I keep returning to this little Post-It painting because I was recently fired from my job of nearly 4.5 years. Food manufacturing. My PTO and sick time never fully recovered after taking two leaves of absence (mental health necessity, then top surgery recovery). I worked hard, did my best; ultimately, intolerable summer temperatures led to my termination. Joke's on them: I have been freed from oatmeal bondage.

Your advice is sage AF and I'm grateful that you shared it. More working people, especially folks just entering the workforce or anyone suffering from workplace apathy, need to know.

Yeah. It took me about ten years in automotive to make it to a desk job that allowed me a lot of .... uhhhhh leisure and self management. So ot tales work to get there usually.

And in that time i learned about what i do like, and where i want to next.

One also doesn't want to simply coast. You'll never catch up or get ahead that way. Even in a good job. And you definitely want to get yourself a head so you don't live paycheck to paycheck. That you get savings, can survive unemployment, survive financial emergencies, and eventually buy a house, or car, or cool things.