for us (click on the "Try it yourself" button to get full working HTML code). Copy/paste programming! 😺
https://www.w3schools.com/graphics/canvas_drawing.asp
Now we can just play around with it, change random things to see what they do, and eventually we will figure out what needs to change to make it do what we want.

Let's randomize the rectangle first. Again ask google "javascript random", and here we have the magic incantation that returns us a random number:
https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_random.asp
Plug it into the rectangle drawing function and we should get different rectangle every time.

And now since I'm lazy, I'm not going to paste rectangle drawing function hundred of times, I'm going to use for loop. Again google "javascript loop":
https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_loop_for.asp
Now we can have as many rectangles as we want!

Now the task is basically done, although since all the rectangles are the same color, it looks a bit weird. Let's give them also random colors by using array of colors. Google "javascript arrays":
https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_arrays.asp

And here is the final result:
https://replit.com/@StrayCatNZ/Rectangles#index.html
The code is actually not the prettiest or easiest to read, you could make it nicer by using temporary variables and even add comments, but figured "raw and dirty" example will be actually more real.

[Valeska]

15 hours ago, StrayCatNZ said:

Do you understand concepts of variables and functions (and objects if you want to move beyond scratch)?

It's been a while since I learned programming, most of that stuff I have already forgotten. I'll have to watch programming courses again and run my python.
 

15 hours ago, StrayCatNZ said:

For example, how would you make a webpage that draws 100 random rectangles with JavaScript? What would be the biggest roadblock for you here?

I've only focused on learning python and haven't explored JavaScript yet. When I wanted to start learning it, I gathered some information on the internet, and they said it's easier for beginners to start with python first. So, I began watching programming courses from MoshCode, most of which were one hour long, and my brain melted. I had to rewatch them a million times and practice over and over again. Also, i loveeee creating new problems to solve hahahaha. For example, when i wrote code for biography program, i wonder how do i write this code shorter or can this be written in different way but generate the same result? I tried to goggled it for hint so i can try to combining it with my own code. Okayyy i typed the hint code and boom got some errors and warning. Frustated, i asked chatGPT to solve my problems, it helped me a lot to understand more what caused the code to error. But sometimes their answers didn't make any sense, i tried to correct them but they kept repeating the wrong answer again. My love and hate relationship with chatGPT is hard to explain. When both method don't work, i wanted to ask in Stack Overflow to hear people thoughts on my problems. But i saw someone said you should goggled your problems first because they are probably asked and solved. The person said finding the solution yourself is a very important skill as a programmer. You have to know the right keyword to describe the problem and eventually lead up to answers. Well, after i read it, i don't feel confident to post my silly beginner question. I also installed some apps to learn on my free time, quite good but i preferred to learn on my laptop. Just a little background of my prog journey.
 

15 hours ago, StrayCatNZ said:

I usually don't remember unless I use it a lot. For example, I don't remember how to draw in JavaScript, so if I got the above task, I would start by googling "javascript drawing".

So when you want to become a programmer, you have to know what kind of field you want to master? Therefore you'll know what code is gonna be most used. Like @sighing said, front end dev is suitable for my preferences ... do i have to master python too? Or i should focus more on JavaScript, CSS, HTML?
 

15 hours ago, StrayCatNZ said:

And hey, the first result I got has an actual example how to draw a rectangle,

How do i thank you enough to actually spend your time making this code so i can understand better? Sadly i don't understand this demo for now, but surely i will try it in another time! Also, do you have any recommendation for beginner friendly online courses for free? Thank you

Edited June 22, 2023 by Valeska

[sighing]

As a beginner I think you should familiarize yourself more with google, stack overflow, and going through documentation rather than go straight to ChatGPT. ChatGPT is great and convenient, but it's just a language model that regurgitates what it is fed. Often times it will confidently spit out incorrect things which as a beginner you'll have no way of verifying. With stack overflow and even those random blogs you'll find on google you can trust with some amount of confidence that the contributors are programmers themselves and have tried or even tested their suggestions at some point. The same can't be said about ChatGPT.

The person on stack overflow was right. A big part of being of being a successful programmer (or any other technical or engineering roles) is knowing the right questions to ask. Unless you're working on the cutting edge, probably 80%+ of any of the questions you'll have have already been answered and can be found on google or stack overflow. But don't be discouraged. You're just starting out. If you keep devoting time to learning the fundamentals, things will clear up and you'll naturally learn to ask more focused questions.   

It's not necessary for you to know what type of field you want to get into before you start learning programming, but it definitely helps. If you see yourself making progress on something that you're passionate about it motivates you to keep up the grind.

For your first language feel free to pick the language that is easiest for you to learn, though I will say if you get hired as a purely frontend dev you'll be doing pretty much exclusively javascript + html + css. However sometimes (especially if you work at a startup) frontend devs will also have to dabble in the backend which could be written in python (or any other language including javascript). Once you've mastered the fundamentals of one it's generally pretty easy to become productive in the other languages. The logic and paradigms will be the same between languages, just the way of writing it out will be slightly different. 

[StrayKittenNZ]

7 hours ago, Valeska said:

it's easier for beginners to start with python first

I feel the Scratch is way easier than python to get a hang of programming. Then HTML and CSS to get a hang of messing with text, and then JavaScript. I have no idea why people recommend python to start with, it's just as hard as JavaScript plus a bit of a niche.

7 hours ago, Valeska said:

So when you want to become a programmer, you have to know what kind of field you want to master?

Nah, it's easier to start with something basic, like Scratch, and once you can make something with it (like display something and move it around for example), you are a programmer. Then you can decide if it's for you and what kind of specific field you want to master.

7 hours ago, Valeska said:

How do i thank you enough to actually spend your time making this code so i can understand better? Sadly i don't understand this demo for now, but surely i will try it in another time!

I had fun messing around with it, so don't worry. How about this kind of programing?
Cats on Scratch
Program to display 100 cats this time, instead of rectangles. Is it more understandable? Press the green flag to start it in case you are not familiar with Scratch.

7 hours ago, Valeska said:

Also, do you have any recommendation for beginner friendly online courses for free? Thank you

Courses on the raspbery pi page I pasted earlier don't work for you? Hard to get more beginner friendly than that, especially the scratch ones, since these are made for young kids.

Edited June 22, 2023 by StrayCatNZ

[Valeska]

@sighing noted ✔️