Mark Manson just posted a video for people in their 30s and I'm annoyed at how much it resonates.

I agree with many things & understand why most of the advice was chosen.

Though, not 41 like him, I've still noticed the same things in relation to Body & Identity:

Bartending always made sense alongside nursing.

For years I tried different hobbies and meetup groups, but bartending stayed the constant.

Until now.

I’ve found an alternative that might suit me better. In a smaller city, this wouldn’t have been possible.

I always thought I’d work full time in nursing. I felt lucky to have my role.

Then I started bartending. Over 2 years I slowly dropped my FTE. Each drop gave me room to breathe.

The mix of nursing and bartending felt better than only nursing ever did.

When I first worked 3 nights a week as a nurse, I couldn’t bring myself to go out and socialize.

What I needed was structure. Bartending gave me that: socializing without spending money, and friendships with coworkers who lived differently.

And it worked.

Sharing goals can trick your brain into feeling like you’ve already achieved them.

I learned that barbacking. Once I told people I wanted to bartend, they got excited for me, but only one person ever checked in.

Over time I lost motivation. In the end, I had to push myself.

Hormozi says people only root for you at the start and the finish.

I felt that when I was barbacking and aiming to bartend. People were excited when I shared my goal, but rarely checked in. Over time my motivation slipped.

Eventually I made it, but I had to root for myself.

The real reason I cut my nursing hours?
To focus on (and try new) hobbies.

Different types of dancing, even random stuff like Authentic relating events and HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts).

If you had one extra weekday free—what hobby would you try?

Most of us underestimate how many hobbies we could enjoy.
The trick isn’t just finding the “right” activity, it’s finding the right mix of hobby and people.

(1/8)

How I bought back 12 hours/week without chaos:
– Keep only food you’ll eat in the fridge
– Don’t overbuy groceries
– Automate bills
– Separate account for bills

Which of these would save you the most time?

I finally found a night shift sleep schedule I can stick to.

Wake ~2pm, bed ~4am (on days off from nursing)

Not perfect, but it beats fighting my own body every week.

What schedule works best for your shifts?

I used to pay $300+/month in interest.

By the time I finished my BSN, I’d killed every cent of old debt.

That set me up to drop hours later without financial panic.

What was your biggest “debt milestone” moment?

How I cut 12 shifts a month… without wrecking my investments.

3×12s → 2×12s
More free time, still investing regularly.

I wasn’t a FIRE extremist and I made under $100k.

Could you still invest after a 33% pay cut?

Nobody told me I’d be broke if I worked less.

But my preference for cooking simple meals and meal prepping has paid off.
Through trial and error, I learned I don’t “need” a ton of meal variety.

What’s the easiest meal habit that’s saved you the most money?

Most nurses think burnout comes from “too many patients.”

Truth: it’s often the hours..even if you love your job.

I do. Many nurses don’t. But even loving the work doesn’t protect your free time from being swallowed by 12s.

Have you ever liked the job but still cut your hours?

Many nurses under-invest.

I learned my target number while working 3×12s.
Dropped to 2×12s… and still invested almost the same dollar amount.

How? Lower spending + small side income.

What would you do with the extra day a week?

Night shift is brutal.

During nursing school: 2–3×10s felt doable.
After switching to 3×12s?
My days off became “recover and maybe get groceries.”

2x12s, side job, and house hacking has been the balance for me.

If you’ve worked nights, what’s your #1 energy fix?

Got banned from Threads for “fraud.”

I’m a nurse, I bartend, I househack.
Paid off major debt, moved cross-country, and tried more hobbies than I can count.

No courses, no services—just opinions.

Ever been told you’re “not qualified” to share your own story?

I’ve worked night shift for a while.
Trying to stay healthy, focused, and not let it hollow me out.
Anyone else here juggling graveyard work + some kind of quiet discipline?