{"id":115147,"date":"2023-10-18T13:35:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T17:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=115147"},"modified":"2026-01-22T22:47:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T02:47:07","slug":"the-pathless-path-imagining-a-new-story-for-work-and-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-pathless-path-imagining-a-new-story-for-work-and-life\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pathless Path: Imagining a New Story for Work and Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Have you followed a traditional <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/career-path-development\/\">career path<\/a>? Would you like to exercise more freedom in work and life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Paul Millerd abandoned a conventional career and became a freelancer. In his book <em>The Pathless Path: Imagining a New Story for Work and Life<\/em>, he shows others how to do the same. He relates the history of the cultural emphasis on work, shares his own story, and provides advice for switching to freelancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Continue reading for an overview of this book that could inspire you to take a new path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-overview-of-the-pathless-path-imagining-a-new-story-for-work-and-life\">Overview of <em>The Pathless Path: Imagining a New Story for Work and Life<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/think-boundless.com\/the-pathless-path\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Pathless Path: Imagining a New Story for Work and Life<\/em><\/a><em>, <\/em>published in 2022, encapsulates Paul Millerd\u2019s non-traditional approach to career <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/happiness-and-success\/\">success and happiness<\/a>. Millerd is a freelance blogger, business consultant, career coach, and online course creator. But, he didn\u2019t start out that way\u2014like most people, he was taught to place conventional, full-time work at the center of his life, and he did so for many years until he realized how unhappy it made him. He argues that the traditional approach to work inevitably makes people miserable, so he encourages you to leave it behind, deprioritize work, and pursue a meaningful, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/personal-life\/lifestyle\/creative-life\/\">creative life<\/a> instead. He offers several tips based on his experience for transitioning to the more autonomous world of self-employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ll explore Millerd\u2019s ideas in three parts:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In <strong>The History of Prioritizing Work, <\/strong>we\u2019ll explain how work came to be so central to people\u2019s lives, explore the negative consequences of prioritizing work, and discuss an alternative to traditional full-time work: freelancing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In <strong>Millerd\u2019s Shift in Priorities, <\/strong>we\u2019ll explain how and why Millerd rejected the traditional approach to work and switched to freelancing instead.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In <strong>How to Deprioritize Work, <\/strong>we\u2019ll discuss some of Millerd\u2019s tips for breaking free of the job that makes you miserable and pursuing something more fulfilling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The History of Prioritizing Work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we jump into Millerd\u2019s non-traditional approach to work, we\u2019ll discuss the traditional approach to work. First, we\u2019ll explain the historical events that made it popular to prioritize work ahead of everything else. Then, we\u2019ll explain the negative consequences of prioritizing work and explore an alternative: freelancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How Work Became Everyone\u2019s First Priority<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Millerd explains that historically, most people understood work as something you must do to survive and believed that once your needs are met, it\u2019s OK to stop working. However, during the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther and John Calvin introduced a new idea\u2014that everyone had a God-given purpose and that working hard to fulfill this purpose would bring you closer to God. Millerd says that, according to sociologist Max Weber in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-protestant-ethic-and-the-spirit-of-capitalism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism<\/em><\/a><em>, <\/em>this sparked a major cultural change in the West with long-lasting effects on the way people approach work: <strong>In capitalist countries, work became the first priority in most people\u2019s lives.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Events That Deepened the Emphasis on Work<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Millerd also points to three historic events that deepened the emphasis on work in US culture: First, <strong>after World War II, the US experienced an economic boom<\/strong> that enabled the average person to buy a house, support their family, and build unprecedented wealth just by working a full-time industry job until they reached retirement age<em>. <\/em>(This was a drastic change\u2014before the war, most people supported themselves through subsistence farming.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Millerd, most people continue to believe that this is the way things are supposed to be\u2014but he explains that this was an exceptional event in world history and that economic circumstances have changed vastly since then, which means that trying to replicate this way of life is futile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, <strong>these postwar economic changes led to a widespread change in American culture<\/strong>: For the first time, you would only be seen as a legitimate member of society if you worked a full-time job. The government even codified this opinion into law in 1946, when Congress passed the Full Employment Act, which mandated that the federal government do everything in its power to ensure every American was employed full time. Millerd says that, according to anthropologist David Graeber in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/bullshit-jobs\/1-page-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Bullshit Jobs<\/em><\/a>, this made it necessary for useless jobs\u2014which don\u2019t have an intrinsic value and entail wasting time for most of the day\u2014to be created and kept, even though most workers hate these kinds of jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Third, Millerd says that, beginning in the 1990s, <strong>researchers began to suggest that people needed <em>emotionally rewarding <\/em>work to be happy<\/strong>. This led most people to believe that not only did they need a job to support themselves monetarily, but they also had to find a job that aligned with their life\u2019s purpose, or else they\u2019d be miserable. People began to expect their jobs to make them happy, and major companies responded by advertising that the jobs they offered could give people\u2019s lives meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Millerd says that, as a result of these historical developments,<strong> most Americans today believe that work is central to life\u2014so much so that they can\u2019t even <em>imagine<\/em> spending the majority of their time doing something else.<\/strong> In fact, Americans tend to identify themselves in terms of their job more than any other part of their life\u2014they\u2019re more likely to introduce themselves as lawyers, for example, than as mothers or cyclists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Negative Consequences of Prioritizing Work<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Millerd argues that <strong>prioritizing work makes you miserable<\/strong> for a few reasons. First, work rarely aligns with your values or passions. Second, even if you <em>are <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/passionate-about-career\/\">passionate about your job<\/a>, it may not make you happy. For example, social workers may see the value in their job, but because they\u2019re in constant contact with people who are suffering, their job can be challenging or even depressing. Third, to succeed in traditional workplaces, you have to play political games: You must prove to higher-ups that you care about your job by putting in an excessive amount of time and energy. When you gain their favor, you become one of the elite, which opens countless doors to you\u2014not on the basis of true talent, which would be satisfying, but on the basis of following the rules, which isn\u2019t satisfying (in Millerd\u2019s experience).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Millerd also says that it\u2019s clear that most people suffer when they prioritize work because there\u2019s a huge financial market for <em>coping with your job. <\/em>He explains that most people cope by living for the weekend or planning for retirement\u2014since they can\u2019t spend most of their time doing what they truly love, they party on the weekends and plan extravagant, far-off vacations. They also take shortcuts around important parts of life\u2014say, by eating fast food daily because work takes up too much time for them to cook. These coping activities sustain a significant part of the US economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Alternative to Prioritizing Work: Freelancing<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Millerd explains that most people continue to prioritize work because they believe it\u2019s the best or only path available to them since it affords them security (in the form of a regular paycheck) and respect (in the form of being recognized as a contributing member of society or even one of the elite). People also continue to prioritize work because they\u2019re uncomfortable with change\u2014it\u2019s easier to dread your job every day and live for the weekend or for retirement than it is to try something unconventional in pursuit of a more meaningful life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, during his traditional career, Millerd encountered <em>freelancers<\/em>\u2014people who are self-employed and contract with companies, only doing work on their own terms. According to Millerd, the freelancers he knew worked less and did things they enjoyed\u2014like traveling and spending time with family\u2014more often. He explains that freelancing is a relatively new possibility and that most people don\u2019t realize it exists\u2014if they <em>did <\/em>realize that it was possible not to prioritize work, they\u2019d be more likely to pursue that alternative. So, he wrote this book to teach people <strong>it\u2019s possible to prioritize life enjoyment over work.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Millerd\u2019s Shift in Priorities<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Millerd provides historical and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/social-context\/\">social context<\/a> for our tendency to prioritize work, but he explains that he learned not to prioritize work primarily through experience<em>. <\/em>We\u2019ll explore the lessons he learned from his career. First, we\u2019ll discuss his beginnings in a traditional career where he prioritized work. Then, we\u2019ll explain why his priorities changed and how he switched to freelancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Millerd\u2019s Traditional Career Beginnings<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Millerd explains that, because his parents followed traditional career paths, he assumed that he would, too. In college, he joined the honors program, and the friends he made in that program taught him to prioritize the <em>appearance <\/em>of success over meaningful college experiences. He wanted to become part of the elite (recall that succeeding at political games opens countless doors), so he avoided challenging classes and internships in favor of easy experiences, like classes he knew he\u2019d ace, that he could use to pad his resume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the traditional workforce, Millerd vied for the top. He pursued a career in strategy consulting (advising businesses about their business strategies) because it was an elite profession: It paid six figures a year and earned respect. He landed jobs at prestigious businesses but left them quickly because they didn\u2019t satisfy him. It was a normal part of the work culture at these businesses to dream about continuing to move up the ladder, which reinforced <strong>Millerd\u2019s desire to accomplish better and better things<\/strong>\u2014as a result, he decided to go to a top business school and keep climbing the corporate ladder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Millerd\u2019s Priorities Changed<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Millerd\u2019s priorities changed because <strong>he had two painful experiences that caused him to question his values<\/strong>. The first was the death of his grandfather, whom he was close to, a month before Millerd started business school. While visiting his grandfather on his deathbed, Millerd realized his mind was still on his job\u2014and it bothered him that work was taking precedence over one of the most important relationships of his life. This made him approach business school differently\u2014he decided to prioritize his relationships over his classes, and his grades suffered for it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result of this change in priorities, he didn\u2019t get any of the elite job offers he\u2019d hoped for\u2014even his old job wouldn\u2019t hire him back\u2014and he ended up joining a more humble consulting business. Then, his second painful experience occurred: Immediately after he started there, he came down with a debilitating case of Lyme disease, and he had to take several months away from work. His identity was still fully wrapped up in his career, so he was desperate to return to work and keep achieving. However, that gradually began to change\u2014he started blogging about his illness to cope and discovered that he enjoyed writing. A friend also helped him realize people would still love him even if he didn\u2019t succeed at a traditional career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Millerd says that, when he finally became healthy enough to return to work, he found it more disagreeable than he expected\u2014he was more interested in personal fulfillment than in the work itself. Upon reflection, he realized that while work used to be the most important thing to him, <strong>he now valued spending time with loved ones, taking care of his health, and enjoying life over excelling in his career.<\/strong> He attributes this to a process called \u201cpost-traumatic growth,\u201d where a crisis impels you to reconsider your values and make positive life changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Millerd\u2019s Switch to Freelancing<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>When Millerd\u2019s priorities changed, he knew that he needed to redesign his life around them\u2014and the freelancers he encountered taught him that it was possible to design a life he\u2019d truly enjoy. Now, we\u2019ll explore <em>how <\/em>he made the switch to freelancing and <em>what effect <\/em>the switch had on his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Millerd Switched to Freelancing<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Millerd\u2019s switch to freelancing was gradual: <strong>He remained traditionally employed while he explored other options.<\/strong> During this time, he had a few experiences that solidified his choice to start working for himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, since he didn\u2019t care as much about his job anymore, he started to put less effort into it. He continued planning a traditional career path because he still believed this was the only viable option, but his performance was tanking, and he knew he\u2019d have to leave his job. He thought that moving to another company might solve his problem, but they gave him an unexpectedly low salary offer. He says this made him reevaluate his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/relationship-with-money\/\">relationship with money<\/a>: He realized he didn\u2019t mind making less money if he could also work less and do things he genuinely enjoyed. That wasn\u2019t possible with this job, so he rejected it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the same time,<strong> he launched a new freelance business as a career coach<\/strong>, something he genuinely cared about and enjoyed. Millerd says the exhilaration he felt as he launched his business stood in stark contrast to the dismay he felt at his regular job. Eventually, he had to admit to himself\u2014and his boss\u2014that he didn\u2019t really want the job anymore.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, Millerd accidentally quit his job\u2014he got into an email dispute with his manager, something he said made his manager think he\u2019d formally quit, and he didn\u2019t care enough about keeping his job to correct him. He had to stay on for three months to train his replacement, and he did so lifelessly. After his last day, he realized he\u2019d been experiencing burnout\u2014a sense of spiritless exhaustion that, he says, happens when your values and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-success\/\">definition of success<\/a> don\u2019t align with those of the organization you work for. <strong>He realized that he wasn\u2019t living up to his own expectations and that this was his fault for prioritizing work\u2014so it was time for a change.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With no pressing responsibilities after he quit his job, Millerd booked a five-week vacation to Europe to relax. He explains that he didn\u2019t feel confident about his choices or the future, but he was committed to exploring new options. When he returned to the US, the pressure to make money was back on\u2014his savings were starting to dwindle. He decided to minimize his cost of living and took advantage of every freelance opportunity available to him\u2014mostly consulting work with other companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Switching to Freelancing Changed Millerd\u2019s Life<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>As a freelancer, Millerd experienced total autonomy for the first time\u2014he could work on his own terms, which energized him. However, he realized that he still defined his identity in terms of his career, which prompted him to think about his identity outside of work. He decided to prioritize recreation ahead of work and took a break from relentlessly pursuing freelance opportunities that forced him to work on projects he didn\u2019t truly care about.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result of his choice to prioritize recreation, Millerd had a surge in creativity\u2014he revamped his blog, started a podcast, and eventually started designing his own online consulting courses. This experience taught him that creative work was the only work he really found joy in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Altogether, Millerd\u2019s early freelancing experiences taught him that he wanted to work just enough to sustain himself and no more than that\u2014<strong>he was now fully committed to living life to the fullest by prioritizing recreation, exploration, and joy.<\/strong> He got rid of most of his belongings, moved to Taipei, Taiwan, and embraced a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-a-minimalist-lifestyle\/\">minimalist lifestyle<\/a>: few possessions and few responsibilities. This enabled him to lower his cost of living so that he could focus on his new priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Millerd also decided that instead of living for the weekend or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-enjoy-retirement\/\">waiting for retirement<\/a> to do what he cared about, he\u2019d incorporate exploration into his regular life by devoting intense energy to a new experience (like learning a new language or traveling) for a short period of time, then resting and moving on. He explains that this is a great way to experiment with what makes you happy\u2014you\u2019re not exhausting yourself by overcommitting, and you gradually figure out what really makes you happy and should be incorporated into your day-to-day life when you do eventually retire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to Deprioritize Work<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on the lessons he learned from his own career, Millerd offers advice for anyone who\u2019s looking to deprioritize work by becoming self-employed. This advice can be collapsed into three essential steps: altering your mindset, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-find-your-niche\/\">finding your niche<\/a>, and adjusting to your new lifestyle. Let\u2019s explore each step in detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Step 1: Alter Your Mindset<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Millerd, since we\u2019re all taught that prioritizing work is the best or only viable life path, to make a change you must first unlearn that idea and open your mind to the alternatives. He suggests that you do so by <em>reinventing success, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-face-your-fears\/\">facing your fears<\/a><\/em>,<em> <\/em>and <em>discovering new values.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reinvent Success<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Millerd explains that most people hold two mistaken beliefs about success: First, they believe that they\u2019ll only be judged as successful if they meet certain socially determined benchmarks, which usually represent the accumulation of wealth or social status (for example, some people define success as becoming debt-free). This is mistaken because studies suggest that most people care more about living their values to the best of their ability than adhering to social standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Millerd says the second mistaken belief people have is the \u201carrival fallacy\u201d\u2014the belief that once you achieve a given benchmark, like buying a house, you\u2019ll be happy once and for all. When they inevitably find that it doesn\u2019t make them permanently happy, they apply the same thinking to another, loftier goal. Millerd says this is mistaken because <em>nothing <\/em>can give you permanent happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Instead of falling for these mistaken beliefs, reinvent success for yourself.<\/strong> Millerd recommends measuring success in terms of <em>contributing something important to the world <\/em>and <em>living according to your values. <\/em>He explains that this dynamic process will naturally bring recurrent joy to your daily life, whereas static achievements like home ownership happen one time only and are innately less fulfilling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Face Your Fears<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Reinventing success can often provoke fear\u2014for example, you might worry that deprioritizing work will make you go broke. When you\u2019re afraid of the consequences of reinventing success, Millerd recommends the following practice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, write down the worst possible scenario and some steps you could take to recover from it. (for example, if you became homeless, one step toward recovery might be accessing a shelter).&nbsp; This step makes your fear more manageable by transforming vague anxiety into tangible concerns and instilling confidence that you can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-handle-disappointments\/\">handle setbacks<\/a>. Then, write about what could go right\u2014the opposite of the worst possible scenario\u2014and what you might lose out on if you don\u2019t take this risk. This step makes your fear more manageable by shifting your focus from risks to benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Discover New Values<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>When you let go of society\u2019s definition of what\u2019s important, you must replace it with a new set of <em>personal <\/em>values. Millerd says <strong>the best way to discover your new values is by noticing what draws your attention.<\/strong> He explains that when you begin to question what makes life worth living, you\u2019re naturally drawn to seek out new experiences\u2014and he says the experiences that hold your attention are typically what\u2019s most important to you. You may also return to experiences that held your attention during childhood\u2014for example, maybe you used to love making music but stopped when you became an adult and got a traditional job that sucked the life out of you. In that case, it may be time to explore making music again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Millerd also suggests that you graciously accept differences of opinion. Many people in your life will still define success in traditional ways, which means they might not understand or approve of your decision to design your life around different values. That\u2019s OK\u2014they don\u2019t have to. What matters is that <em>you <\/em>understand and approve of your new values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Step 2: Find Your Niche<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve altered your mindset, it\u2019s time to pursue a more personally meaningful life. Most people assume that deprioritizing work means rashly quitting your job with no backup plan, but Millerd explains that <strong>the transition from traditional work to self-employment should be a gradual process.<\/strong> It takes time to figure out what you\u2019re going to do next, and if you make rash decisions, you might suffer negative consequences that put you in panic mode, which limits your freedom to make the decisions you genuinely <em>want <\/em>to make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many people are intimidated by the freedom that self-employment gives them\u2014how do you decide what to do with your time? Millerd says that <strong>you can only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-find-your-niche-in-life\/\">find your niche<\/a> via trial and error<\/strong>: Try a new approach to work and see how it feels. If you like it, do it again; if you don\u2019t, try something else. He explains that you\u2019ll know you\u2019ve found your niche when something meets the two conditions of reinvented success: It enables you to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/living-by-your-values\/\">live according to your values<\/a> and contribute something important to the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Millerd argues that creative work is key to a meaningful life\u2014so your niche will probably be a creative endeavor. He explains that everyone has an inherent capacity for creativity and that creative expression is becoming more democratically available thanks to the internet\u2014anyone can post self-produced music online, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Millerd also encourages you to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/society-culture\/arts\/sharing-your-art\/\">share your work<\/a> online because although there\u2019s a chance people will dislike it, there\u2019s also a chance that people will love it\u2014and if they do, it might open the door to further opportunities to do what you love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Once you find something you want to stick with, engineer a life that enables you to continue doing it.<\/strong> For example, if you discover a passion for music but can\u2019t get paid for it yet, you may have to take on paid freelance work to support yourself until you can make music profitable. Millerd suggests minimizing risks to your security as much as possible: For example, he recognized that freelancing is a fickle industry since work isn\u2019t steadily available or well-paying, so he set himself up with multiple streams of income (including freelance consulting work and selling online consulting courses) so he always has something to fall back on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Step 3: Adjust to Your New Life<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve found a niche and designed your life around it, Millerd says you\u2019ll need to make major adjustments to your <em>money habits <\/em>and your <em>motivation habits. <\/em>Let\u2019s explore this further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Adjusting Your Money Habits<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>In the traditional workforce, you have a steady stream of income, and\u2014according to society, at least\u2014you should be consistently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/building-wealth\/\">building wealth<\/a> for the rest of your life. In contrast, self-employment rarely comes with a stable income, and according to Millerd, you\u2019re not likely to become very wealthy. To deal with these differences, he suggests making the following adjustments:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Instead of pursuing exponentially growing wealth, pursue <em>sustainability<\/em><\/strong>\u2014making just enough money to meet your needs. When you\u2019re always trying to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/make-more-money\/\">make more money<\/a>, you lose some of your freedom: You can\u2019t say no to any opportunity to make money, no matter how miserable it makes you, and you can\u2019t say yes to opportunities that are more emotionally rewarding than financially rewarding. On the other hand, when you deprioritize work, you\u2019re saying that enjoying life is more important to you than having a lot of money\u2014so aim to bring in an income that enables you to enjoy life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Live more frugally.<\/strong> You\u2019re trading higher pay for a higher quality of life, so you need to make every cent count. Millerd recommends spending money only on the things you need to be happy and cutting extra costs wherever possible\u2014that way, you can spend less time working and more time enjoying life (by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/spending-time-with-your-loved-ones\/\">spending time with your family<\/a>, for instance).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Learn to live with insecurity.<\/strong> Millerd argues that no amount of money can guarantee total, everlasting security. Even if you had a million dollars in the bank, something could happen tomorrow to wipe out your funds. He says that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-stop-worrying-about-the-future\/\">worrying about the future<\/a> is an unavoidable part of life, and it\u2019s healthier to accept and deal with those worries as they come up than to avoid worrying entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Embrace generosity. <\/strong>Millerd explains that flexible payment models are becoming more popular\u2014for example, many freelancers offer subscriptions to their services via platforms like Patreon and pay-what-you-want options for people who may not be able to afford their services. He explains that people usually appreciate these payment models because they\u2019re voluntary and fair\u2014so they\u2019ll be generous with the amount of money they give you. You should also be generous with others, as Millerd says that will increase the likelihood of others being generous with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Adjusting Your Motivation Habits<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>With a traditional job, it\u2019s easy to know whether you\u2019re on the right track\u2014either you\u2019re performing well and achieving traditional benchmarks, or you\u2019re not. When you\u2019re self-employed, it\u2019s a little more complicated\u2014and insecurity about whether you\u2019re doing the right thing can diminish your motivation to keep going. To minimize your insecurities and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-keep-yourself-motivated\/\">stay motivated<\/a>, Millerd recommends making the following adjustments:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When your ultimate goal is unclear, <strong>define what you <em>don\u2019t <\/em>want to happen and figure out what steps to <em>avoid <\/em>taking so that it doesn\u2019t occur.<\/strong> If you find that you\u2019re on the path to making that bad outcome happen, you need to make changes. If not, you\u2019re probably doing OK. To illustrate, suppose your worst fear is becoming destitute. If your current work situation isn\u2019t paying your bills or is causing you to go into outrageous debt, you probably need to revise your approach to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Stay adaptable.<\/strong> Millerd says that change is inevitable\u2014work opportunities will come and go, your financial situation will vary, and you may even revise your values and definition of success. Instead of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/why-do-people-resist-change\/\">resisting change<\/a>, prepare yourself to go with the flow and have faith that even though you don\u2019t know exactly what\u2019s going to happen, it\u2019s going to be OK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Connect with supporters and mentors.<\/strong> Supporters are those who believe in your ability to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-live-a-meaningful-life\/\">live a meaningful life<\/a> outside of traditional parameters, and mentors are those who can teach you <em>how <\/em>to do that because they\u2019re already doing it themselves. Millerd notes that social media is a great avenue to find supporters and mentors\u2014people who openly share their life stories online can learn from each other, and you may even be able to find an online community created for people in situations like yours.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you followed a traditional career path? Would you like to exercise more freedom in work and life? Paul Millerd abandoned a conventional career and became a freelancer. In his book The Pathless Path: Imagining a New Story for Work and Life, he shows others how to do the same. He relates the history of the cultural emphasis on work, shares his own story, and provides advice for switching to freelancing. Continue reading for an overview of this book that could inspire you to take a new path.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":70751,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,29,79],"tags":[1291],"class_list":["post-115147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","category-career","category-entrepreneurship","tag-the-pathless-path","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Pathless Path: Imagining a New Story for Work and Life - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Paul Millerd made the switch to freelancing. 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