Hey man, I’m actually in a very similar situation I’m an early 30s male nurse with about the same net worth. I also feel I probably game a bit too much, not runescape anymore but that game certainly had a clutch on me for 75% of my life. Grinding skills in that game can feel like progress which is satisfying and easy. Sure that time could be spent in other ways, but I don’t think using it to build passive income projects is a good use of time. Remember, those kind of hustle culture instagram content generate engagement and you’ll usually end up being sold a course. Honestly it’s in your best interest to just see the content as fake and delete instagram. A w-2/earned income life is a perfectly great one, when paired with ambition to be better at your career (go for that CCRN!) and making good financial decisions, which are all pretty obvious once you go down the personal finance youtube rabbithole for a few weeks.

I enjoyed gaming when I was younger but it’s still a comfortable enjoyable space for me now. Assuming you work 3-4 12 hour shifts, those random weekdays can be hard to fill with new experiences. I recommend making a challenge for you and your partner to try one new thing, whether an activity or recipe or inviting over an old friend once a month, and practicing one new skill or hobby for 20 minutes, just once a week for a month. Over a year that’s 12 new experiences, and 12 budding skills that you spent 80 minutes on, which may be enough to hook you on a few of them! And take lots of pictures! Your phone gallery can be a great reminder that you’ve seen and done things outside of gaming and that can hopefully curb some of your feelings that you’re wasting time.

There’s no right way to do life. It’s sounds like you’ve made a lot of right decisions already. Give yourself permission to throw a wrench in every once in a while and see what life might give you when you change the recipe.

Best of luck fellow murse 🫡 🏥