[cjaro]

> it's a mistake to expect to derive significant joy / self-actualization / gratification / whatever from your "job"

I couldn't agree more. Over the course of the last few years, I have put in the work to separate my work and my life. I now notice a difference in how I interact with my work. I am a solid "bare minimum" worker, and I've been able to get away with it. Does it have an effect on my earnings and reputation? Probably. I know I'm not going above and beyond and qualifying for some of the perks & programs that my coworkers do. I happen to not give a shit about that corporate reward atmosphere. I make $101k/yr and I'm comfortable and my work days are short and manageable.

Do I enjoy my work at this current moment? Not really, but it's easy and it pays my bills and I have capacity for other shit that I enjoy - hiking, photography, games, etc. Plus, I have had enough time to evaluate what I truly value in my work and want to do year over year (I am interviewing later this week for a better-fit job I know I have in the bag if I can ace this technical).

As I've been interviewing, I've gotten the question over and over: how much coding/programming do you do outside of work. My interview answer includes a spiel about a few side projects I've got on my roster. My honest answer is "almost none".

[karmakaze]

Don't forget this bit "I mean, sure, if you happen to enjoy your job, then that's a nice bonus."

It's great and important to be able to separate your day job and home life, now more than ever. At the same time, there's no requirement that you half-ass your job. To me, a job well done is always a more interesting way to pass time than with lack of care. It's 8 hours either way and can seem like less.