My education prepared me to make millions of dollars by the time I was in my mid-forties. I learned that if I take every task seriously and strive to do the absolute best I can on that task, no exceptions, regardless of how I personally felt about a subject or an assignment, I would end up being an employee that saw to it that anything I did, I did to the absolute best of my ability.
Not every task ended up being worth doing, but some sure did. And regardless, more important than any one individual tasks, I earned a reputation with management. This in turn resulted in a steady stream of bonuses, stock grants, and promotions. I suppose I was doubly-fortunate to have focused my efforts in the tech industry from the early 90's onward. You have to be really unlucky for nose-to-the-grindstone efforts in FAANG companies to not work out pretty well for you from 2003-ish until today.
With continued good health I can look forward to another 20 or 30 years of life, where I get to do whatever I want with my time because I earned so much money being content to conform to whatever my employers required of me. Nobody will remember my name, but that's okay with me, because I won't either.
This is like looking at the kids who collect Pokemon cards out of the sheer love of the Pokemon and playing the game compared to the scalpers and “investors” / “speculators”. Yes they may end up with a lot of money but they will always lack that sweetness, purity, and wholesome joy that you see when a kid finds and enjoys something.
Not every task ended up being worth doing, but some sure did. And regardless, more important than any one individual tasks, I earned a reputation with management. This in turn resulted in a steady stream of bonuses, stock grants, and promotions. I suppose I was doubly-fortunate to have focused my efforts in the tech industry from the early 90's onward. You have to be really unlucky for nose-to-the-grindstone efforts in FAANG companies to not work out pretty well for you from 2003-ish until today.
With continued good health I can look forward to another 20 or 30 years of life, where I get to do whatever I want with my time because I earned so much money being content to conform to whatever my employers required of me. Nobody will remember my name, but that's okay with me, because I won't either.