I don’t agree. But I think a lot depends on what kind of retirement one plans and who you have to spend it with.
Can a person really love their job/career?
- Thread starter Cortez88
- Start date
40 hours a week for a locally owned company trumps 30 hours a week for a big corporation.
You've probably said, but what is your job now at a high level? Was thinking you are an attorney so the GED part caught me off guard.
I think that's why you see those mega famous/rich performers still going into their 80s (think the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Dylan, etc). I genuinely think those guys all REALLY love making music and performing. All of those guys could have retired decades ago and still lived very well.
A similar line of logic probably follows for long standing, highly successful college coaches. Even though Coach K just retired, I think he probably could have stepped away a decade ago if he really wanted to.
So to summarize, I believe a tiny, tiny fraction of the population probably actually enjoys their job to never want to stop doing it.
I think some stress is as important as food and water, Years ago somebody told me they saw stress as as important for the mind as lifting weights is for the body.. I agree. But the amount must be correct.
Right. When I get up, I’ve got nothing to do, when I go to bed I’m only half done.
Not sure what you mean by a high level? I can dribble a soccer ball at an exceptionally high level. Not sure I can do anything else in life at even a medium level. But my work is sales/manufacturing
The 'normal' people I know who say they love their jobs seem to get satisfaction from accomplishment. I've worked for some mission-driven non-profits and I know people who love the mission and enjoy contributing to that, but may not love the actual day-to-day of the job.
I feel like most days in most jobs are a grind. There are probably a lot of people who look forward to that, but having to involuntarily deal with that day in and day out would have to wear on people. Nobody actually loves their job all the time.
Yeah and that's where money becomes an issue. I worked at United way and loved it. But the money was shit. So....
I do think there are people who think they love their jobs. I know people like that and without going too deep into it, I'll just say I'm no longer connected to them.
At some point, people like that need to get their priorities straight and come to realize that they're almost instantly replaceable, their job isn't going to love them back and their job isn't going to share a vacation or come over for the holidays.
The old adage is true. You should work to live, not live to work.
Maybe that explains faculty, many seem to never retire.
My brother always claimed to love what he did, but he retired saying there was much more he wanted to do. He took up as an assistant basketball coach for Purdue-Calumet then Gary West. He started taking college classes on astronomy, and increased his bridge playing and vacations.
So I guess one could love what they do but lover other options more?
LOL. And I actually did laugh at this.
And that also means I’m stealing your line . . .
Yep. Without question if money were no issue, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing.
I really like my job and the money is good. That said, if I didn't have to earn a paycheck, there are other things I would rather be doing with my time. But I say that as someone who is within a few years of retirement. Early in my career I really loved my job and I couldn't imagine doing anything else, especially retirement.
I do. I feel really blessed to get to do what I do for a job. It was hard and took a lot of sacrifice, but I love the work we do.
Money is the issue that each of us makes it to be. Most of us could get by on lots less than we do, so it's a question of priorities. Lots of people just aren't interested in sacrificing the things that they'd have to sacrifice to do a job that they are passionate about. And there's nothing wrong with that. For some people, a job is a means to an end. And for others, it is a big part of the joy in their life. Different strokes for different folks.
Last edited:
This is only tangential I saw this yesterday about Vonnegut and it really resonates and seems to fit with doing what you love. I wish I had heard this in high school or college"
When Kurt Vonnegut was fifteen, he spent a month or so working on an archeological dig.
He once told a story of how he was talking to one of the archeologists one day over lunch and the archeologist was bombarding him with all of the typical getting to know you questions…
“Do you play sports? What’s your favorite subject?”
Vonnegut told the archeologist that while he didn’t play any sports he was in theater, choir, played violin and piano and used to take art classes.
The archeologist was impressed.
“Wow. That’s amazing!”
To which Kurt Vonnegut responded…
“Oh no, but I’m not any good at ANY of them.”
And this is where the archeologist said something to Kurt Vonnegut that Vonnegut would later say changed the trajectory of his thinking…
“I don’t think being good at things is the point of doing them. I think you’ve got all these wonderful experiences with different skills, and that all teaches you things and makes you an interesting person, no matter how well you do them.”
Here was how Vonnegut said the quote changed him…
*Kurt Vonnegut is typing now*
“…I went from a failure, someone who hadn’t been talented enough at anything to excel, to someone who did things because I enjoyed them. I had been raised in such an achievement-oriented environment, so inundated with the myth of Talent, that I thought it was only worth doing things if you could “Win” at them.”
The ideal professions:
Rock star? Nah, I'd burn out and probably end up as a 27 club member.
Professional athlete? Nah, what the hell would I do with most of my life in front of me and no more cheering crowds? That Tom Brady, he's in for a letdown someday.
Movie star? Nah, I'd be paranoid and way too self conscious, especially with today's social media.
Artist (painter)? Nah, too subjective and the artworld has some real kooks.
Chef? Nah, dependence on too many people to make it work.
Internet billionaire? Nah, the money is great, but the lack of privacy sucks.
Writer? Let's see.. at minimum you just need a pen and paper and your imagination. You can write in solitude and be social on your own terms. I could be the next JD Salinger and not be seen or heard from in years. YES!
My plan is to be a writer in my next life. This life was just to figure out what the hell I wanted to do.
Rock star? Nah, I'd burn out and probably end up as a 27 club member.
Professional athlete? Nah, what the hell would I do with most of my life in front of me and no more cheering crowds? That Tom Brady, he's in for a letdown someday.
Movie star? Nah, I'd be paranoid and way too self conscious, especially with today's social media.
Artist (painter)? Nah, too subjective and the artworld has some real kooks.
Chef? Nah, dependence on too many people to make it work.
Internet billionaire? Nah, the money is great, but the lack of privacy sucks.
Writer? Let's see.. at minimum you just need a pen and paper and your imagination. You can write in solitude and be social on your own terms. I could be the next JD Salinger and not be seen or heard from in years. YES!
My plan is to be a writer in my next life. This life was just to figure out what the hell I wanted to do.
A writer would be nice, if you had the skills. As far as professional athlete, I think being a golfer would be ideal. You can pick and choose your events, and with the Senior Tour you can keep playing for quite some time. If I had the talent, I think I'd like to be a pro golfer.
The Anthony Bourdain episode on Montana with Jim Harrison makes me think how great that life would be
sounds like being a lawyer sucks, good because lawyers have cost me nothing but headaches and money over the years
Sounds like Vonnegut simply redefined for himself what it means to win or be a success.
My wife and I are both engineers and we are doing well enough that we could potentially retire early-ish. But we would both get bored.
One concept we've mused about is having a "retirement" job. We are both amateur sand sculptors. We've done it for years, and while we certainly wouldn't win any competitions, we know enough of the basics that we could probably teach them.
So we came up with a pitch idea: Cruise Lines. We would island hop with a cruise ship and have shore excursions where we take about 10 to 12 people each day and show them how to make cool sand castles. Show them the techniques and sell them sand sculpting tools that are easily fabricated on my 3-D printer.
I think I would like that job. I mean, I could see how it might eventually get old and annoying, but I'd willing to give it a shot for a year or two.
One concept we've mused about is having a "retirement" job. We are both amateur sand sculptors. We've done it for years, and while we certainly wouldn't win any competitions, we know enough of the basics that we could probably teach them.
So we came up with a pitch idea: Cruise Lines. We would island hop with a cruise ship and have shore excursions where we take about 10 to 12 people each day and show them how to make cool sand castles. Show them the techniques and sell them sand sculpting tools that are easily fabricated on my 3-D printer.
I think I would like that job. I mean, I could see how it might eventually get old and annoying, but I'd willing to give it a shot for a year or two.
Awesome!My wife and I are both engineers and we are doing well enough that we could potentially retire early-ish. But we would both get bored.
One concept we've mused about is having a "retirement" job. We are both amateur sand sculptors. We've done it for years, and while we certainly wouldn't win any competitions, we know enough of the basics that we could probably teach them.
So we came up with a pitch idea: Cruise Lines. We would island hop with a cruise ship and have shore excursions where we take about 10 to 12 people each day and show them how to make cool sand castles. Show them the techniques and sell them sand sculpting tools that are easily fabricated on my 3-D printer.
I think I would like that job. I mean, I could see how it might eventually get old and annoying, but I'd willing to give it a shot for a year or two.
That sounds like a hell of a plan on so many levels. New people, new places, warm weather, and teaching something you enjoy.My wife and I are both engineers and we are doing well enough that we could potentially retire early-ish. But we would both get bored.
One concept we've mused about is having a "retirement" job. We are both amateur sand sculptors. We've done it for years, and while we certainly wouldn't win any competitions, we know enough of the basics that we could probably teach them.
So we came up with a pitch idea: Cruise Lines. We would island hop with a cruise ship and have shore excursions where we take about 10 to 12 people each day and show them how to make cool sand castles. Show them the techniques and sell them sand sculpting tools that are easily fabricated on my 3-D printer.
I think I would like that job. I mean, I could see how it might eventually get old and annoying, but I'd willing to give it a shot for a year or two.
I don't want to be in the tropics year round, but a winter gig like that seems awesome. When we vacation I always admire the folks that managed to carve out a life like you describe.
Too bad I'm only qualified to drag the chaise lounges on and off the beach each night. Looks low stress but too physically challenging. 😂
It also needs to be well placed. Most of us are not doing brain surgery or launching a manned rocket. Therefore we likely don’t need to be checking emails while on vacation or have a heart attack if we have a screw up. Simply, none of us are as important as we sometimes think we are.
That could be, but success is the doing not the victory is a good redefining. My dad was the type who could only enjoy something if he were the best. I partially rejected that but not nearly as fully as I should have.
I've had parts of several jobs that involved writing, but if I could figure out a way to actually make enough money writing when and what I like to write, I think that might me threading the needle to being happy in what I do.
Mostly agree. Certainly stress can cause physical problems. I see a difference between stress and worry caused by stress. The kind of stress which I think is beneficial is that caused by setting goals or taking on tasks and then achieving them. But “honey do” lists must have limits.
You have to take my word for it, but if I was left a ton of money where I never had to work again I would pastor for free. So I do think some people really love what they do. Now, the truth is in any work there are things you might not like about what you do. You would rather be doing something else. But the overall value you place on what you do is there.
Being an old fart helps. A don’t give a shit mind set is very liberating.
If I'm going pro athlete, I'm going with Punter. I'd get to be on the team but generally lower pressure and risk of getting smoked compared to other positions.
Bowler. Wouldn't even have to be in shape.
A
anon_mlxxvlbug9dpa
Guest
One of the worst kinds of worry-type stresses derives from maybes. Learn to avoid maybes. Decide yes or no.
I loved coaching football and teaching never feeling like I was working. I don't know I would feel the same way in today's world but while I was working I loved it. I did all the outside training I could as a coach and teacher which kept me challenged. I found I enjoyed it the most when I was in the most challenging situation ie inner city school. I enjoyed other schools I worked in Ft Wayne Wayne as the one I enjoyed the most. I worked in a variety of high schools from schools with a high number of free lunches in a large corporation, to a small corporation, and also a private school of high income families.
Funny you write that. I have many friends who are high school coaches/teachers. All mostly happy.
