Job vs. Hobby

This graph has two axis. On the X axis I put the enjoyment you get from doing an activity. On Y the net income from that activity. If negative, it means you pay to do the activity.

Money obviously has value, but enjoyment has value as well! In engineering, graphs are useful to see at a glance how something fare against something else. You don't even need hard numbers to make the graph useful. In a preliminary analysis it can be something you draw from your experience. Like this one.

In engineering often it's a matter of balance. Imagine a car: You want a fast car? It will cost more and consume more fuel. You want a cheap car? It will be uglier and break up more often. To have something, often you have to give up on something else. If you give up too much, it's not worth it, if you give up little, it's a valuable solution.

This is how I classify general activities. This is something you do everyday without noticing. You balance many factors to make decisions. Writing it down helps in making an informed decision and in understanding the underlying reasons behind a choice.

Origin:

A neutral activity. You are neither paid nor pay to do it, and you have no hard feelings about it, one way or the other. Staring at a wall is a good example.

Positive X, Positive Y quadrant:

In this quadrant you find the best activities.

Hobby:

An hobby is something you get no money from doing, but that you enjoy doing.

Mindless Job:

Something you do to get a check, but you neither enjoy or hate. Most regular jobs.

Perfect Job:

Something you are paid to do, and something love doing. Everyone's dream.

Negative X, Negative Y quadrant:

In this quadrant you find the worst activities.

Chores:

You hate doing them, but you have to do them. Like doing the dishes, do the bed, etc...

Pay Bills:

You get no enjoyment, but you have to pay to use. Paying for services. Rent, Taxes, etc...

Blackmail:

You pay to do something you hate. Like being blackmailed. If you are doing this by choice, stop. Just stop. Right now.

Breakeven:

The line where paying is compensated by enjoyment, and where dislike is compensated by money. Activities below this line are objectively bad, activities above this line are objectively good.

Bad Job:

Something you do for the check but you hate doing.

Fun Activity:

Something you love doing, but pay to do. Like a cruise vacation.

Conclusion:

The reason I'm writing this novel, is because I love writing it. This is all there is to it.

I liked how the story was coming along, and I decided to share it. Honestly, I don't expect any amount of money or fame from it at all. It's an Hobby. On the graph it's on the right end of the X axis, and along the origin of the Y axis. Enjoyment DOES have value even if that value is for you, and you only. If someone told me to modify the story to get a small amount of money, I wouldn't do it if it reduced the enjoyment I get from writing it.

Once, I had friends who got together the weekend to play music. One used a guitar, one used a piano, one singed. They did it for fun. They were good at it, and eventually one had the idea of making money from it by performing live. They had to compromise on the kind of music they could play, on the money they got, on the expenses. They had differing opinions on how to do things. Eventually they broke the band and stopped playing altogether. Their friendship turned sour.

They didn't need the money, but tried to upgrade the hobby to a paid job anyway. They lost the enjoyment they had from playing, because they were restricted in what they could do. Until they couldn't take it anymore, and stopped altogether. It's not like they needed the money anyway.

They traded enjoyment for money. But they started because of the enjoyment they got from playing in the first place. And when that disappeared, their reason for playing disappeared alongside it.

I think that the lesson is not to be greedy. Money has value, but enjoyment has value as well. As someone famous once said: "Time you enjoy wasting, is not wasted."

I believe that if you enjoy your hobby, all is good. If you can be paid for it without compromising, great! If people praise your work, great! But if they don't, it's fine too!

The value of an Hobby is the enjoyment you get from doing it. No matter how much others like or dislike it. No matter how much others criticize or praise it. You need no other reason than: "I like doing it."

I believe that there is no need to turn everything in a money making machine or scheme. That's what jobs are for. Unless you genuinely enjoy to try and make more money for the sake of making money. In that case, go for it!