If all goes according to plan, I’ll be financially free in 10 years. But once that happens, the worst thing I could do is to stop working.

What is work?

Work. The word elicits different emotions to different people. We hear phrases thrown around: That sounds like a lot of work”, “You have to put in the work”, and most commonly “Hard work”.

As a kid, I viewed work as an effort-expending activity. A necessary evil. I dreaded doing my chores on the weekends and would figure out the fastest way to get them done so that I could hang out with my friends or watch TV.

When I got my first job at 14 as a soccer referee, work took on a new meaning. I still didn’t like it. It was an uncomfortable experience having parents yell at me when they didn’t agree with the call that I made. I would count down the hours and minutes until I got home. But, at least I got money out of it.

As I got different jobs throughout high school, work still seemed generally boring, but a worthy sacrifice of time and energy in exchange for money. I liked having money to save for college and pay for eating out with my friends.

The most meaningful experiences at work were times when I went above and beyond. As a gymnastics coach, I would spend time outside of work coming up with activities and drills to help my kids succeed. As a call center representative, I learned some coding skills to automate some tedious processes. I was actively looking for ways to improve the organization or company that I was in. These experiences left me feeling invigorated and satisfied. Don’t get me wrong, though, the majority of work was still boring. I was almost always waiting for the time to be up so that I could go home and do what I wanted to do (which was generally video games or hanging out with friends).

However, work usually left me feeling productive in some way. I usually felt good about myself for working. And I was almost always willing to do work for free when I felt like someone needed it. Raking leaves or mowing a lawn for an elderly person, for example.

Then there was schoolwork. Homework. This type of work was box-checking for me. I would do the assignment, learn the information, and finish as fast as possible in order to get back to what I wanted to do. Looking back, I can see how much I have always valued freedom and autonomy.

I took 2 years after my freshman year of college to serve a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I went to Sydney Australia and learned Mandarin Chinese. Each day, I woke up at 6:30 AM, and worked until 10:30 PM. This work consisted of finding people to teach about Jesus Christ, and helping them learn about the same joy I had found by following Him.

On my mission, the schedule was rigorous and demanding. But the work, actually interacting with people, and seeing them find joy in Christ, was extremely rewarding. Though it was challenging to face rejection, homesickness, and other trials, I began to fall in love with the work. It was wonderful to look back on each day knowing that I had tried my hardest to use every available moment to accomplish my purpose.

Once I got home, I applied what I had learned in college. I began to set goals and make plans to achieve them. I excelled in school, and got a job in a field I was interested in. I felt generally satisfied when I accomplished my goals, and I liked making money. But I still had a mindset of ‘finish what needs to be done’ so that I could relax and chill. I was subconsciously waiting for a break, and telling myself that work was a means to an end. I felt this way doing door-to-door sales, as a software intern at a small company, and as a consultant. I really enjoyed learning and solving problems, but didn’t feel super excited about the work that I was doing. I wasn’t always engaged in it.

All along, I was working on other things. I was putting in effort to my relationship with my girlfriend who I eventually married. I was learning about investing in stocks and real estate, and was able to buy my first rental property at 23 years old. I was striving to improve in many aspects of my life. But I was still mentally separating my personal work from the work I was being paid hourly to do.

Work is not a means to an end.

Recently, however, I have begun to really enjoy work. This is because I’ve had the opportunity to work on my own startup. I have complete ownership of what I am creating, and I generally feel very motivated and excited to put effort into it. Time goes by quickly and I find myself wishing I had more time to add more features to the app, or talk to more customers. I don’t work myself into the ground, but I am noticeably more excited to work than I ever have been.

I realized that I wasn’t just working toward some end goal. It’s so hard to quantify what I was spending time doing each day – there was no hourly wage being offered for my effort. I was working to work. I love the feeling of progress, of solving problems, and finding creative solutions. I love creating something, taking something from an idea to reality, and having people benefit as a result. I love having an impact.

Work is creation.

In short, work is creation. This is how I want to view it from here on out. Work is a combination of inputs (raw materials, unorganized thoughts, energy, time) transformed into valuable outputs (skills, ideas, experiences, products, solutions). Whether it’s perfecting a piece on the piano, a blossoming relationship with a loved one, or a deepened understanding of our relationship with the divine, work brings results. But the result isn’t the only reason why we do it. A desired result shapes our effort, but the actual expending of the effort is where the transformation happens.

I am still young (25 years old) and have lots to learn. But as I move forward in my life, I want to be excited about work in all of its forms. In the gym, in my home, in a corporate office, in my relationships, in my skills and abilities. I want to be actively involved in my own development and in bringing value and beauty to the world. When I rest, I want it to be intentionally – allowing me to recharge and reflect and be grateful.