What is a “zombie lifestyle” you might wonder? The answer is quite simple and a little complex at the same time. It implies being stuck in a rut, being stuck in the land of the living dead where you don’t actually live but just exist day in day out. You’re not actually dead but there’s no joy in living, no growth, no happiness, no fulfillment.
Living the zombie lifestyle fundamentally implies to live by following the masses. Live by doing what is expected of you to do — and merely existing every day following the flow, conforming to the conventional expectations of yourself instead of creating your own unique path. It’s only an awful channel of human vitality, waiting that life will cruise by. I realize it sounds awful, yet shockingly, numerous individuals are today living such a zombie life.
1). Challenge the norm and the status quo
Ever since we were young, society dictates to us what to do and people tell us repeatedly what is expected of us – to go to high school, to enroll in a university. perhaps, you need a good-paying job, get married and then make a family. It is like you were born with a set plan that is created by society and you should never question this path.
Those who decide to skip College or become an entrepreneur are taken as naive, and people that will probably fail in life because they don’t know what they are doing. We tend to cast out those who are willing to take the risks that we were too scared to take.
And by doing so, we discourage them to do bigger things and become the owner of their own lives. It is almost as an “If I have to follow this path so do you” kind of thing. We want others to go through the same things as we did, and we fail to understand those that want to do something different.
2). The bane of a 9/5 job
On the off chance that you work a job or career you detest, you are as of now living 33% of your life as a zombie. Getting into work with disgust, despising your manager, attempting to do as meager as could be expected under the circumstances, tattling and griping about your business to the entirety of your companions is certainly a zombie life. It’s a misuse of your talents and skills, your valuable time and your vitality. There is an ideal career path for you, you simply need to think and figure it out yourself. You simply need to initially invest your energy, time and resources into finding the correct fit.
We need to understand that not everyone has the same opportunities. This means that there are people out there who would love to become an entrepreneur, but they don’t have the same opportunities and have limited resources.
There is nothing shameful about having a 9/5 job. You are still working very hard and going after the things you need. The main problem starts when you do have the opportunity to do something more, and you don’t.
3). Conquer that fear
Sometimes it’s because we don’t have enough courage or because people tell us so many times the path that we should follow, that we now truly believe it is the only way. Saying No to something that we heard multiple times ever since we were kids can be quite scary. But it is something we must do in order to do and achieve more.
You can’t really expect to try the exact same things that your parents or friends did and get a different result. Only those who make changes and try something new will be able to achieve new bigger things.
It might be very hard to admit it, but only those who are willing to take that one extra step might make it. Doing courses while you work, learning how to create your own business between classes. Searching for information that will help you in the future.
Nobody is going to do this for you, and you must have the drive in you to do more. More than what they told you, more than what you are comfortable with. Breaking the zombie lifestyle means things being really scary now, only to have a better outcome tomorrow.
Read Also: Discovering your purpose – 3 tips on how to find passion and inspiration in what you do
4). Find the real Meaning of Life
A lot of people might limit the zombie Lifestyle to the work environment. And while I understand that it might seem like it is the case, there is much more than that. We often see ourselves in a situation when we are just repeating our moves on a daily basis.
Most of us are just waking up, doing the same exact things, almost like robots. We never question anything, we never say no, we never consider the possibility of doing more. It is in a way that even our free time doesn’t look like truly ours.
You are dealing with stress all of the time, thinking about work all of the time. It just seems like there isn’t a bigger goal there, a reason to try and be better. One of the worst things about this zombie lifestyle is that we are so often encouraged to keep doing it.
It is almost like there is a whole lifestyle that it is already ready to go and we should never question any aspect of it. And when we try to break the norm, we are excluded, labeled naive. One of the many challenges I faced every day as an entrepreneur was explaining to people what I do.
They simply do not understand. They don’t understand the concept of waking up when I want. Having a different routine every day. Doing spontaneous meetings, focusing on a different thing each day.
They definitely do not understand the concept of deciding how many hours I want to work today. It is almost like people tell you what to do so often, that you now think doing anyone else is wrong. Will you let this happen to you? The choice is yours.
Key TakeAway
But how can we not live a zombie lifestyle and start to make things for ourselves? For those who always question my work as an entrepreneur and how it allows me to do amazing things. And most importantly, do amazing things for myself, I answer simply that, in fact, I do not understand the concept of having a 9/5 job either.
Personally, I don’t understand living a robotic routine. And I definitely do not want this zombie lifestyle for myself. And although we learn to respect the path that each person chooses to follow. We also learn to know what is best for ourselves. The future we want to create. And definitely the future we do not want to have.
Choosing the entrepreneurship route allows me to know that there is much more to life. And that only the people who actually get out of their comfort zone are able to do it. That I am grateful for, but I’ll pass the chance of being just another person living the zombie lifestyle. I must confess it’s not an easy path but it’s definitely worth every hustle.
Lastly, let me remind you that whatever happens in your life, never stop growing. Whatever happens in your life, never give up. Whatever happens in your life, remember that there is always a move you can make towards a better and happier life. No matter how difficult your situation is.
This article here by Blaz Koz from the AgileLeanLife blog explains more in details, you should definitely check it out. Worth a read!
Wrapping Up!
What part of this article resonated most with you and why? What’s holding you back from starting to live you’ve always wanted? Are you struggling with living a zombie lifestyle? Share your ideas, tips, thoughts, and experience below in the comments.
Let me know what you think by sharing your thoughts in the comments below, or if you have any questions or feedback, please ask away. I’m always reading the comments. Also, if this article was helpful to you, by all means, please share this post with your friends and family. If it has helped you, it will do for others too. Share the positivity and greatness!
