Man, this resonated pretty hard with where I am right now. I'm working a full-time job, trying to be a better husband and father (2 teens and a 16-monthold), and attending online college for a business administration degree. With all this, I've really been thinking a lot about my priorities, and considering getting rid of my PC and going back to just my laptop. Life was simpler when that was all I had. I read more. I "practiced the art (of doing nothing" more. I generally felt less anxious about things. It's still a debate within me on a regular basis, but I feel like I'm just delaying the inevitable and that eventually I will do exactly what I keep thinking of.
As for the "genuine necessity" of things, I think there's room for some extras, but that's a separate discussion and everyone will have their own opinions about that anyway.
Keep on grinding, bro! Just make sure you don't push yourself too hard. We are humans, and we are flawed. We're not designed to perform like machines, and not all of us are built the same way; our limits differ. It's better not to work so hard that we reach our breaking point; a point of no return or recovery.
Thanks, I'm doing what I can. I had actually taken a few months off from school when my baby was born since I had gotten a title and pay change at work. I felt I was set up and I didn't feel the need to keep working on it, but the degree would mean I could get better results if I decided to change fields in the future.
Ace that degree, man! If that's what you want and need, then that's the way. Only we know what our hearts truly want, we can't let others dictate our lives.