It's Okay to See Work as "Just for the Money"

Introduction: Difficult Relationships Are Unavoidable

In any kind of work, you’ll inevitably run into difficult people or clients who just don’t fit.

This is unavoidable.

In fact, it’s better to assume from the start that it will happen.

The Strength of Freelancing: You Can Quit

The biggest advantage of freelancing is that if you don’t like something, you can walk away.

This mindset is surprisingly hard to grasp in Japan.

That’s because Japan still carries the culture of lifetime employment, which makes changing jobs feel like a huge hurdle.

As a result, what tends to happen?

• You endure toxic relationships
• You put up with incompatible bosses and clients
• You keep piling on stress

And in the end, quite a few people break down mentally.

Engineers: A Profession Built for Escape

What makes engineers special is that our skills are portable.

• They carry over when you change companies
• They apply across industries
• You can go freelance

In other words, you always have an exit.

That’s a huge advantage.

Life Gets Easier When You Accept “It’s for the Money”

When it comes to work, things like:

• “Fulfillment”
• “Growth”
• “Social contribution”

are of course important. But if those are the only lenses through which you view your job, it gets exhausting.

Simply telling yourself:

👉 This is a job for the money

makes things a lot easier.

This doesn’t mean cutting corners.

You do the work properly. You just don’t invest more emotion than necessary.

Don’t Work With Clients Who Aren’t a Fit

From a sales perspective, the “correct” thing to write might be:

“We treat every client with sincerity!”

But reality is different.

👉 It’s better not to work with clients who aren’t a fit

Forcing it leads to:

• Building up stress
• Declining performance
• A deteriorating relationship in the end

Nobody wins.

Is “The Customer Is God” Really True?

In Japan, there’s a saying: “The customer is God.”

But I think this phrase distorts the relationship between seller and buyer.

It should be an equal relationship.

Don’t Lose Sight of What Work Really Is

What are we actually working for?

👉 For the customer? 👉 For society?

Sure, those matter too.

But realistically:

👉 For the money

Not losing sight of this is important.

Summary

• Difficult relationships will always appear
• Freelancers’ strength is the ability to quit
• Engineers have portable skills
• Accepting “it’s for the money” makes life easier
• Don’t force yourself to work with clients who aren’t a fit

Just adopting this stance cuts down work stress significantly.

Especially in Japan, too many people are overly earnest.

That’s exactly why being a little dry is just about right.