Pillory
Pronunciation: \ˈpi-lə-rē, ˈpil-rē\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural pil·lo·ries
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French pilori
Date: 13th century

1 : a device formerly used for publicly punishing offenders consisting of a wooden frame with holes in which the head and hands can be locked
2 : a means for exposing one to public scorn or ridicule

“No more cubicles” from Artworks by Carl Frederik Waage Beck

When it comes to worklife, I figure there are 2 kinds of people:

Type 1. Those that work the punch-in/punch-out job, and prefer it this way.
Type 2. Those that work the punch-in/punch-out job, and want to leave and be their own boss but feel they can’t.

Who feels more pain? Probably type 2. Pain comes from wanting what you cannot have.

There could be a trillion reasons why you might feel quitting just isn’t an option. Some common reasons are:

a. The mortgage due next week.
b. No time for moonlighting on my escape.
c. Fear of the unknown.

These are absolutely valid reasons, don’t get me wrong.

a. The mortgage is due, and if you’re like most people are, it has been due ever since you landed your first job. And as your paycheck increased over time, so did your mortgage. Net result – higher turnover in your household economy, but about the same level of free funds.
The constraint is the same as it has always been.
If you’re looking to change this, what you need is some more wiggle room in order to gain momentum for your escape. That means reducing your mortgage.

b. No time for moonlighting? Well, that’s why it’s called moonlighting – put in the hours if you’re serious about escape. Reducing time constraints is another option, but this may not be possible for you in your current job. Maybe the solution would be to switch to an interrim punch-in/punch-out job that is less demanding on your time. Going from 80 hours/week to 40 hours/week makes a big difference in your time schedule, but most likely won’t cut your paycheck in half.

c. But what’s on the other side? That’s for you to decide, but you probably have an idea, otherwise you wouldn’t feel this longing. Help yourself visualize the other side by describing what you’re aiming for. Most important – What is that you want to give to the world? What is it that you can do, that will make someone elses life better/easier etc?
What will your time schedule look like? What will your work environment be like? – a desk in a shared office space or working on the fly at the local café?
The more detailed, the less frightening.

Plan your escape and you will find the resolve to execute it.

best regards, Carl

Given the choice between receiving 5 dollars with certainty OR receiving a free lottery ticket with a 1/1000 chance of winning 5000 dollars, which would you choose?

Given the choice between paying 5 dollars in parking fee OR risking a 1/1000 chance of paying a parking fine of 5000 dollars, which would you choose?

Given the choice between keeping your decent paying dayjob OR joining that new startup company which may land a 20,000,000 dollar IPO in 1 year, which would you choose?

Given the choice between leaving your decent paying dayjob for 1 year OR risk missing out on the 20,000,000 dollar IPO, which would you choose?

Risk perception is different for gains and losses. For this reason we often prefer uncertainty when faced with gains but certainty when faced with losses.

The only way to get around this is to frame the same dilemma in a different way. How do you frame your life?
Are you comfortable with the choices you have made if you present them to yourself in a different way?

In the dilemma above, feel free to replace IPO with: travelling the world, becoming a stay-at-home parent, getting creative, taking up acting, building houses in Haiti etc. etc.

Enjoy “The life of the artist” below: the second in a series of 3 paintings.

“The life of the artist” from Artworks by Carl Frederik Waage Beck