What It Feels Like to Truly Love Your Work — And How to Get There

Why Gen X Should Stop Waiting to Retire and Find Fulfilling Work Now

Want to know what it feels like to truly love your work?

Well, then, today is your lucky day.

I’m going to describe a feeling that never gets old, no matter how old you get.

It’s a feeling that made me rethink this whole retirement thing.

And maybe — just maybe — this will be the spark you need to find fulfilling work that you love in 2025.

Let’s go…

Obsession: The Good Kind

In the past few months, all I can think about is Redefining Retirement.

I can’t write fast enough to keep up with the ideas pouring out of my head.

Other than the stuff that lands in your inbox or on social, my iPhone Notes and Google Drive are packed with:

• 50+ blog and newsletter ideas written in just the past month
• 30+ days of social post ideas ready to be locked, loaded and scheduled

Execution? Same story.

I can’t implement all the marketing ideas fast enough:

• Launch a LinkedIn strategy
• Explore a new Amazon Kindle strategy I learned about
• Build an efficient content distribution system for Facebook, LinkedIn maybe a medium
• Create a course (or three)
• Possibly repurpose all of it into video (because, wow, the opportunity here is massive)

And then there’s the learning.

I can’t learn fast enough:

In the past few months, I’ve taken three courses (The Click on AI, Category Newsletter Creator, LinkedIn OS ($).

For 2025, I’m looking at learning:

• AI agents
• Generative search optimization (GEO)
• Any workflow systems and tools to maximize efficiency

This isn’t just a job; it’s my obsession. I think about it while eating, working out, and even lying in bed. (This post? Started at 5 a.m. on my phone because I NEEDED to get it out of my head.)

The Feeling You Don’t Want to Miss

Sound crazy? Maybe it is. But it’s also what loving your work feels like.

It’s fun.
It’s intoxicating.
It’s like getting that fire flower thing on Super Mario Bros. — suddenly, everything’s easier, faster, and way more fun.

The hard stuff? It’s just part of the process. Discipline keeps me focused, and the rewards are worth every second.

How long will this last? Who knows? Maybe forever. Maybe just until next week. Either way, I’m riding the wave and milking every ounce of joy out of it.

And if it leaves for a while, I can safely say after doing this for the past 20 years, it will be back again at some point.

Because when work feels like this, why would I ever stop? Retirement? Forget it. Redefining Retirement, baby.

Let’s Go Crazy

If you’ve been reading my stuff, you know I love matching the feelings of these posts with music. Today’s song is “Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince (fun fact: as a Minnesotan, I’m legally obligated to remind you he’s from here and that he was a Vikings fan).

At first, I considered “1999” for its New Years-y vibe. But then I read these lines, and I immediately changed my mind:

Dearly beloved

We are gathered here today To get through this thing called “life”

Electric word, life

It means forever, and that’s a mighty long time

But I’m here to tell you there’s something else:

The afterworld

The afterworld… that’s what we’re creating here — a world where retirement isn’t a finish line because we’re too busy having fun creating, learning, and doing meaningful work.

A world of never ending happiness

You can always see the sun, day or night

So when you call up that shrink in Beverly Hills

You know the one, Dr. Everything’ll-Be-All-Right

Instead of asking him how much of your time is left

Ask him how much of your mind, babe

How much of your mind is left and how do you want to use it? Waiting to retire or lighting it on fire doing cool shit.

’Cause in this life

Things are much harder than in the afterworld

In this life You’re on your own

And if de-elevator tries to bring you down Go crazy (Punch a higher floor)

Punch A Higher Floor

Want to feel this way about work? There is no better time to start than now — start now.

Or hit reply right now and tell me where you’re stuck.

Because whether you want to stay employed for now, start your own thing, or find a middle ground, creating, marketing, and learning is the ultimate path forward.

Let’s redefine retirement together.

Right after you listen to this…

Happy New Year,

Corey

Before you go…

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