I used to barely be able to function at my jobs, only doing them out of necessity. I worked minimum wage jobs as a cook for a couple of years hoping to save up for college. I had to go to a much cheaper school than originally planned since I ended up having sizeable expenses from a stay at a mental hospital for a month. I then went to work at a factory, and man that sucked. It was an enormous effort just to get out of bed and go there and go through the same repetitive motions hundreds to thousands of times per day. I did that for about a year and a half before I finally couldn't take it and on the same day I quit I tried to ctb.
All the times I wasn't at work I was happier. I felt freer not having those obligations. Right now I have a job as a driver where I deliver tires to auto shops. I don't particularly enjoy it but it's so much better than working in a kitchen or factory. I just drive around and drop off tires and go to the next place. It's exhausting loading up and unloading stuff that can go up to 110lbs (50kg) or more. But I like being on my own driving around.
That being said, even though I'm okay with the job, on the days I do have to work I wish I didn't have to go in but I think most people think like this. My job is meaningless, and a job like mine is often judged by others because it's working class despite about 70% of the US where I'm from being working class. Guess there's still a ton of elitism going on, particularly among people my age where an overwhelming amount of your value is judged by your job.
I get you about not wanting nice things. I don't like traveling and never was interested in vacationing. I've been to most of the western US states (MT, IA, UT, AZ, etc.) and saw things like the Grand Canyon, went to Yellowstone, whatever but just never cared. I drive an almost decade-old car and will use it, along with my 8-year-old phone until they die. The only reason I'm working is so that I can eat and not be on the street. People I know don't seem to understand this. I've been questioned by someone I know who's attending one of the most expensive universities in the US why my apartment doesn't have amenities like a pool or whatever. He along with a few others were shocked that its just nothing more than a box for you to live in. People seem to just put too much value in dumb stuff like that, but I think that's just upper-middle-class thinking for you, hence why he's going 6-figures in debt because he wanted nice things at his college like little robots that go around the campus and deliver stuff to students. Why someone would willingly choose to screw themselves financially for something like that... yeah idk I think a lot of people my age are a bit dim.
I wish there were more jobs that had meaning, but to be honest with you, I think about 90+% of jobs, while necessary for society to run, will feel totally meaningless and just serve as a reminder to you that you're on the bottom rungs. If you don't want lots of money, and money doesn't do anything for you, and you have no real incentive to work, then you'll never find meaning, unfortunately. People say follow your passions, but that's only possible for a larger minority of people than they think. I tried following my passion and it never worked out. It's the same thing for many millions, billions of people.
Yet, unfortunately, at some point, you are made to participate in the job system. That's just the way it is. If it was optional, well then nobody would participate now would they?
