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Do you feel like you are spinning your wheels, or perhaps life has just become way too overwhelming because you seem to be stuck on what feels like a hamster wheel? You’re not alone; I too, have been seeking ways to get off the hamster wheel myself and live a slower, more meaningful life. 

When I take a step back and really think about what society deems to be normal, it never felt natural to me. I know we need to know how to read, write, etc. However, going to a place every day like a work schedule since you are five years old….what the heck is that? Don’t even get me started on Algebra.

You spend your entire life on this structured process to, just as Roger Waters' would say, become another “brick in the wall.” Go to school, graduate, go to college, take on student loan debt (I didn’t do this, thank god), get a job that most of us hate because, hey, we gotta pay for all the stuff we don’t really need right? 

Then you get to pay taxes on your income, the items you buy, and, let’s not forget, pay into social security, which will most likely be dried up before any of us get to partake…like it’s even enough to survive anyway. 

So, why do we stay on this hamster wheel when we know we aren’t really going where we want?

Society encourages us to stay on the hamster wheel!

I’ve been a finance writer for a few years now, and this constant message of “building wealth” the more, more, more mentality has really opened my eyes to what’s really going on. 

We have worked and side hustled ourselves to death. (I’m very guilty of this) We are so worried about bills, the future, and being “successful” that we don’t even get to truly live our lives. What—a vacation once a year that takes every dime you got to have? Yea, that’s really living the dream, isn’t it? 

The average person spends over 13 YEARS of their life working. Of course, we have to survive and have things to live and enjoy. However, how far does it really have to go? What do we truly need? 

The latest iPhone, car, tablet? A bigger house, a faster car? Designer purses…ugh, I can’t even. What is all this? How fast and far will society push us to the brink?

And why is it that even when most people acquire these things, they still don’t have true happiness? What’s missing? What is it that many of us actually crave?

Freedom from the hamster wheel

My husband said one of the happiest times of his life was when he had nothing. He was an epic surfer and had times when he didn’t even have a place to live. However, he had freedom. That’s what we all truly want deep down, isn’t it? 

That’s what we are striving for in our hearts of hearts. A day where we can be free. Have time to do things we enjoy. Not get up and rush off to a soul-sucking job that barely covers our monthly expenses. 

If you really think about it, everyone is working their life away in hopes of having a “comfortable retirement.” Why wait until retirement to be happy? Seriously, we don’t know how long we will be here, so why to spend your precious life striving for things that, in the end, just don’t matter. 

Sure it’s great to have nice things but not at the cost of something much more precious…your happiness. 

So if you feel like you are in desperate need of a change like I did, here are a few ways to help you get off the hamster wheel! 

5 Ways to get off the hamster wheel

Remember making big changes will take time. However, these tips will help you hop off that hamster wheel and start running towards a better life!

1. Identify what you really what out of life

The very first step to getting off the hamster wheel is to identify what you truly want out of life. There are a few things you can do to figure this out. First, imagine what your perfect day is like. Do you wake up and enjoy your coffee outside as you watch the birds?

Take a nature walk before you start your work day? Sit and play with your adorable furballs first thing to bring bliss to your day?

How would you spend your day if you had the choice to craft it?

Second, identify what your passions are. What makes you happy? What are your hobbies, or what hobbies would you try if you had more time?

Pursuing your passions is an essential part of being happy in life. Make a list of all of the things you like to do or want to try!

The last thing isn’t so sexy, but it’s necessary. You need to figure out what makes you unhappy! Is it your job? Your lifestyle? Your bad habits? Find out the things that don’t bring you bliss and ways to cut them from your life so you can move on to a more fulfilling existence! 

2. Work towards your dream life by setting goals

Setting goals is a key part of working towards your dream life. Some people (uh me) may find goals to be a bit overwhelming. However, you can conquer any goal you have by simply breaking them down into smaller ones. 

For instance, let’s say your dream goal is to have the freedom to travel more. This may mean, becoming debt-free so you can work less. If so, then add up all of your debt to see what your major goal is. Let’s say you have $10,000 total in debt, and you want to be debt-free within 2 years.

You would divide $10,000 by 24 months. So, $10,000 divided by 24 equals about $416.67 per month. Make it even easier to achieve by breaking it down by the week. $416.67 divided by 4 weeks is $104.16! That is just $14.88 a day!

You see how when you focus on the smaller number, it makes it seem much easier to attain? So you can find ways to cut your expenses and increase your income to accomplish your dream goal. 

3. Minimize your living to help you get off the hamster wheel faster

This is the key that will help you get off the hamster wheel much faster. Minimize your living, and you will maximize your LIFE! Having less stuff means having more time and money to live your dream life. 

Where in your life could you downsize so you can free up your life more? Could you downsize your home? Reduce the number of vehicles you own? Sell off all that clutter that’s taking up space, or perhaps purge your storage unit if you have one? 

Take note of what you have and if it is costing you true happiness. Do you have to work overtime just to afford your lifestyle? Assess the way you are living and if the material things are actually worth all that money and time.

4. Do something you love for a living

I’ve worked way too many jobs I hated. Many of us do. We gotta support ourselves and our families, right? But if you are miserable and your job is sucking you dry even when you are off work because it’s toxic or makes you unhappy, then it’s time for a change. Because let’s face it, sometimes the job is just not worth the money! 

Sure, everything is stressful when you make it into a job. BUT it’s much better when you actually love what you do for a living. This is another reason you need to identify what your passions are, because more than likely, you can turn them into a way to make a living and be much happier!

For example, if you love animals, start a pet sitting business. If you have a way with words, become a freelance writer! The sky is the limit. You’d be surprised at how many things you can turn into a business that you enjoy. 

5. Create passive income to obtain freedom

Did you know you can make money while you aren’t working? Okay, so the truth is you have to set up passive income, however, the great thing about it is once you do it, you continue to earn from it! Unfortunately, we always will need money, but creating passive income can allow you to make money while doing other things! 

For instance, you can create printables to sell, write an ebook, create print-on-demand merchandise, etc. There are a ton of ways to create passive income. So the sooner you start, the better! This is another secret on how to get off the hamster wheel!

You can get off the hamster wheel and live a life you love!

Sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees, and we can’t get unstuck because we feel like there is no way out. But there is! By simplifying your life, you can get off the hamster wheel and live the life of your dreams. Remember, all you really need is just simplicity and sunshine!